Helsinki Metro

The Helsinki Metro, or Helsingin metro, is the metro system in Helsinki, Finland. The system maintains a single forked line with 16 stations, out of which 8 are subterranean and 8 are surface stations.

The metro was first opened in 1982, running from Itäkeskus /Östra Centrum to Hakaniemi/Hagnäs. By the next year the Rautatientori /Järnvägstorget and Kamppi/Kampen stations were opened too. The tracks were extended to Mellunmäki /Mellungsbacka in 1989, and further to Ruoholahti/Gräsviken and Vuosaari/Nordsjö towards the end of the 1990s.

The metro system is operated by the city-owned Helsinki City Transport (HKL, Helsingin Kaupungin Liikenne).

Types of Train

There are currently two different models of Metro Train in service. The 100 series was built by Stromberg in the late 1980's and the new 200 series was built by Bombardier and has been used since 2002.

Planned extensions

Länsimetro ("Western Metro"), an extension of the Helsinki Metro line westward to Espoo (Esbo), has been planned for several years. It is a joint effort by three parties: Helsinki, Espoo and the Finnish state. However, Espoo has been strongly opposed to financing the extension, holding back all progress.

The line is planned to reach at least the technical university campus at Otaniemi and the commercial and residential centre at Tapiola and is expected to run through other important areas such as Lauttasaari/Drumsö.

There is also talk of a new station being opened between Sörnäinen /Sörnäs and Kulosaari /Brändö called Kalasatama/Fiskhamnen. This is due to open in 2006.

A third extension between Kamppi/Kampen and Pasila /Böle is expected which will run through Töölöntori.

Station trivia

Rautatientori is the only station whose name is announced in more than two languages: "Rautatientori, Järnvägstorget, Central Railway Station" in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Kaisaniemi is the only station whose name is only announced in one language. Whether this is Finnish or Swedish is unknown and irrelevant, because the names - Kaisaniemi in Finnish and Kajsaniemi in Swedish - are pronounced identically.

See also

• Geography of Helsinki
• Helsinki Metropolitan Area

External links

• Helsinki City Transport
• Metro Website of the Finnish Tramway Society
• UrbanRail - Helsinki