News

The Board was presented the situation on the final financial statement of the first phase of the West Metro, the Ruoholahti-Matinkylä section. The final financial statements are currently being prepared. Incomplete construction projects for the first phase still include the southern entrance in Tapiola and the western entrance in Matinkylä. The construction of both entrances is tied to the schedules of other ongoing construction projects in their respective areas. In Tapiola, the entrance is situated below the currently developed Ainoa 3, and in Matinkylä, it is built in connection with the upcoming hotel in the so-called Tynnyripuisto area.

Status updates on the maintenance and servicing of the first phase of the West Metro, the Ruoholahti-Matinkylä section, were presented to the Board. Länsimetro Oy handed over the stations and rail to HKL for the initiation of traffic on 3 October 2017. The rail, its technical systems and the eight stations remained in the ownership of Länsimetro Oy. HKL shall report to Länsimetro Oy on the use of the rail and stations and the related service and maintenance tasks as agreed.

The incentive scheme for the second phase of the West Metro, the Matinkylä-Kivenlahti section, was presented to the Board.

The Board received a status update on the risk management of the second phase.

The next meeting will be held on 28 February.

Further information:

Ville Saksi, CEO, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 (0)40 823 2086

Olli Isotalo, Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 (0)50 593 3359

Media contacts: Satu Linkola,Communications Director, tel. +358 (0)46 877 3392

Janina Lempinen (B. Eng. in automation engineering) joined the West Metro project on 8 January 2018 as a maintenance manager.

Lempinen supervises repairs and maintenance of the rail and stations of the first phase of the West Metro from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä. The rail and stations were handed over to HKL on 3 October 2017 as part of their opening for traffic, but the eight stations and the rail line with its technical systems remained in the ownership of Länsimetro Oy.

Lempinen’s responsibilities include the monitoring of maintenance of the stations and technical systems and the development of these in cooperation with HKL.

Lempinen joined the West Metro project from HKL, where she worked as a technical depot manager. She also has experience of working as a building services engineering expert and technical manager with VR Group until 2015. She is therefore familiar with a variety of operating environments and properties related to rail traffic.

“The West Metro presented an exciting opportunity for both my career and personal development. The West Metro systems are more modern and technically advanced than those found in the older section of the metro line, and provide an opportunity to learn about challenging and complex overall systems”, Lempinen says.

In her first days in her new position, Lempinen is reviewing various contracts and visiting the metro stations in person.

 

Tarja Nieminen (B. Eng) began work with the West Metro project on 2 January 2018 as a HVAC supervisor. In her work, Nieminen focuses on supervising HVAC work on the Kivenlahti station construction site.

The construction of metro HVAC systems is familiar to Nieminen from the first phase of the West Metro, during which she was employed by Caverion Suomi Oy as an air conditioning project manager at the Keilaniemi station site for 18 months.

“The HVAC and cooling systems used in the second phase of the West Metro are similar to those of the first phase. I am particularly familiar with the initial construction stages of metro stations”, Nieminen says.

In addition to Caverion, Nieminen has experience of HVAC supervision and project management with firms such as Sweco Asiantuntijapalvelut Oy, Karves Energia & Valvonta Oy and Sähköpeko Oy.

“I have experience of HVAC supervision in building renovation projects, and the West Metro is an exciting next step in my career”, Nieminen says.

For Nieminen, the technical building services of metro stations and a large shopping centre have much in common. At a metro station, the systems are simply implemented underground.

“When building a metro station, the space required by technical systems and the underground environment pose unique challenges. I am starting my work by studying the plans and contracts related to the station’s construction”, says Nieminen.

The Managing Director presented the purchase schedule for the forthcoming Matinkylä-Kivenlahti building contracts. The procurement notice for the rail line contract was submitted to HILMA (the electronic procurement notice system maintained by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment) on 15 December. Tendering for the remaining building contracts will take place during spring 2018.

The competitively tendered framework agreements for construction expert services were presented to the Board. According to the framework agreement, expert services in the fields of construction, building services, track engineering and measurements will be procured from a total of 17 different suppliers.

The situation management model for the second phase was presented to the Board.

The Board received a status update on the comprehensive safety and risk management of the second phase.

Further information:

Ville Saksi, CEO, Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 (0)40 823 2086

Olli Isotalo, Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro Oy, tel. +358 (0)50 593 3359

Media contacts: Satu Linkola,Communications Director, tel. +358 (0)46 877 3392

Länsi-Uusimaa Department for Rescue Services will arrange a rescue exercise at the Länsimetro excavation site in Kaitaa at Kaitaantie 6 on Monday 12 December 2017, starting from 13:00.

This exercise will last for around two hours. A fire or an electrical fire was selected as the fictional scenario of the accident. The participants will include SRV Infra Oy, which is the contractor at the Kaitaa excavation site, the rescue department of Länsi-Uusimaa, and the West Metro project. Two rescue units from the rescue department of Länsi-Uusimaa will participate in the exercise. There will be personnel near the exercise area to direct traffic for the whole duration of the exercise.

This exercise is the ninth rescue exercise in a series of exercises arranged along the track section between Matinkylä and Kivenlahti. During the exercise, personnel of the rescue department will have an opportunity to get familiar with the conditions in underground premises during construction and excavation.

Further information on the exercise

Janne Räsänen, Fire Chief, Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department. +358 (0)50 329 8949

Satu Linkola, Communications Manager, the West Metro project, tel. +358 (0)46 877 3392

Länsi-Uusimaa Department for Rescue Services will arrange a rescue exercise at the Länsimetro excavation site in Finnoo at Finnoonsilta 9 on Monday 11 December 2017, starting from 13:00.

This exercise will last for around an hour. A fire or an electrical fire was selected as the fictional scenario of the accident. The participants will include Lemminkäinen Oy, which is the contractor at the Finnoo excavation site, the rescue department of Länsi-Uusimaa, and the West Metro project. Two rescue units from the rescue department of Länsi-Uusimaa will participate in the exercise. In the vicinity of the exercise area, personnel will be reserved to direct traffic for the duration of the exercise.

This exercise is the eight rescue exercise in a series of exercises arranged along the track section between Matinkylä and Kivenlahti. During the exercise, personnel of the rescue department will have an opportunity to get familiar with the conditions in underground premises during excavation.

Further information on the exercise

Janne Räsänen, Fire Chief, Länsi-Uusimaa Rescue Department. +358 (0)50 329 8949

Satu Linkola, Communications Manager, the West Metro project, tel. +358 (0)46 877 3392

The first and second phase tunnels of the West Metro were linked for the first time on Wednesday, 29 November, as a breakthrough was made in the southern rail tunnel, between the completed Matinkylä rail tunnel and the Finnoo tunnel under excavation. The northern rail tunnel will be connected during week 49.

In each West Metro contract, the worksites excavate simultaneous tunnels which are then connected at the boundary between contract areas. At the Matinkylä–Finnoo section, the tunnels were separated by on average a three-metre layer of rock that was removed for the breakthrough.

The breakthrough was carried out so as to not cause disturbance to the operational metro traffic. The breakthrough between the tunnels took place at a distance of some 500 meters from the station. The explosion force was also suppressed by a pressure wall and excavation bank.

After the Matinkylä–Finnoo section, only the Espoonlahti–Kivenlahti section remains unconnected, with the breakthrough between them planned to be carried out in mid-December.

A total of 93.4% of the excavations for the West Metro’s Matinkylä–Kivenlahti section are now completed. Five new metro stations are constructed for the second phase west of Matinkylä: Finnoo, Kaitaa, Soukka, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti. In addition, an underground metro depot will be constructed in Sammalvuori.

Further information: Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9:00–15:00): +358 50 377 3700

Excavation of the Riilahdentie entrance to the Matinkylä-Kivenlahti section of the Länsimetro were begun at the Kaitaa work site on week 47. The Riilahdentie shaft is one of the technical shafts of the Kaitaa contract section. Once the metro is completed, these shafts serve as emergency exit, smoke extraction, pressure equalisation and ventilation shafts.

Excavations begun with boring work that will continue for an estimated two weeks. The boring work is followed by blasting work for another estimated two weeks, with the shaft excavation expected to be completed before Christmas.

Both boring and drilling work takes place on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Further information: Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00), +358 (0)50 377 3700

Hotline for the Kaitaa site (24/7): +358 (0)40 183 0090

Shaft excavation will begin at the Suomenlahdentie shaft at the West Metro Finnoo worksite in week 47, from 20 November. Excavation will mainly involve tunnel excavation, as the shaft will be excavated upwards from the tunnel to the ground level. The last blasting at the ground level will involve open excavation.

The blasting work will last about three weeks, followed by reinforcement work and making of the concrete structures. All in all, work on the shaft is expected to be completed in March 2018.

The tunnel excavation will be performed from Monday to Friday between 7 am and 10 pm. The last blasting operation, to be performed as an open excavation, will comply with the working hours specified for open excavation (Mon-Fri 7 am to 6 pm).

What are the shafts? You can find more information on shafts here.

Further information: Länsimetro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00), +358 50 377 3700

Finnoo worksite 24-hour hotline: +358 (0)50 421 3344

Excavation of the Maininkitie shaft will begin at the West Metro Espoonlahti worksite on week 47, from 20 November. The Maininkitie shaft is one of the technical shafts of the Espoonlahti contract section. Once the metro is completed, these shafts serve as emergency exit, smoke extraction, pressure equalisation and ventilation shafts.

Excavation of the shaft will begin with drilling of the excavation holes, and blasting work is set to commence after that. The excavation work, which will take approximately three weeks, will be performed on weekdays (Mon-Fri) between 7 am and 6 pm.  The working hours are based on a noise permit by Espoo Environment Centre.

Work at the Espoonlahti worksite also continues at the station, at the Espoonlahdentori entrance and the Opettajantie shaft. The status of the entire worksite is described on the Espoonlahti worksite page.

Further information: West Metro feedback phone number (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00): +358 50 377 3700

Espoonlahti worksite 24-hour hotline: +358 (0)40 637 5377