Where can I find out the precise route that the metro tunnel is going to take? Will it go from Niittymaa to Matinkylä via Tonttukumpu or will part of the route travel under Haukilahti? If so, where?
The metro tunnel will proceed from Jousenpuisto station via Tontunmäki under Merituulentie at the Haukilahdenkatu exit, passing under Haukilahdenkatu. It will then continue via Niittykumpu, passing under the Western Motorway and arriving at Matinkylä.
You can get to know the route of the metro tunnel at the Länsimetro Oy office in Tapiola at Tapiontori 3 A, FI-02100 Espoo. You can also find a description of the tunnel route on our website under Stations.
Niittykumpu has a lot of residents, offices, a school, a church, a graveyard, car dealerships, a post office, a shopping centre, a sports field, etc. I propose that you reserve an option to build a station in Koivusaari and build a station in Niittykumpu.
Both Niittykumpu and Koivusaari can be introduced during the first phase. This is a question of determining the extent of the first implementation phase. The number of users in Niittykumpu would be considerably higher than in Koivusaari, but calculations suggest that the current number of users would not be sufficient for opening a station.
Would it be possible some day to extend the metro from Matinkylä to Kirkkonummi or Kauklahti?
The metro can be extended west from Matinkylä. No decisions-in-principle have yet been made as concerns the extension, let alone the future destination of the line.
Would it be possible to extend the Matinkylä-Kivenlahti portion of the west metro to Saunalahti? This would ensure access to the westernmost part of Espoo and efficient traffic connections to the rapidly growing Saunalahti area.
This route alternative is technically possible. A reservation for tracks has been made in the draft Master Plan. As of yet there is no decision on the extension of the metro west of Matinkylä.
Will the tracks be constructed above ground from Niittymaa to Matinkylä?
The tracks will travel inside a tunnel for their entire length.
Why isn't the metro planned to go via Haukilahti?
The aim of the metro route is to attract as many users to the metro as possible using a combination of the metro and feeder traffic. This is the starting point for the proposed route.
Why is the metro being planned to only include one line? It would be high time to start expanding further, such as from Otaniemi towards Munkkivuori - where the space for a metro station has already been excavated.
The metro is a relatively large investment. Construction opportunities are limited by the amount of resources available. The metro network takes time to develop. If necessary, two metro services could be operated, for example, Matinkylä-Vuosaari and Tapiola-Mellunmäki.
Why does the metro make a 3 km detour to Otaniemi but doesn't make a similar detour to Olari, which is a huge residential suburb?
Keilaniemi-Otaniemi-Tapiola is Espoo's most significant innovation and technology hub, whose operating conditions an efficient metro connection will serve to enhance. The connection of Otaniemi to the other university campuses in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area will ensure efficient traffic connections between educational institutions, supporting versatile education opportunities.
In Kalasatama in Helsinki the station preceded residential and office space construction by several years, so that the station would be able to serve the developing area right from the start. Why isn't a similar approach being taken with Niittykumpu station?
The introduction of Niittykumpu station depends on the development of land use in the area and decision-making relating to the station.
Where can I view the designs for Niittykumpu station?
There are no designs yet for Niittykumpu station.
Why build Jousenpuisto station in the middle of nowhere, when there is a great number of residents here (Niittykumpu) who need the station closer to us?
The construction of Jousenpuisto station is linked with the traffic arrangements of major events in the sports park. It will also be within walking distance of residents and workplaces in the Koivumankkaa area.
It would be good to have a station near Ring Road I. Could that be taken into consideration in the plans?
The stations closest to Ring Road I are Otaniemi (approx. 400 metres to the western entrance) and Keilaniemi (approx. 100 metres to the main entrance).
If the west metro is extended west of Matinkylä, could Soukanniemi come before/after Soukka?
Only preliminary designs exist for the line west of Matinkylä. It is not yet clear whether the tracks will travel only partly or completely inside a tunnel west of Matinkylä. This is one factor affecting both the route and the eventual location of stations.
When will the construction of the west metro west of Matinkylä begin? Where can I see how the alternative routes (if undecided) will pass Iivisniemi?
The first phase of construction (the construction of the metro to Matinkylä) will start in 2009 from Ruoholahti. At best, construction the first phase to Matinkylä will be finalised in the autumn of 2014. Extension westward requires a great deal of planning and investigation. In theory, it might be possible to continue construction immediately after the completion of the first phase, but in addition to the above it would also require decisions on the route, timetable and financing.
Why won't the west metro go through Olari, even though a lot of passengers would get on there?
The examination of alternative routes revealed that the planned route would be less expensive than a route via Olari (www.espoo.fi > Espoon palvelut > Kaavoitus > Liikennesuunnittelu > Liikennesuunnittelun julkaisuja).
Will the west metro go via Soukka? If so, when will it be completed?
Preliminary plans, including the proposed Master Plan for the southern parts of Espoo, include a track option from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti via Soukka. In its metro decision of 25 September 2005 the Espoo Council requires that the metro is extended to Kivenlahti immediately upon completion of the current line.
Where will the Metro cross the Western Motorway from north to south? Before or after the Ring Road II exit?
According to the preliminary route, the Western Motorway will be crossed slightly south of Ring Road II.
Is it possible that the west metro would one day branch towards Leppävaara at Otaniemi, and possibly towards Tapiola in Otaniemi on the way back from Leppävaara?
The proposed Master Plan for the southern parts of Espoo includes a reservation for rail traffic from Tapiola towards Leppävaara. Investigations on implementing the connection as an express tram are currently being launched.
Why can't the "metro" travel along the Western Motorway between Lauttasaari (Katajaharju) and Karhusaari? Seems like a huge waste of money, and deprives the passengers of a view of the sea.
The structural solutions used for leading the metro above ground from the tunnel and later back into the tunnel are demanding structures whose construction requires special expertise. A track running above ground would not be cheaper. The issue also involves other values, which have been assessed in the EIA report (http://www.raideyva.fi/).