Jokeri Light Rail – From Itäkeskus to Keilaniemi

Jokeri Light Rail will increase the reliability, capacity and passenger comfort of transverse public transport. In addition, the capital region will receive a completely new form of transportation: light rail. Jokeri Light Rail will, for the most part, operate in its own lane with traffic signal priority, and its trams can be operated in two directions. Smooth operation will also be promoted by having the stops located more sparsely than along the tramways in inner Helsinki.

Jokeri Light Rail will be implemented with the alliance model. This means that the client organization formed by the cities of Helsinki and Espoo will be combined into one organization, together with the planners and the implementers. The planners are Ramboll Finland, Sitowise and VR Track. YIT and VR Track are the constructors of the line. The parties to the alliance will design and construct the track together, sharing the risks and benefits related to the project’s implementation.

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.

New housing and workplaces are planned to be built along the Jokeri Light Rail line in Perkkaa, Otaniemi and Keilaniemi, among other areas. Constructing housing and services along the Jokeri Light Rail route is advantageous and complies with the principles of sustainable development. Thanks to the proximity of services and the fast light rail, residents will have less need to use their own car.

The inconveniences of the construction will be minimised as much as possible with functional temporary traffic arrangements. The smooth operation of bus line 550 will be ensured throughout the project, and the construction areas will be designed to be safe and accessible. The construction of Jokeri Light Rail has proceeded ahead of schedule. 

Jokeri Light Rail test runs started in Espoo on February 2023. The test runs will be completed during the spring, after which it will be known if the schedule-related risk reserves can be removed. The Jokeri Light Rail will start operating, at the latest, in early 2024, but preparations are being made as part of the construction project and in terms of tram deliveries and driver training to enable an earlier start in the autumn of 2023. It is expected that the decision on the start of operation will be made during the summer.