A new tram line opens to the public next Monday, offering a direct link from the Pasila railway station to the Kalasatama district.
Tram number 13 runs from Sompasaari to Pasila via Kalasatama, Hermanni and Vallilanlaakso, reducing the travel time from Kalasatama to Pasila to 12 minutes.
Artturi Lähdetie of Metropolitan Area Transport Limited, the tram operator, said at a press conference on Wednesday that the new line combines elements of traditional urban tramlines and faster light rail services with greater distances between stops.
"This has the best bits of both," said Lähdetie. "It runs smoothly with long intervals between stops, and offers a quick link between two different transport hubs."
Helsinki Deputy Mayor Anni Sinnemäki (Green) says she believes that the new line will become one of the most-used in the city.
Boost in passenger numbers
Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) has estimated that the new line will draw between four and five million riders per year.
"This improves connections at both Kalasatama and Pasila," said Sinnemäki.
The deputy mayor also suggested that trams are an attractive form of transport and new trams are pleasant, well-lit and air-conditioned.
The number 15 tram, a so-called light rail service linking suburban parts of the capital city region that opened last year, is a good example of that, according to Sinnemäki.
"That's evident from the Jokeri Light Rail travellers: there are many more passengers than there were on the bus Jokeri," said Sinnemäki, referencing the 'Jokeri' name used for the service before tram tracks were laid.
The original budget for the new line was 78 million euros, and Lähdetie says that it looks like the final price tag will be less than that.
Work started in 2021, and was finished this summer. The only change to bus services will be for the number 59 line, which will now end in Herttoniemi rather than Sompasaari.
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