Länsimetro

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Länsimetro with existing sections in solid orange, sections under construction in solid green color and sections yet to be built in dashed green color
Länsimetro with existing sections in solid orange, sections under construction in solid green color and sections yet to be built in dashed green color

Länsimetro (Finnish for "western metro", Västmetron in Swedish) is a common term used for the planned extension of the Helsinki Metro system from central Helsinki to the neighbouring city of Espoo.

The proposed metro line would be an extension of the current single metro line from Ruoholahti metro station to the Espoo districts of Tapiola and Matinkylä, through Lauttasaari in western Helsinki. The line will be designed by FINNMAP Infra Oy. The cities of Espoo and Helsinki have jointly founded a company called Länsimetro Oy to implement the metro extension from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä. The elected CEO of Länsimetro Oy is Matti Kokkinen.

The construction companies have lobbied for the project since the first metro line was completed. The first line was completed at massive, multiple time cost overrun and caused problems in Helsinki finances for long time. Although construction companies and the project leader originally marketed Länsimetro as a "450 million project", the extension is now estimated to cost "over 800 million euro"[1]. Espoo is sparsely inhabited, traffic to Helsinki is low, and even the most optimist numbers put maximal trips at a few tens of thousands per day. Because many voters are highly critical of such spending, it has been political issue between proponents and critics.

Some politicians have even proposed Helsinki to Tallinn Tunnel.

Contents

[edit] History

The Länsimetro was first proposed already when the metro line was first begin designed in the 1950s, but Espoo rejected the proposal at the time.

After the eastern metro had been completed, the Länsimetro was proposed again and again, because Espoo is the second most populous city in Finland, and despite numerous extensions, the highway Länsiväylä suffers from chronic traffic jams due to its role as the only passageway between southern Espoo and central Helsinki. Widening the Länsiväylä will not clear the traffic jams, because once having reached Helsinki, the cars can't get past Ruoholahti to the centre quickly enough.

In the 1990s, the Finnish state and the city of Helsinki were ready to finance their part and start construction, but the city of Espoo was still disinterested in the idea. The principal cause of Espoo's disinterest was financing: the state only agreed to pay 30% of the costs, when Espoo wanted it to pay at least 70%.

Helsinki made an official suggestion to Espoo to construct the Länsimetro in 1997. On December 8, 1998 the city council of Espoo decided to only support extending the metro to Tapiola, leaving off the extension to Matinkylä and even Kivenlahti. On February 16, 1999, Espoo changed its statement (with votes 48 to 18), and supported plans to extend the metro to Matinkylä.

The Länsimetro issue was reawakened in 2002 when the plan for public traffic in the capital area was being made. YTV priorised the Länsimetro over extension of a light rail line in Espoo, while the Espoo city council took the opposite viewpoint. A compromise solution was to investigate a "southern Espoo railway connection" (also allowing for an express tram), and both this railway connection and a light rail line were scheduled for 2010 to 2020.

According to a survey requested by Helsingin Sanomat in late 2005, 77% of Espooans and 90% of Helsinkians were in favour of the Länsimetro.[2]

[edit] Investigation of a light rail line

In conjunction with the Länsimetro, the Raide-YVA also investigated other forms of public transport, such as a light rail line. Supporters of the light rail line claimed it would be cheaper, faster to implement, and more environment-friendly than a traditional metro line. The primary disadvantage of the metro was seen to be having to build denser housing along the line to make it more profitable. An advantage of the metro line was the existing metro network, and coupling the light rail line to the metro network would have caused all passengers travelling from east Helsinki to Espoo to switch trains either in Lauttasaari or Ruoholahti (Raide-YVA) or at the Helsinki Central railway station (TramWest). The metro would allow for continuous trips from all stations in Espoo to all Helsinki stations from Ruoholahti to Kalasatama and further on to east Helsinki. Opponents of the light rail line claimed it to be an additional form of rail transport to the already diversely composed rail transport network in the capital area. Supporters claimed that the light rail line could be easily integrated to the existing Helsinki tram network, with the work required being cheaper than that of a metro line. TramWest, a shadow plan for the common metro plan among the municipalities was, like Raide-YVA, underestimated in costs, and the line was partly placed in areas where it would have been impossible to implement. TramWest also included many level crossings, which, if done badly, would slow down public transport. The plan would also have caused the parks designed into the Kiasma and Helsinki music house areas to be cut through with a light rail line. The plan would have caused all lines to end at the Elielinaukio square next to the central railway station without integrating to any existing or future railway line.

In early 2008, the TramWest plan was reawakened as an option for the Länsimetro. This time, all parts of TramWest that had caused criticism are to be fixed. The TramWest line plan will be corrected both in the Länsiväylä and city centre areas, and the eastern end of the line will be moved from the Elielinaukio square to either Viikki or Laajasalo.

[edit] Price

Preliminary plans, made in 2000 and 2001, cited the price of the metro extension to Matinkylä to be about 400 million euros. When the Espoo city council decided on construction of the metro, the price estimated in 2004 was 452 million euros. In September 2007, the estimated price of the Länsimetro was at least 530 million euros.[3]. In December 2007, Olavi Louko estimated that the price will rise to at least 600 million euros. According to Louko, the price of the excavation work has risen a third more than that of other ground construction work. According to Louko, the reasons for the price increase include all simultaneous excavation work, work for the Kehärata in 2009 and security requirements.[4]

[edit] Decision-making

The negative attitude taken by the city of Espoo is resultant of the high estimated price of the project (390 million euros), which they are unwilling to pay. Espoo is also a relatively loosely built city with a lot of detached houses, and as a result of this enjoys a reputation as an upper middle class city. The building of the Länsimetro would create tighter residence around the station, and the city's image might suffer.

Opponents of the Länsimetro often cite light rail transport as an alternative to the metro extension, saying it would be cheaper, faster to build and more environmentally friendly. However, an inquiry carried out for the Espoo city council in 2002 suggests that the metro system would be more profitable.

On September 25 2006, the Espoo city council made an official decision about whether to adopt the Länsimetro. The result was 45 votes to 19 in favour of the metro. [5] The construction of the metro will begin as soon as possible. Espoo's criterion for acceptance was that planning for the second stage of the line should also be started. The first stage of the Länsimetro is expected to be completed in 2013. The Espoo city council has set a number of terms for the project:

  • The state must commit to financing the Länsimetro extension all the way to Kivenlahti.
  • The light rail line between Leppävaara and Espoon keskus should be widened from two tracks to three in conjunction with the Länsimetro project.
  • The so-called Jokerilinja ("Joker line") should be converted to a light rail line as soon as possible.
  • The Kehä I road should be improved.
  • The Kehä II road should be continued to Helsinki, via Vihdintie to Hämeenlinnanväylä.


[edit] Projected metro line and stations

The following metro line was accepted as a basis for further planning in 2000. The list of stations was confirmed by the cities of Espoo and Helsinki in June 2007, although all names are tentative. The extension will be completely underground.

Ruoholahti - Matinkylä:

Of the stations listed above, the first three would be in Helsinki, the stations after that in Espoo. A station at Niittykumpu will not be built initially, because the population of the area is considered too low. However, the space for a future station will be mined during the construction of the metro line.

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Helsingin Sanomat: The majority of Espooans support the Länsimetro
  3. ^ Länsimetron hinta noussut ainakin 80 miljoonaa euroa, Helsingin Sanomat 9 September 2007 page A11
  4. ^ Länsimetron hinta on kivunnut jo ainakin 600 miljoonaan euroon, Tarkka hinta riippuu siitä, mitä päättäjät lopulta haluavat. Helsingin Sanomat 21 December 2007
  5. ^ Espoon valtuusto hyväksyi metron äänin 45–19 - HS.fi - Kaupunki

[edit] External links

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