New opportunities along the Jokeri Light Rail line
Light Rail runs between Keilaniemi in Espoo and Itäkeskus in Helsinki.
The final terminus of the light rail line is sited adjacent to the metro station in Keilaniemi, Espoo. Light Rail makes Aalto University and the Otaniemi Science Park easier to reach. It replaced trunk bus line 550, which was the busiest bus line in the Helsinki region. The Jokeri Light Rail Alliance completed the project ahead of schedule, and the light rail line started operating on 21 October 2023.
Illustration of Raide-Jokeri, Leppävaara's station.Photo: Raide-Jokeri
The Light Rail line is expected to have significant positive effects on Espoo’s urban development and vitality. New housing and workplaces are planned to be built along the Light Rail line. The new light rail line will enable new housing for 22,000 Espoo residents as well as 20,000 new jobs.
The Jokeri light rail line interlinks Espoo’s most significant high-technology employment areas: Keilaniemi, Otaniemi and Leppävaara. It also connects the West Metro line and the train tracks at Leppävaara, Espoo’s main railway station, into a combined system. You can travel by rail from the Jokeri Light Rail terminus in Keilaniemi all the way to the airport. You can also transfer between the metro and the light rail line in Otaniemi.
Jokeri Light Rail has boosted the revamping of Otaniemi and Keilaniemi, which are growing towards each other. Important to the competitiveness of not only Espoo but also the whole of Finland, the area houses several head offices of large listed companies as well as the internationally renowned scientific and research community of the Aalto University campus. Keilaniemi is turning into a unique seaside centre with its residential, office and hotel towers.
The Light Rail has also accelerated the construction of entirely new areas. Espoo’s all-time record in new construction projects was broken in Vermonniitty in the Leppävaara area in 2018. The new residential area of Vermonniitty is built along the Jokeri Light Rail line.
The network of five urban centers in Espoo is growing, particularly along rail lines. There will be approximately two million residents and over a million jobs in the capital region in 2050. The goal is to steer the increased mobility resulting from the population growth into sustainable modes of transport: public transport, walking and cycling.
The light rail increases the appeal of the areas as locations for housing and business and makes it possible to make the urban structure denser along sustainable transport connections. Increasing rail transport reduces traffic emissions and offers reliable and fast transport to residents. A dense urban structure along the rail lines also preserves valuable nature, which is one of Espoo's competitive advantages. Espoo is a pioneer in balancing urban growth with biodiversity. Jokeri Light Rail helps realise the strategic goal of Espoo regarding the network city and carbon-neutrality.
New housing and workplaces have been built and are being planned along the light rail line in Perkkaa, Otaniemi and Keilaniemi, among other areas. It is sensible and sustainable to build housing and services along the light rail route. The placement of services and dense urban development near the light rail line serves both residents and businesses. In fact, Espoo-based entrepreneurs are most satisfied with transport connections.
