The standard of service on the metro will improve substantially as the interval between trains, for example, will be reduced from four to two-and-a-half minutes. As passenger volumes increase in the future, it will be possible to reduce the interval further to less than two minutes.

Siemens Mobility Division has been chosen as the supplier of the automated operation control system. The contract was signed 11th of December. The total value of the deal is about €100 million.

The greatest benefit from the modernisation of the operation control system for passengers is that the metro can be operated more frequently that at present; at first, the service interval will decrease to two-and-a-half minutes and later to less than two minutes. This will also make it possible to shorten the trains, enabling the construction of shorter and thus cheaper metro stations than at present. Automation also provides greater possibilities to flexibly adjust transport supply to passenger volumes. Extending the hours of service will also become easier.

The standard of safety on Helsinki’s metro has been kept at a high level through, inter alia, investments into personnel training and the maintenance of technical systems. It is now possible to further increase the level of safety in conjunction with the modernisation, however. Automation will increase the safety of metro traffic because it removes the possibility for human error. In the event of an exceptional situation, the automated system will also be capable of a faster response than any human. The installation of security cameras in metro carriages as well as of platform doors at metro stations is also included in the project. Some of the older stations will also be roofed as part of the project.

A driverless train is not a completely new idea in Helsinki. An automated metro was on the planning table already in the 1970s, but the idea was rejected back then. The decision to automate the now 26-year-old Helsinki metro was made in 2005. According to the target schedule of the contract, the metro will run without drivers towards the end of 2013. The planned western extension will also be automated and the metro in Espoo will run under the guidance of the new operation control system without a driver from the very start.

The new operation control system will face a long and diligent testing phase before it is taken into use. According to plans, a driver will be present in the early stages of automated operation to ensure that the trains run smoothly and to provide guidance to passengers. Some drivers will continue to be employed by the metro service in maintenance, guidance and customer service tasks and a small number will gradually move on to other duties within Helsinki City Transport.

Automated metro services are used by many cities around the world, the nearest of which is Copenhagen.