Helsinki tramway expansion bonanza for contractors

 

The Finnish capital, Helsinki, has an established tramway network with 12 lines covering 110.5km and carrying 56.8M passengers/year. The city company managing the network, Metropolitan Area Transport, has seven new lines in its programme, that will add over 40km to the network. The 10km Crown Bridges line is under construction for completion in 2027 to connect island suburbs with three new bridges. Other planned lines include the Vantaa line, running 19km from Helsinki airport to Mellunmäki metro station, and the Vihdintie line covering 10.5km north–south from Kannelmäki to Erottaja in the city centre. All this is to serve a growing population and create a 15-minute city. 32 Skoda Transtech Artic X54 low-floor trams are on order. 

 

These follow the 25km Jokeri light rail Itäkeskus to Keilaniemi orbital line opened in October 2023 as line 15, and the 7km line 13 from Pascal to Kalasatama, opened in 2024. 

 

Swedish companyr Skanska is the main contractor for a EUR 252M replacement for the 80-year old Koskela tram depot, a 41 000 sq m facility that will operate up to 50 trams, and is due for completion in the second quarter of 2029. This comes as a EUR 100M expansion of Ruskeasuo depot is completed, creating space to temporarily accommodate the trams from the existing Koskela depot, that will be demolished. 

 

Helsinki’s metre-gauge tramway opened with horse traction in 1891, with electrification ofd an expanding network in 1900-1908.