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The eight stations and 14 kilometres of track to Matinkylä are due to open to the public on 15 August 2016. The excavation and building works have employed approximately 1,500 builders, and the total workload across the project will amount to approximately 4,500 person-years. The final cost estimate for the project is EUR 1,088 million. The project plan gave the cost of the project as EUR 713.6 million (at 2007 prices). Taking into account the rate of inflation, the cost estimate was EUR 848.0 million. The final cost of the project will therefore be EUR 240 million, or 28.3%, higher than planned.

Excavation works began in November 2009. The tunnels had been dug by February 2014, and the tracks had been laid by December 2015. In addition to new stations and two parallel rail tunnels, the project has involved building 15 vertical shafts for emergency exit, ventilation, pressure relief and smoke extraction purposes, nine sets of points, and a total of 54 cross passages between the twin tunnels. Passenger safety is ensured by the underground network’s 52 different automation systems. Safety is further reinforced by systems such as 32 smoke extractors, automatic smoke detection systems, fire extinguisher systems and fire escapes, as well as eight auxiliary power units. All the entrances to the underground are wheelchair accessible. There are a total of 46 lifts and 72 escalators in the underground.

The various systems will be tested independently, per station, and together during the spring. Trains will begin test runs in March. Once the line opens to the public, bus routes that previously terminated in Kamppi will be extended to provide a connecting service to Matinkylä and Tapiola according to a plan drawn up by Helsinki Region Transport. Underground trains will run more frequently than they do now. Two underground lines will be in operation: Matinkylä–Vuosaari and Tapiola–Mellunmäki. At peak times on weekdays, trains will run at 2.5-minute intervals on the section shared by both lines (Tapiola–Itäkeskus). Underground trains currently run at four-minute intervals during peak times.

Further information:
Matti Kokkinen, CEO, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 50 347 1558, matti.kokkinen@lansimetro.fi

Länsimetro Oy is a company jointly owned by the Cities of Espoo and Helsinki, tasked with building the West Metro underground line. The Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section will open to the public in August 2016. Construction of the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section is under way. This stretch will be completed in 2020.

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Kalliorakennus-Yhtiöt Oy has won the Kivenlahti station and rail tunnel excavation contract for Länsimetro’s Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section. Kalliorakennus will excavate the site of the Kivenlahti station, approximately 2 kilometres of parallel tunnels, a rail switching hall and the necessary shafts to the surface. This contract is worth EUR 26.3 million and work will begin in December.

– The excavation of the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section continues with the excavation of stations and rail tunnels. The excavation works will continue until the end of 2017, says Matti Kokkinen, CEO of Länsimetro Oy.

The section from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti will be seven kilometres long and include the new stations of Finnoo, Kaitaa, Soukka, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti. In addition, an underground metro depot will be constructed at Sammalvuori. The stretch will be opened to traffic in 2020. Traffic to Matinkylä will begin on 15 August 2016.

Further information:
Matti Kokkinen, CEO, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 50 347 1558, matti.kokkinen(at)lansimetro.fi

Skanska Infra Oy has won the first station and rail tunnel excavation contract for Länsimetro’s Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section. Skanska will excavate the site of the Soukka station, approximately 1.5 kilometres of twin tunnel, a rail switching hall and the necessary shafts to the surface. This contract is worth EUR 26.9 million and work will begin in October.

– Construction of the Länsimetro line from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti is progressing according to plan. The metro will enable the development of the regions surrounding the stations and provide the Espoonlahti Centre with a connection to the metro, in addition to Tapiola and Matinkylä, said Olli Isotalo, Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro and Head of Technical and Environment Services in Espoo.

– This contract forms part of a large project portfolio and marks the continuation of our cooperation that dates back to 2011. The previous contracts delivered by Skanska Infra included the excavation of the metro and connection tunnels and shafts related to the Tapiola station, as well as the construction of the tunnel between Ruoholahti and Lauttasaari. Skanska is also responsible for the ongoing construction of the Keilaniemi and Lauttasaari metro stations, said Ari Huovila, Managing Director of Skanska Infra Oy.

Two other contracts were also signed on 24 September. Drillcon SMOY will supply rock mechanical monitoring systems for Länsimetro. The total contract price is EUR 580,000. Finnrock Oy was selected to perform property reviews and vibration monitoring in the area affected by excavation. The contract price is EUR 250,000.

Excavation of the access tunnels in the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section began in December 2014. After they have been completed, the excavation of stations and rail tunnels will begin and continue into the latter part of 2017. The Matinkylä–Kivenlahti stretch is seven kilometres long. The new stations will be Finnoo, Kaitaa, Soukka, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti. The stretch will be opened to traffic in 2020. Traffic to Matinkylä will begin on 15 August 2016.

Further information:
Olli Isotalo, Chairman of the Board, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 50 593 3359, olli.isotalo(at)espoo.fi

Matti Kokkinen, CEO, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 50 347 1558, matti.kokkinen@lansimetro.fi
Teuvo Suominen, Head of Unit, Skanska Infra Oy, tel. +358 40 771 0452, teuvo.suominen(at)skanska.fi

Länsimetro Oy is a company jointly owned by the Cities of Espoo and Helsinki, tasked with building the West Metro underground line. The objective is that most of the Ruoholahti – Matinkylä section will be completed by the end of 2015. Construction of the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section is under way. This stretch will be completed in 2020.

The laying of rails along the West Metro route has reached a stage where the rails are now in place in both metro tunnels leading from Ruoholahti to Keilalahti. The rails in the northern metro tunnel already reach the Tapiola district. Rail laying is making good progress, with the entire line being expected to be completed by the autumn. The laying of conductor rails has also begun, with traction current scheduled for connection in January 2016. The metro will be open for traffic as far as Matinkylä in August 2016.

– “Traffic on the line will begin in August 2016, using manually driven trains running every 2.5 minutes during the peak hours instead of the current 4 minutes. The service level will be improved as the intervals become shorter, and the capacity will be sufficient,” says Länsimetro Oy CEO Matti Kokkinen.

Metro traffic will begin on two lines: Matinkylä – Vuosaari and Tapiola – Mellunmäki. The metro line will reach Kivenlahti in 2020.

The progress of rail laying can be monitored on the West Metro website at www.lansimetro.fi -> Work progress.

More information:
Länsimetro Oy, CEO Matti Kokkinen, tel. +358 50 347 1558, matti.kokkinen@lansimetro.fi
Länsimetro Oy is a company jointly owned by the Cities of Espoo and Helsinki, tasked with building the West Metro underground line. The objective is that most of the Ruoholahti – Matinkylä section will be completed by the end of 2015. Construction of the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section is under way. This stretch will be completed in 2020.

On Monday, 22 December 2014, metro commission agreements were signed for the competitions on planning for the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti line and project management consultancy.

The structural design, rock engineering design and HVAC and electrical design commissions are divided into two parts for the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti metro rail line.

Consulting Group Sigma (Finnmap Infra Oy, Kalliosuunnittelu Oy Rockplan Ltd, WSP Finland Oy, Sipti Oy and Saanio & Riekkola Oy) was chosen as the structural design consultant for the Finnoo, Kaitaa and Soukka stations on the eastern part of the rail line. The value of the commission is approximately EUR 2.9 million. Pöyry Finland Oy was chosen as the rock engineering designer for this section, with a commission price of approximately EUR 2.3 million.

Consulting Group Pöyry Finland Oy – Ramboll Finland Oy was chosen as the structural designer for the Kivenlahti and Espoonlahti stations, the Sammalvuori metro depot and the western part of the rail line. The value of this commission is approximately EUR 3.3 million. Consulting Group Sigma was chosen as the rock engineering designer for this section, with a commission price of approximately EUR 2.7 million.

Both HVAC design commissions were awarded to Consulting Group Granlund Oy – Ramboll Finland Oy, with a value of approximately EUR 2,9 million each.

Both electrical design commissions were awarded to Consulting Group NNG (Insinööritoimisto Tauno Nissinen, Sähköinsinööritoimisto Oy Niemistö and Granlund Oy). The values of the commissions are approximately EUR 2.7 million.

Sweco PM Oy was chosen as the project management consultant. The value of the commission is approximately EUR 19 million.

More information:
Länsimetro Oy, CEO Matti Kokkinen, tel. +358 50 347 1558, matti.kokkinen(at)lansimetro.fi
Länsimetro Oy is a company jointly owned by the Cities of Espoo and Helsinki, tasked with building the West Metro underground line. The aim is to complete construction of the Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section by the end of 2015. Construction of the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section is under way. This stretch will be completed in 2020. www.lansimetro.fi

The construction of the west metro on the Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section will mostly be completed by the end of 2015. The installation of tracks will begin on the second week of February in 2015, and the metro rail from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä will be ready for traffic in January 2016. Test runs will begin after this. The aim is to open the Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section for passenger traffic in August 2016. Excavation of the access tunnels in the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section is under way. This section will be completed in 2020.

“The dissolution of the contract between HKL and Siemens on the automation of the metro means that operation will initially be manual. The condensing urban structure in both Helsinki and Espoo, however, will require the metro train system to be automated in the 2020s. “This will ensure that the trains run at sufficiently frequent intervals and that a good service level can be maintained,” explains the Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro Oy, Olavi Louko.

Construction is progressing at stations and on the rail line 73 per cent of the concrete pouring for the stations on the Ruoholahti–Matinkylä line has been completed. 84 per cent of the support wall elements at the sides of the tunnels have been installed, and 13 per cent of the track ballasting has been completed.

“Our aim is that the metro will be opened for traffic in August 2016. Construction is now progressing briskly, and we have 1,200 construction professional at work. The worksites on the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section have also started operations, with over 100 employees already at work,” says Länsimetro Oy CEO Matti Kokkinen.

The Helsinki City Council decided on the automation of the metro in 2006. The project plan for the Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section was completed in 2008. Construction of the first phase started in 2009.

More information:
Länsimetro Oy, CEO Matti Kokkinen, tel. +358 50 347 1558, matti.kokkinen(at)lansimetro.fi

Länsimetro Oy is a company jointly owned by the Cities of Espoo and Helsinki, tasked with building the West Metro underground line. The aim is to complete construction of the Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section by the end of 2015. Construction of the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section is under way. This section will be completed in 2020.

The beginning of the construction on the metro line from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti was celebrated today at the Finnoo access tunnel worksite in Espoo. Work has started with the construction of access tunnels close to the future stations and at the underground metro depot in Sammalvuori. Access tunnels are initial access routes excavated into the rock from the construction site to the actual rail line. The excavation of the metro tunnels and stations can begin after the excavation of the access tunnels.

– Extensive infrastructure projects are significant for employment in the current economic situation, stated Antti Rinne, Minister of Finance, in his speech at the event.

Jussi Pajunen, the Mayor of Helsinki, emphasised the cooperation between the cities.

– It is great to see that the smooth cooperation between Helsinki and Espoo continues in the metro project. The metro is an important public transport project for the whole metropolitan area, emphasised Pajunen.

The Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro, Olavi Louko, who is the Head of Technical and Environment Services in Espoo, pointed out in his speech that the construction does not only concern the metro, but also the possibilities that the metro will offer in the future.

– We are not only constructing a metro, but a new closer urban structure that enables the creation of new jobs, housing construction and the development of services.

The contractor’s representative at the event was Minna Heinonen, Executive Vice President at Destia Oy.

– Safety is our top priority. The objective at this worksite, as at all other worksites, is zero accidents.

The seven-kilometre Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section of the underground line will include five new stations: Finnoo, Kaitaa, Soukka, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti. In addition, an underground metro depot will be constructed at Sammalvuori.

The entire line from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti will be completed in 2020 at the earliest. The Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section of the line will be completed in late 2015 and will be open for traffic in the autumn of 2016.

Further information:
Länsimetro Oy, CEO Matti Kokkinen, tel. +358 50 347 1558, matti.kokkinen(at)lansimetro.fi

Länsimetro Oy is a company jointly owned by the Cities of Espoo and Helsinki, tasked with building the West Metro underground metroline. The aim is to complete construction of the Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section by the end of 2015. Construction of the Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section is under way. The section will be completed in 2020 at the earliest.

The building of the West Metro has reached the halfway mark. Excavation of the tunnels began in Espoo and Helsinki simultaneously in 2010. Now, 71% of the excavation work – nearly 20 km of tunnel – has been completed. The first construction contracts will be launched before the New Year, and the metro line is scheduled to be opened for traffic at the end of 2015.

A literal breakthrough was celebrated today at the border between Espoo and Helsinki as the tunnels excavated at two West Metro sites were joined into continuous tunnels. The city leaders who spoke on the occasion emphasised the importance of the West Metro to public transport and competitiveness in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

“In the near future, Espoo will see some EUR 4 to 5 billion in private and public funding invested in the T3 area alone, formed by Otaniemi, Keilaniemi and Tapiola. These investments will go towards housing, services, university campus facilities, office space and a denser urban structure. Urheilupuisto will be developed as an attractive sports centre, and the area around Matinkylä station is set to become a significant cluster of private and public services,” said Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of Espoo.

Mäkelä noted that a decision to extend the West Metro to Kivenlahti should be made as a matter of urgency.

“In the future, all five local centres in Espoo will be located along the suburban rail line or the metro line and will be developed as individually profiled centres for housing, services and jobs,” said Mäkelä.

Jussi Pajunen, Mayor of Helsinki, pointed out that it is already 30 years since the metro was first opened to passengers.

“We are moving towards a new transport milestone. The metro is becoming a regional transport system. We have already pooled our regional transport under a single authority. At the same time, we are developing the city as a user-oriented experience where public transport is a key element. New, intelligent transport solutions challenge our established procedures every day,” said Jussi Pajunen.

Rami Metsäpelto, interim Director General of the Finnish Transport Agency, emphasised the importance of cooperation.

“Mutual trust between actors and free thinking facilitate the emergence of innovations. Broad-based cooperation in the planning and implementation of transport system services is crucial. Such broad-based cooperation has been pursued in regional transport planning in the Helsinki metropolitan area for a long time. The West Metro is a fine example of a new dimension in transport policy. The local planners, land use planners and transport planners in both cities have worked closely together. The metro is a long-term project whose benefits will not be reaped until many years from now,” said Rami Metsäpelto on the occasion.

Further information

Olavi Louko, Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro Oy, tel. 050 060 7754
Matti Kokkinen, CEO of Länsimetro Oy, tel. 050 347 1558

Pictures from the linking of the tunnels
www.flickr.com/photos/lansimetro/sets/72157632072682724/

Länsimetro Oy is a company jointly owned by the Cities of Espoo and Helsinki, tasked with building the West Metro underground line from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä. The company was established in 2007. The Länsimetro offices are situated in Tapiola, Espoo.