Exceptional arrangements in Rantarata railway traffic in 2024
Construction work for the Espoo Rail Line will cause disruptions to railway traffic from May to the end of September. Individual disruptions will last for a day or a weekend. The longest continuous disruption will last from Midsummer to the end of July, five weeks in total. The disruptions will affect both commuter train and long-distance train traffic between Helsinki and Kupittaa.
Why is a complete stop necessary?
The Espoo Rail Line project involves building two additional tracks between Leppävaara and Kauklahti to streamline the commuter train and long-distance train traffic on the Rantarata railway. It is also a step towards more sustainable and cleaner rail transport on a busy route. The construction of additional tracks and the bridges and other structures required by them involves excavation, pile driving and foundation reinforcement at several points. The platform structures and passages of the stations will be renovated. Also, much-needed platform covers will be built at stations that do not yet have them. Espoo’s own projects, such as Rantaradanbaana and new underpasses, will be built in connection with the railway project.
Both shorter disruptions and the five-week disruption (starting on Midsummer) in railway traffic are needed so that work related to the structures of the existing railways can be carried out. They will also ensure safe working conditions around the railways.
Schedule for railway traffic disruptions
Railway traffic on the Rantarata railway, west of Leppävaara, will be disrupted for varying periods of time as follows:
24-hour traffic disruptions in May
- Sun 5 May 3.00–Mon 6 May 4.00
- Thu 9 May 3.00–Fri 10 May 4.00
- Sun 19 May 3.00–Mon 20 May 4.00
- Sun 26 May 3.00–Mon 27 May 4.00
5-week disruption in railway traffic starting on Midsummer
- Mon 24 June–Sun 28 July
48-hour traffic disruptions
- Sat 31 August 4.00–Mon 2 September 4.00
- Sat 7 September 4.00–Mon 9 September 4.00
- Sat 14 September 4.00–Mon 16 September 4.00
24-hour traffic disruptions in September
- Sun 22 September 4.00–Mon 23 September 4.00
- Sun 29 September 4.00–Mon 30 September 4.00
The disruptions have an impact not only on commuter train traffic but also on long-distance train traffic between Helsinki and Kupittaa.
Alternative train services
During the five-week disruption, the L trains between Helsinki and Leppävaara will be replaced by late night, night and early morning A trains. At weekends, the services will run even more frequently, every 10 minutes. During weekday rush hours, there will be high-speed services between Leppävaara and Helsinki that operate three times an hour and stop only in Huopalahti and Pasila.
During the disruptions, railway traffic west of Leppävaara will be replaced by buses. The bus timetables will be updated on the Journey Planner(external link, opens in a new window) during spring.
Long-distance train traffic between Helsinki and Kupittaa will be replaced with buses. Buses replacing long-distance train traffic will go from Kupittaa to the Turku main railway station and, if there is ship traffic, also to the Port of Turku and vice versa.
Contrary to previous information, commuter trains will run between Karjaa and Hanko during the disruption. However, the H train that normally runs between Helsinki and Hanko three days a week will not operate during the construction work.
Buses to replace train traffic
During the disruptions, train traffic will be replaced by buses west of Leppävaara. Bus 211E will run between Leppävaara and Kauklahti, bus 211U will run between Leppävaara and Kirkkonummi, and bus 211X will run between Leppävaara and Siuntio. Buses 211E, 211U and 211X will stop at or near all intermediate stations.
Alternative buses:
- 211E Leppävaara–Kauniainen–Espoo–Kauklahti
- 211U Leppävaara–Kauniainen–Espoo–Kauklahti–Kirkkonummi
- 211X Leppävaara–Kauniainen–Espoo–Kauklahti–Kirkkonummi–Siuntio
- 213X Elielinaukio–Turunväylä–Espoo
Where can I find the timetables?
The buses replacing commuter train traffic will updated on the website hsl.fi(external link, opens in a new window) and Journey Planner(external link, opens in a new window). VR's timetables and alternative connections will be updated on the website vr.fi(external link, opens in a new window) and the VR Matkalla application.
More information:
Espoo Rail Line project
Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency press release(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)