The forecast of the total expenditure of the West Metro projects amounts to EUR 1,186 million. Länsimetro Oy will need an increase of a total of EUR 104 million for the loan guarantee, to be granted by the City of Espoo and the City of Helsinki. Furthermore, the Board of Länsimetro Oy today appointed civil engineer Ville Saksi the new Managing Director of the company.
The cost of construction will rise from EUR 1,088 million to EUR 1,154 million. The indexed budget for construction work under the project, taking the entire scope of the project plan (2008) into account, amounts to EUR 849 million (with the project plan covering EUR 714 million, to which an index increase of EUR 135 million must be added). The forecast was raised by an increase in the number of units and the fact that the construction took longer than anticipated and by other similar factors. Furthermore, the new forecast takes account of various needs, including the need of spare parts and the facility services, which must be in place before traffic is initiated. Building contracts under the project have been implemented in a form know as the unit price contract between 2013 and 2016. Changes to the scope of construction, due to, for example, official regulations, led to an increase in the number of units under construction contracts. The sum of the final cost will be available only after the construction is complete.
Central to the cost increase under the project plan have been contracts that turned out to be more difficult than expected, changes to construction regulations, and an increase in space requirements, including technical facilities, smoke extraction and the requirements for accessibility at the both entrances of the stations.
The total cost of the project amounts to EUR 1,186 million. The total cost includes a contingency amounting to EUR 32 million. The government subsidy is EUR 249 million.
In connection with the West Metro project, the Niittykumpu station, the Matinkylä terminal and the western entrance to the Matinkylä station will also be constructed, in accordance with a separate decision made by the Espoo City Council. The cost forecast for this amounts to EUR 80 million.
As the estimated cost keeps going up, the project management needs to apply for an additional guarantee both from the City of Espoo and the City of Helsinki. The need for additional funding will be brought before the councils of both cities. Additional funding seeks to take account of all possible expenses in order to ensure that construction can be completed before traffic is initiated.
On 14 November, the Board of Länsimetro Oy decided that civil engineer Ville Saksi be appointed the new MD of the company. He will immediately begin in his new post. Previously, Ville Saksi was the MD of VR Track Oy.
The schedule for the opening of West Metro to traffic will be finished as soon as the joint testing of three stations is completed by the turn of November and December. The joint testing of the Aalto University station has been completed. The joint testing of the Tapiola and Keilaniemi is about to start. After this, joint testing will continue at the Koivusaari, Lauttasaari, Urheilupuisto, Niittykumpu and Matinkylä stations.
