City Council approves Helsinki section of Vantaa Light Rail

Vantaa Light Rail is a planned light rail line running from Mellunmäki in Helsinki to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in Vantaa via Hakunila, Tikkurila and Aviapolis. The total length of the light rail line will be approximately 19.3 kilometres, with a 500-metre section and eastern terminus located in Mellunmäki in Helsinki. Mellunmäki is part of the district of Mellunkylä, which is one of Helsinki’s suburban regeneration areas.

Vantaa Light Rail is being designed according to the same design principles as the light rail lines in Helsinki. The project also includes the construction of a new tram depot in Vaarala, Vantaa. The light rail line will have trams running every 7.5 minutes during peak hours.The journey time from Mellunmäki to the airport will be approximately 54 minutes, and the average speed of the trams will be approximately 22 km/h.

The planned transversal rail line is part of the light rail network of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the first light rail line in Vantaa. It will provide a direct connection from East Helsinki to Tikkurila and the airport. 

The costs of the Helsinki section of the light rail line have been estimated as part of the Länsimäentie general plan of municipal engineering. The total cost of the construction of the light rail line infrastructure and related street and cable transfer will be EUR 15 million. The cost estimate includes the costs of construction, construction contracting and planning and a contingency reserve. The City will also carry out other investments contributing to land use planning in the area, such as municipal engineering, as part of the construction.

The operating costs of Vantaa Light Rail will be approximately EUR 17.8 million in 2030. The project is estimated to increase the costs of the joint local authority Helsinki Region Transport by approximately EUR 24 million and Helsinki’s municipal share by approximately EUR 4 million in the same year. The total cost of Vantaa Light Rail will be EUR 606 million, of which Vantaa's share is EUR 414 million.

Vantaa Light Rail is part of the rail network of the Helsinki region, which is developed through land use, housing and transport agreements concluded by the region’s municipalities, the State of Finland and Helsinki Region Transport (HSL), among others. The current land use, housing and transport agreement includes the planning of a comprehensive light rail network for the region. In the future, Vantaa Light Rail could be connected to the Viikki-Malmi light rail line.

The drafting of a local detailed plan for Mellunmäki centre is currently underway. The plan will include the construction of residential and commercial buildings and the renewal of City service facilities. The plan will proceed to the decision-making phase in 2024–2025. 

The City of Vantaa has announced that the construction of Vantaa Light Rail can commence in autumn 2024 and that it be operational in 2029.