Infrastructure Programme Helsinki addresses the city’s growth
Infrastructure Programme Helsinki is a joint project implemented by Helsinki Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd, the City of Helsinki’s Urban Environment Division, and the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY), with the goal of implementing three tram projects and other urban infrastructure in the Helsinki area. The Infrastructure Programme Helsinki will be carried out in phases between 2024-2033.
The programme’s projects are the West-Helsinki Light Rail (light rail from Munkkiniemi to Kantelettarentie and new tram sections on Fredrikinkatu and Topeliuksenkatu), the West Harbour Light Rail, and the Viikki-Malmi Light Rail. The goal of the programme’s projects is to expand the rail network and create conditions for sustainable urban development. The West-Helsinki Light Rail project has an implementation decision from the Helsinki City Council and has been granted state aid according to the MAL-agreement (Land use, housing and transport agreement). It is intended to decide on the general plans for the West Harbour Light Rail and the Viikki-Malmi Light Rail in the spring of 2025.
The programme brings synergy benefits to the implementation of urban development projects, enabling, among other things, the synchronization of simultaneous project implementations, the allocation of expertise to different project implementations according to their needs, and the continuous development of value creation (cost efficiency, quality, and goal fulfillment). In the first part of the program, the West-Helsinki Light Rail will be designed and implemented, and the project plans for the West Harbour Light Rail and Viikki-Malmi Light Rail projects will be prepared. In the second part of the programme, the West Harbour Light Rail and the Viikki-Malmi Light Rail will be planned and implemented, if the client decides to start the projects. Implementation budgets for these projects will be set during the development phases, if initiated.
Infrastructure Programme Helsinki addresses to the needs of a growing city by utilising the opportunities for cooperation and continuous improvement. Tram projects are never just tram projects: at the same time other urban infrastructure will be developed and built. Several projects are planned within the same time window, and the competitive situation in the market must also be taken into account: trams are also being built simultaneously in Tampere, Vantaa, and Turku. By creating cooperation instead of competition, the complex relationships and dependencies between projects can be more effectively taken into account, leading to the need for coordination between projects. Determination towards continuous improvement and learning from previous projects guides Infrastrucure Programme Helsinki towards the vision of the world’s best and most sustainable urban development.