Construction of the west metro is progressing – start of operation to be postponed to autumn 2016

Work on the west metro has moved on from excavation to the construction phase of the stations and two parallel rail tunnels. Construction has started at all the stations, with the exception of Niittykumpu.

“Retaining wall elements have been installed over a distance of nearly nine kilometres, and ten per cent of the concrete to be used at the stations has been cast,“says Länsimetro Oy’s CEO Matti Kokkonen.

The constuction timetable is tight and requires smooth co-operation between the various operators. In addition to construction, commissioning of the metro will require automation of the old metro trains as well as implementation of a control system. Automation and delivery of the platform screen doors are postponing the start operation to autumn 2016.

“According to the timetable submitted last week by Siemens, the platform screen doors and train automation will delay the planned start of operation,” says HKL’s Managing Director Matti Lahdenranta.

Länsimetro and HKL, together with Siemens, are exploring ways to reduce the delay.

Construction of the west metro started in Ruoholahti in November 2009 and in Espoo in summer 2010. Excavations are now 99.9% complete. The rock plug at Matinsolmu will be broken through during February, which means that excavation work will have been completed.

More information

HKL, Matti Lahdenranta, Managing Director, tel. 050 385 5020, matti.lahdenranta@hel.fi
Länsimetro Oy, Matti Kokkinen, CEO, tel. 050 347 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 from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä. The aim is to complete construction by the end of 2015. The company was established in 2007. The Länsimetro offices are situated in Tapiola, Espoo.