The visualisation shows tram stop entrance canopies on the station platforms. Photo: Vantaa City
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Work on the Vantaa tramway started on Monday, beginning with construction activity at Tikkurila station.
The tram line, which will run from Mellunmäki in eastern Helsinki to Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, is due for completion by 2029. The 19-kilometre route includes 27 stops and is expected to support daily traffic of up to 100,000 passengers.
At Tikkurila, temporary bridges are being installed across all platforms to maintain long-distance and commuter rail services. Once the bridges are complete, excavation for a tram tunnel will begin in autumn.
Pekka Kivelä, Project Director at Destia, which oversees the tramway’s western section, said tunnel construction will take three years. “We will build concrete walls and a roof in open excavation and then cover everything underground,” he said.
Platforms 5 and 6 at Tikkurila station will be closed until 17 July. While some commuter train services may be reduced, the majority will operate normally. Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) will issue any necessary timetable updates.
The work will generate constant noise in the surrounding area for the next six months, including night-time activity when train traffic is minimal. “We aim to reduce disruption with acoustic barriers,” Kivelä said. “But this is a large infrastructure project, and it will be visible.”
Due to the area’s clay-rich soil, all tunnel work at Tikkurila will use open excavation methods, enclosed with protective plywood and screening barriers.
When completed, the tram will connect key transit points in the capital region. Mellunmäki serves as a metro terminus in Helsinki, while the airport is Finland’s primary international gateway.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
