Tram tracks and the base of the tram stop area on Siltasaarenkatu in Hakaniemi will be replaced during the coming summer. The works will cause disruptions to traffic in the area throughout the summer. Tram routes will be diverted in Hakaniemi for the whole summer as of 2 April.
 

The tram tracks have last been replaced over 30 years ago. It is necessary to replace the tracks now as they are in a poor condition.  

The tracks to be replaced run partly above the ticket hall of the Hakaniemi metro station. Also the lid of the ticket hall and waterproofing under the tracks will be replaced.

The project is divided into two phases. The first phase starts on 2 April. In the first phase, the tram tracks are replaced, the track bed is repaired and tram stops on the Hakaniemi Market Square side of the tram stop area are refurbished. During this phase, trams cannot run from Siltasaarenkatu to Hämeentie. Trams 6,  7A and 7B will be diverted between Sörnäinen and Hakaniemi to run via Kallio and Helsinginkatu. This phase will last until mid-June. 
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Map showing the route of trams 6, 6T, 7A and 7B

In the second phase, the tracks will be replaced and stops refurhished on the Eläintarhanlahti side of the tram stop area. The second phase will run from June to the end of September.

HKL’s Executive Board chose CAF as the supplier of the new metro trains of Helsinki in October. CAF’s tender was the most affordable in terms of overall economy as the acquisition price and the commercial terms, operating and maintenance costs, level of the train technology, design and innovativeness as well as co-operation capabilities and the reliability of deliveries were taken in the account in the evaluation.

After signing the contract the procurement project of metro trains will continue by drawing up more detailed technical designs. Also a life-size mock-up will be made of the new metro train that enables the assessment of the structural details of the new trains with different user groups.

The total length of the new trains is 90 metres, corresponding to the train units currently in use at off-peak hours and with a passenger capacity of 576.

The train is accessible in its entirety from one end to the other, making it easy to move between cars during the journey. In terms of their visual appearance, the trains will resemble the M200 series, the exterior and seat colour being orange also in future.

The trains will at first be equipped with a temporary driver’s cab, necessary in the transitional stage towards the automation of the metro traffic control system. Once the automation is completed, the temporary cabin will be dismantled and the space converted for passenger use.

CAF is one of the major manufacturers of metro vehicles in the world. In recent years CAF has delivered metro trains for example to Madrid, Rome, Washington, Barcelona and Brussels.

The new metro train fleet is required for the West Metro. The delivery schedule of the new trains is planned so that the operation of West Metro can be started according to the schedule. The first train will arrive in Helsinki for test runs in the turn of January-February 2015. In total 15 trains will be delivered by the end of the year 2015 and they are needed for starting of the operation of West Metro. The remaining trains will be delivered in spring 2016.

In addition, the procurement is part of the preparation for the potential extension of the West Metro from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti. The procurement also covers the opportunity to exercise the second option, should the so-called East Metro to Sipoo be realised sooner than expected.

The Siilitie Metro Station lift will be closed for approximately six weeks while the existing lift is dismantled and a new one is installed. Bus connections from the Siilitie Metro Station include the 58 and 58B buses to the Itäkeskus and Herttoniemi Metro Stations and bus 79 to the Herttoniemi Metro Station.
 

The lift will be closed at the start of morning traffic on 22 January. Since access to the metro platform will be by escalator only, it will not be possible for persons with wheelchairs or prams or other passengers requiring the lift to use the station. For safety reasons, the carrying of prams or wheelchairs on the escalator is not permitted.

The metro stations closest to Siilitie are Itäkeskus and Herttoniemi. Bus connections from the Siilitie Metro Station include the 58 and 58B buses to the Itäkeskus and Herttoniemi Metro Stations and bus 79 to the Herttoniemi Metro Station.

The lift replacement is part of the Siilitie Metro Station renovation project. The renovations so far include building new ticket halls, adding more escalators, retiling the platform and refurbishing the platform roof.

The renovations will be completed during the first part of 2013.

There will be a break in the Metro service on the weekend of 1 – 2 December due to the installation of a new Metro control system. 
 

East Helsinki will be served by buses which will run from Rautatientori via Herttoniemi and Itäkeskus to Mellunmäki and Vuosaari. Also, an additional tram service 11 will run between Ruoholahti and Paavalin kirkko (St. Paul’s Church).

During the break in the Metro service, Siemens, who is in charge of the metro automation project, will change the old Metro control system to a new digital one.

The change of the control system is part of the Metro automation project.  

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Helsinki’s new metro trains will be ordered from the Spanish manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. (CAF). HKL’s Executive Board decided upon the matter at its meeting on 16 October.
 

HKL has ordered 40 trams for the city’s expanding tramway needs. A model of the tram is on display this summer at the Cable Factory’s HI Design exhibition, part of the events at World Design Capital Helsinki 2012. The model is built to the same proportions as the new tram but is shorter.

- The ambiguities have been resolved. The project will go forward with mutual understanding and promptly.  Helsinki will get a modern metro that corresponds to its future needs. A fully automated system will allow trains to run at flexible intervals, and meet the increased demands of the future”, according to HKL managing director Matti Lahdenranta.

- Agreement was reached in negotiations about the kind of technical preparations both parties must supply for a fully automated mass transit system to work. We have a common view of the progression of the project. The system will start up according to the agreed timetable. The negotiated solution is the best and most economical for both parties”, remarked Siemens Oy managing director Martti Kohtanen.

The automation of Helsinki metro will be implemented in accordance with the original contract resulting in a fully automated metro. The extended contract takes account of how unresolved technical matters will be decided. Differences of opinion about delivery content and responsibilities will later be arbitrated. Arbitration will begin when all existing trains have been automated at the end of 2015. Additionally, courses of action needed to ensure advancement of the project and continue the undertaking have been agreed.

Siemens has estimated the cost of works concerning which the parties have not reached agreement. Siemens puts the figure at €20 million. The arbitration body will be told the actual cost of the extra works. The arbitration body will then decide which party will bear these costs based on the existing contract.

Helsinki will thus get a fully automated metro. As a result, the interval between trains could be even less than two minutes. This will increase metro carrying capacity considerably, and improve the quality of service. Automation also saves energy. The solution reached ensures a safe, cohesive and environmentally friendly public transport for Helsinki and Espoo as agreed.

In Helsinki, the metro and trams are now powered by electricity produced by Finnish hydropower. In other words,  rail travel does not produce carbon emissions. Rail transport is an environmentally-sustainable mode of transport, and now even more environmentally-friendly.
 

The choices of HKL, the operator of Helsinki’s tram and metro services, and the service procurer HSL affect the way the electricity needed in rail transport is produced as well as how much energy is consumed on the whole.

HKL and HSL want to highlight the environmental impacts of rail services and make passengers aware of them. To this end, we have together opened a website at www.matkustapuhtaasti.fi providing passenger and other interest parties with an information package on environmental issues related to rail transport. You may also spot a tram decorated with water motifs on the streets of Helsinki.

In addition to choosing electricity produced in an eco-friendly way, energy is saved by training drivers in energy-efficient driving and by procuring new, energy-efficient vehicles. For example, energy-efficiency has played a key role in the planning of the new trams to be introduced in Helsinki. For example, the large amount of energy generated by braking will be used for heating the trams in winter, while in summer, spectrally selective windows reduce the heating effect of the sun and thus, less energy is needed for cooling.

A prototype of the new tram will be on display in the HI Design Exhibition held at the Cable Factory in the summer. The exhibition is part of the Helsinki 2012 World Design Capital program.

HSL aims to increase the share of public transport in order to reduce carbon emissions from traffic.  Development of rail services is a key consideration in the planning of Helsinki region public transport. Rail services in the region will significantly increase in the coming years with the completion of the Ring Rail Line and West Metro.  

In the near future, the route of tram 9 will be extended from the Central Railway Station via Kamppi to Länsisatama (West Harbour). This will take place in the autumn. The route change will significantly improve transport connections to the heavily congested Länsisatama.

The Metro will not run between Kulosaari and Ruoholahti from 14 July through 22 July due to construction work on Kalasatama center. The connections between eastern Helsinki and the city center will be replaced with additional bus routes.

During this time, there will be Metro service only between Mellunmäki and Kulosaari, and Vuosaari and Itäkeskus. The Metro will run at 8-minute intervals.  

The additional buses, 99 from Itäkeskus and 99B from Herttoniemi, will run to the city center every 8 minutes.  In addition, feeder buses from Herttoniemi will to Hakaniemi under route numbers 80X, 81X, 82X, 85X, 86X and 88X.

Constructing new Helsinki
A new residential area for some 20,000 residents is being constructed in Kalasatama. The Kalasatama center, which will consist of tower blocks containing flats, service facilities and offices, is being built in the surroundings of the Metro station. Within the center, Itäväylä and the Metro line will be covered with a green cover forming an integrated courtyard in the middle of the tower blocks. 

In July, the old Metro tracks at Kalasatama will be removed and a new rail bridge put in place. The Metro service has to be stopped for the duration of the works.

On 22 March, the Helsinki City Transport executive board decided to halt the discussions concerning a semi-automated solution for Helsinki’s metro. Experts on the part of Helsinki City Transport and Siemens have discussed the semi-automatic solution over a period of two months. No consensus has been reached in technical or contract negotiations about how to implement the technical solutions, the responsibilities or the prices entailed by the project.
 

In autumn 2011, it became clear that the supplier could not satisfy the delivery terms of a fully–automated system in accordance with the contract’s content, timetable and costs. In January 2012, the decision was made to discuss an alternative semi-automatic solution in which the trains would run automatically and drivers would remain on the trains to ensure their safe operation.

Experts on the part of Helsinki City Transport and Siemens have discussed the semi-automatic solution over a period of two months. No consensus has been reached in technical or contract negotiations about how to implement the technical solutions, the responsibilities or the prices entailed by the project.

On 22 March, the Helsinki City Transport executive board, on the recommendation of the managing director Matti Lahdenranta, decided to halt the discussions concerning a semi-automated solution for Helsinki’s metro. As a consequence, contractual negotiations will focus once again on complying with the original fully-automated contract. If going forward according to the terms of the original contract proves to be unworkable, Helsinki City Transport may have to enforce its right to cancel the full automation contract, and the existing mass transit control system will be renewed with a similar system that enables trains to run at 2.5 minute intervals. This will ensure safe operation of the existing capacity of metro and that of the Länsimetro until 2025 – 2035.

The next meeting of the Helsinki City Transport executive board will take place on 4 April.

During the renovation, the street level lower ticket hall will be completely dismantled and replaced with a new, bigger ticket hall. The station will become more accessible as escalators are added and the lift is replaced. After the renovation, the platform area can be accessed by three escalators. The station only has one escalator at present.

The upper ticket hall, platform ceiling and tiling will all be renewed totally. The comfort of the station will be improved as also the lighting, furniture and surface materials are all renewed. During the renovation technical areas are also refurbished and an emergency exit will be constructed at the western end of the station as required by the rescue authorities.

In connection with the renovation of the station, the surrounding area is cleaned up and parking spaces are added for feeder traffic as well as bicycles. The station will remain open through the whole renovation period.  

The renovation of Siilitie metro station follows renovation initiatives of eastern metro stations. When the Siilitie renovation is finished renovation of Myllypuro station will begin. Herttoniemi and Itäkeskus stations are next.

Trial run with the platform doors installed at Vuosaari Metro station started on Wednesday 15 February. The doors, which are part of the metro automation project, were built over a year ago but their introduction has been delayed due to technical and safety related testings.
 

A structure has now been added to the doors, which has made it possible to reduce the gap between the doors and the metro train so that the doors function safely for passenger traffic.

The introduction of the doors will ease the traffic situation at Vuosaari station as the trains can use both platforms again at rush hour. Outside rush hours, at least during the initial phase of the trial, the other platform will be used and the doors are not in use. The doors are also serviced and inspected during the trial phase and during these periods, the platform doors are not in use.

The metro stops at Vuosaari by the platform doors so that the platform doors and metro doors face each other. Because the platform doors are only the length of two train carriages, the first two metro carriages stop outside the wall of the platform doors in the trial phase.

In the trial phase, the driver opens and closes both doors from his driver cabin. Open doors are indicated by a white pilot light. When closing the doors, the metro doors are closed first and the platform doors afterwards.

When the platform doors are closing, a signal is sounded and the door pilot light flashes red. At that point, it is forbidden to go between the doors. Entering through closing metro doors is also forbidden at other stations for safety reasons.

Platform doors are part of the metro automation project. Currently, HKL (Helsinki City Transport) and Siemens are negotiating the possibility of implementing metro automation as a so called semi-automatic solution. If the negotiations are successful and HKL’s board of governors approves the negotiation result, it means that platform doors will only be installed in the end stations, i.e. Vuosaari and Mellunmäki. At this initial phase, platform doors have only been installed on the departure platform at Vuosaari.

The situation with automated metro and how the project will continue will be clarified during the coming spring.
 

The alternatives discussed include, e.g. renewing only the access control system, in which case drivers would drive the trains as at present, or a so called semi-automation, in which case the trains would be driven by an automatic system but drivers would still be needed to control the doors and other vehicle functions.

New, high-quality bus stops will be built on Fredrikinkatu next to the Kamppi metro station entrance next year when Helsinki will be World Design Capital.
 

The new stops are designed by Stefan Lindfors. The new stops have a larger covered area than the current stops, and more possibilities for providing electronic information. Special attention has been paid on accessibility of the stops.  

More design stops may later be built at other busy interchange hubs. The project to develop high-quality stops is part of the official program of World Design Capital 2012 in Helsinki. Modernization of bus shelters makes design part of the residents’ everyday life, which is one of the focal themes of the World Design Capital year.

The new ticket hall at Kulosaari metro station will be opened on Saturday 10 September. 
 

The station will again be accessible as the new lift is brought into use. The emergency exit at the eastern end of the platform will be closed in the coming days after which access to the station is only via the main ticket hall.

The planning of the project has not progressed as scheduled. In addition, the platform screen door trial at Vuosaari metro station has been repeatedly postponed.

The automation of the metro is commissioned by HKL.

Kulosaari metro station reopens on Monday the 6th of June. Bus 16X, which has been running between Herttoniemi and Kulosaari, is withdrawn as the station reopens.

The opening of the station was confirmed on Friday the 3rd of June after the authorities had finished their inspection of the station.

The metrostation opens while the renovation is still underway. Thus during the summer the entrance to the station is through the emergency exit at the eastern end of the station. The lift is still out of use. The renovation work will be completely finished in the fall.

The opening of the station was confirmed on Friday the 3rd of June after the authorities had finished their inspection of the station.

At its meeting on 2 December the board of Helsinki City Transport (HKL) selected Transtech Ltd, a Finnish manufacturer of rolling stock, to supply HKL's new trams. In the tendering process Transtech was judged to offer a more economical package and higher quality than the other bidders, Bombardier and CAF. The invitation to tender emphasized the new tram's adaptability to Helsinki's demanding conditions. 

Transtech is presently filling a contract for 192 double-decker passenger coaches that have been ordered by VR, Finland's main railway operator. In the past the company has taken care of renovating  articulated trams and metro cars for HKL.

Kulosaari metro station will open to passengers in June. The final renovation work will be completed by the end of summer 2011.  During the early summer passengers will be instructed to use the emergency exit at the eastern end of the station, which means that the station will not be fully accessible for passengers travelling with pushchairs or wheelchairs.
 

HKL apologizes for any inconvenience caused to passengers.

Platform screen doors are being installed on the departure platform at the Vuosaari metro station in connection with the automation of the metro. The doors will be tested in passenger traffic in Vuosaari prior to the installation of platform screen doors at all metro stations in 2013. It is also important to see how well the doors function in winter conditions.

The installation of platform screen doors on the departure platform at the Vuosaari metro station will take place in stages. During the first stage platform screen doors will be installed adjacent to the spot where the last pair of cars stops. From this stage passengers will not be able to board the last pair of cars in Vuosaari, since this part of the platform will be fenced in. All cars will be in use as normal from Rastila to downtown.

Next platform screen doors will also be installed where the middle pair of cars stops. From this stage passengers will only be able to board the first pair of cars in Vuosaari. All cars will again be in use as normal from Rastila to downtown.

Whenever possible the opposite platform will be used for both arrivals and departures. In this case passengers will be able to board all cars in Vuosaari. As a rule the construction of platform screen doors will take place in the evening and at night between 7.15 pm and 4.40 am from Sunday evening to Friday morning, at which time the departure platform will not be in use. Instead trains will use the other platform for both arrivals and departures.

During construction noise from metro traffic will increase temporarily on the western side of the station in the evening after 10 pm, since trains will not be able to use the turnaround track on the east side of the station.

Platform screen doors will go into operation in Vuosaari as soon as the installation work is finished. Departing metro trains will stop so that train doors are precisely aligned with the doors on the platform. During the trial stage the driver will open and close the doors on the platform as well as the train.

After the trial stage doors will remain in use in Vuosaari and will also be installed at other metro stations. Platform screen doors for the existing metro will be constructed in a wall with a height of about 170 cm, which will also be equipped with emergency exits.

The construction of platform screen doors is connected to the modernization of the Helsinki metro and its expansion to the rest of the Helsinki metropolitan area. The traffic control system for the metro will be automated, platform screen doors will be installed at stations, metro cars will be equipped with surveillance cameras and guards will be added at stations. As a result safety will improve on trains and at stations. At the end of 2015 traffic will begin on an extension of the metro from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä.

Platform screen doors are a necessary safety investment on the new metro, since they will prevent access to tracks. They will also make metro stations more pleasant for passengers.

The lifts at the Central Railway Station’s metro station have been out of service for over half a year. The lifts were badly damaged due to water damage in November 2009 and had to be replaced.

The renovation of escalators at the station continues as planned until the end of this year. The escalators are repaired one by one so that three out of four escalators are in use all the time.

Renovation of Kulosaari metro station begins in June. Due to the renovation, the station will be closed from 7 June onwards. The renovation will be completed in early 2011. However, the station might be partially reopened for passengers already in October/November 2010.

During the renovation, the ticket hall will be expanded and escalators will be installed. Also the platform shelter will be replaced and extended. The metro station which has been in use for nearly 30 years will get a new refreshed look.

The renovation also includes reorganization of the premises. The kiosk, control room and public toilets will be renovated and worn surfaces will be replaced. The stairs between the ticket hall and platforms will be replaced by escalators and the lift will be renewed. The old platform shelter will be dismantled and replaced with a new longer one. In addition, a new exit stair will be constructed on the east side of the platform. The renovation not only improves the functionality of the station but also enhances comfort and safety.  

The renovation will be completed in early 2011. However, the station might be partially reopened for passengers already in October/November 2010.

During the renovation the metro will mainly operate normally but metro trains will not stop at Kulosaari metro station. In June, the metro will run at 12-minute intervals over two weekends, Saturday 12 June – Sunday 13 June and Saturday 19 June – Sunday 20 June.

While the station is closed, a replacement bus service 16X will operate between Herttoniemi metro station and Kulosaari. The bus will run at 8-15 minute intervals during the metro service hours.

The renovation is estimated to cost six million euros.  The renovation is financed by HKL and carried out by HKR-Rakennuttaja.

This phase of the project, i.e. the first phase of the construction of the health centre, is due for completion in autumn 2010.

Developer: PWD Construction Management
Contractor: SRV Toimitilat Oy

HKL, who is responsible for the automation of the metro, organizes a residents’ meeting about the auto-mation and the platform screen door trial due to begin at Vuosaari metro station. In the meeting, the res-idents can view  the plans and get further information from the experts of HKL and Helsinki Region Transport (HSL).

The residents’ meeting takes place on Tuesday 16 February at 6pm-7.30pm at Tehtaanpuisto school in Vuosaari, the plans can be viewed from 5.30pm. HKL organizes the meeting in cooperation with HSL and Vuosaari residents’ association. Similar meetings will be held also in Mellunmäki and Itäkeskus in the spring and in Herttoniemi and Hakaniemi-Kallio in the autumn.

The platform screen doors are a necessary investment in safety as they prevent access to the tracks.  The doors also improve comfort at the stations.

The trial use of the platform screen doors at the Vuosaari station due to begin in autumn 2010 is con-ducted in order to test the performance of the doors in a real environment, as well as  in winter conditions. The groundwork begins in the spring and the doors will be constructed in the summer. After the trial phase, the doors will remain in use.  

There will be platform changes due to the construction of the doors.

Background

The metro control system needs to be renewed due to its age. The current system does not, e.g. enable extension of the metro line.  

The upgrading of the control system includes conversion to driverless operation, construction of platform screen doors also at old metro stations, as well as instalment of surveillance cameras in all metro cars.  In future, HKL staff will be seen more at the stations as metro drivers are trained to become train super-visors. More than anything, the upgrading of the control system is an investment in safety: the risk of human error is reduced and passenger safety improves.

From passengers’ point of view, another significant change is the speeding up of metro services for the automation enables introduction of shorter service intervals. According to current plans, in 2014 metros will run at two and half minute intervals during peak hours.

Metro trains will again stop at the Central Railway Station metro station from 15 February.  However, the repair work will continue and the lifts at the station will remain out of service. The station does not for the present serve passengers traveling with wheelchairs and prams or other passengers who need to use the lifts.

The Central Railway Station metro station has been closed since last November due to water damage caused by a burst pipe. This busiest metro station in Helsinki is used by about 50,000 passengers on a normal weekday.

The planned renovation of the long escalators between the Kompassitaso and metro platforms will be carried out earlier than planned due to the water damage. The renovation had been scheduled for 2011 but it will now be started already this year.  Respectively, the renovation at Hakaniemi metro station is postponed to 2011.

The escalators are repaired one by one so that three out of four escalators will be in use. For this reason the escalators may be jammed during the rush hours. All in all the renovation of the escalators will take about a year.  

Also the short escalators between the Kompassitaso and the Asematunneli tunnel will be renovated.  The escalators situated on the side of Rautatientori will be repaired first.

From the start of 2010 HKL will be the operator responsible for running Helsinki’s trams and metro and will also be the owner of public transport infrastructure, responsible for maintenance of track, stations and depots.

Traffic planning and commissioning as well as passenger communications and ticket inspections will become the responsibility of HSL Helsinki Region Transport, which starts its operations on 1.1.2010. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council’s Transport Department (YTV Liikenne), HKL’s planning and com-missioning functions and ticket inspection will be transferred from the current Helsinki metropolitan area organisations to HSL, the new regional transport authority. YTV will cease operations at the end of the year and in the future its transport duties will be taken over by HSL while water and waste management services will be the responsibility of the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority, HSY.

HKL has been responsible for organising public transport within Helsinki since 1945. During this period the Helsinki metro has been planned and constructed and the city’s tram network extensively developed. This persistent work over the past decades has seen Helsinki become a European public transport role model, whose reputation attracts experts in the sector from across the world to draw on Helsinki’s public transport expertise.

As a track-based transport operator, HKL is now concentrating on producing environmentally friendly, reliable and high-quality tram and metro services for passengers. Maintenance and development of track and stations are key to providing a high-quality public transport service. From the start of 2010 HKL will also be responsible for transport to and from the island of Suomenlinna, run by HKL’s subsidiary Suomenlinnan Liikenne Oy.

HKL’s phone numbers, website and e-mail addresses will remain the same. From now on, timetable and ticket information as well as other passenger information will be provided on HSL’s website at www.hsl.fi.

Rautatientori metro station will re-open on 15 February 2010. Refurbishment of the public areas of the station will be complete by then. Work on the rest of the station will still continue after that date.