New light rail planned for north-east Helsinki

Helsinky City is currently preparing a master plan for the Viikki-Malmi Light Rail, in which a new light rail for the north-east Helsinki is included, said the City of Helsinki in a press release.

The Viikki-Malmi light rail will be a new public transport trunk connection from the city centre to Kumpula, Viikki, Latokartano and the Malmi Airport area, and on go on to Malmi or Jakomäki.

The Viikki-Malmi light rail will be connected to Helsinki’s current city tramline, and it will be part of the regional light rail network. The route plan and the preliminary stop placements are displayed in the Kerrokantasi service, and they can be commented on until 14 June.

The master plan for the Viikki-Malmi light rail examines two route alternatives at the northern end of the section, one of which would go from the Malmi airport area to Malmi Station and the other to Jakomäki.

the rail will be connected to Helsinki’s current city tram line and also linked to the upcoming Jokeri Light Rail and the following regional tram lines being planned: Tiederatikka (Science Rail), Jokeri Light Rail 2 and the Vantaa Tram.

The advantages of the light rail include passenger comfort, accessibility, transport that is not hindered by traffic jams, and short departure intervals. The length of the Viikki-Malmi Light Rail Line from Kumpula to the Malmi/Jakomäki final stops will be approximately 11–12km, and the travel time from the Malmi/Jakomäki final stops to the railway station will be approximately 41–42 minutes.

The light rail will facilitate the construction of new housing, jobs and services relying on the A Tram Line Network and along it. The area of effect of the light rail is estimated to encompass 86,000 residents in 2050, as well as 65,000 more jobs than are at present.

The planning of the Viikki-Malmi Light Rail is in its early stages, and the master plan is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. The current estimate is that construction of the tram line could start in 2027, whereby it would be completed in the early 2030s.

The plans, routes and stops are displayed in the Kerrokantasi online survey (in Finnish). The survey will remain open until 14 June 2020.