Espoo City Rail Link

The Espoo City Rail Link is a joint project of Espoo, Kauniainen and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency to build two new tracks between Leppävaara and Kauklahti. They will improve the punctuality and smooth flow of long-distance traffic towards Turku and local traffic in Karjaa, Kirkkonummi and Espoo as part of the capital region public transport system. The City Rail Link will considerably promote the sustainable development of Espoo’s five urban centres and be an important step towards emission-free transport.

The new tracks will be located next to the old tracks and, in the future, the two southern tracks will serve commuter trains and the two northern tracks will be used by long-distance trains. The station environments along the rail link will also be developed in line with the railway plan, for example by improving connections and park-and-ride facilities.

The City of Espoo will carry out its own separate projects in connection with the rail link project, including a cycle and pedestrian path along the railway line (Rantaradanbaana) and new underpasses and overpasses. The City Rail Link and the related projects will also be taken into account in the urban centre projects, for example in Kera and Kauklahti.

The construction planning of the City Rail Link started in the spring of 2021 and will continue until 2023. Construction work will start in 2022 and the rail link will be completed in 2028. The total cost of the rail link is EUR 275 million (2019 cost level, cost index of civil engineering works 130), which will be divided as follows: Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency 50%, City of Espoo 40% and City of Kauniainen 10%. The project has received funding from the EU in the form of CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) funding. The project is led by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, and actual planning work is done by consultants.

Further information on the project is available

on the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s website: https://vayla.fi/espoonkaupunkirata#.W_Zvq-QUmfA(external link) (in Finnish)

on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/espoonkaupunkirata

through a newsletter: https://vayla.creamailer.fi/subscribe/ZlIKRTrN8wmZA(external link) (in Finnish)

The Espoo City Rail Link project is part of the One-hour Turku Rail Link project that will connect Helsinki with Turku through a high-speed rail link. In addition to the City Rail Link, the project includes a new direct rail line from Espoo to Salo via Lohja (known as the “ESA rail line”), the Salo–Turku double-track railway line and the Turku rail yard area. The one-hour rail link will be a remarkable investment in growth and climate protection. It will enhance economic productivity by improving labour mobility and by strengthening the links between companies and scientific communities. It is estimated that the project will stimulate additional investments worth tens of billions of euros, including the construction of tens of thousands of new homes. Once completed, the high-speed rail link between Helsinki and Turku will create a common commuting area for 1.5 million people.

Read more about the One-hour Turku Rail Link: https://vayla.fi/en/projects/all-projects/helsinki-turku-rail(external link) (in Finnish)

Read more about the Espoo–Salo direct rail line: https://vayla.fi/kaikki-hankkeet/espoo-salo-oikorata#.W_ZtTOQUmfA(external link) (in Finnish)

Read more about the Turku rail yard project: www.turkuratapiha.fi(external link) (in Finnish)

Read more about the One-hour Turku Rail Link: www.tunninjuna.fi/en(external link)