Construction of the West Railway Could Begin in 2026

Implementation of the new railway link between Helsinki and Turku is included in the government program, and its construction will begin with the Espoo–Lohja and Salo–Kupittaa sections. West Railway Ltd. aims to kick off the construction planning for the entire railway link in 2024, and the construction stage is set to begin in 2026 with the Espoo–Hista and Salo–Hajala sections.

– In the best-case scenario, construction of the first sections could be completed by 2028, with commuter train service to Hista starting soon after, says West Railway Ltd. CEO Pekka Ottavainen.

Construction Is Dependent on a Decision

At this stage, no decisions regarding the construction of the new railway link have been taken. In January, West Rail applied for EU funding for the project through the CEF programme. Funding was sought for the construction planning of the entire rail link and the construction of the Espoo–Hista and Salo–Hajala sections, with the total amount reaching just over 176 million euros.

This pertains to the next phase of the project, the total cost of which is estimated at 600 million euros.

For the construction stage, the State is prepared to provide 460 million euros in capital to the project partnership as part of an investment programme during the current term of government. The State has also begun negotiations on the financing of the project with the other partners. The owners will confirm their final financial commitments in spring 2024.

– We can expect to learn more about the EU funding by early summer, Ottavainen says.

Planning Nearly Completed

At present, West Railway Ltd. Is finalising the plans that will enable the construction of the new rail link, and the aim is to make the plans officially available in 2024, as and when the municipalities complete their local plans.

It is the company’s aim to begin operation on the new rail link between Turku and Helsinki in the early 2030s.

Further Information:

Pekka Ottavainen, Managing Director, West Railway Ltd., tel. +358 (0)400 261 097, pekka.ottavainen@lansirata.fi