Espoo City Rail Link

The Espoo City Rail Link is a project to build two new tracks between Leppävaara and Kauklahti. The new tracks will enable more frequent commuter train services all the way to Kauklahti. The new tracks will also reduce the line’s vulnerability to disruptions.

 

Frequent commuter train services all the way to Kauklahti

  • The rail link will be approximately 14 kilometers long with 8 stations including Leppävaara and Kauklahti (Leppävaara, Kilo, Kera, Kauniainen, Koivuhovi, Tuomarila, Espoo and Kauklahti).
  • Commuter trains will no longer share tracks with long-distance trains.
  • Commuter trains can run every 10 minutes in both directions during the peak hours.
  • More frequent train services synchronized with bus services in the area will improve onward connections from the stations.

Joint project of the cities of Espoo and Kauniainen and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency

The new tracks will be built next to the existing tracks. In the future, the two southern tracks will be used by commuter trains, the two northern tracks by long-distance trains. The surroundings of the stations located along the rail link will also be developed, for example, by improving connections and Park & Ride facilities.

 

The cities will carry out separate projects in connection with the rail link project, including a cycle and pedestrian path along the railway line (Rantaradanbaana) as well as new underpasses and overpasses. The City Rail Link and the related projects will also be taken into account in connection with urban center projects, for example, in Kera and Kauklahti.

 

The total cost of the rail link is EUR 275 million (2019 cost level). The costs will be divided as follows: Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency 50%, City of Espoo 40% and City of Kauniainen 10%. The project has also received funding from the EU. HSL will pay compensation for the use of the infrastructure to the municipalities that have funded the project.

Special traffic arrangements during the project

The construction of the City Rail Link starts in 2022 and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2028. The construction works will cause significant changes to commuter and long-distance train services. During the construction of the tracks, there will be service disruptions and timetable changes due to reduced speed limits.

 

 

  • In spring 2023, commuter train services will be disrupted approximately five times, with each disruption lasting for 24 hours.  Similar disruptions will also take place in autumn 2023. During these disruptions, there will be no train services west of Leppävaara.
  • In 2024, approximately two or three 12-hour disruptions will take place between Leppävaara and Kauklahti at weekends. The longest disruption will take place in the summer of 2024, when train services will be halted for five weeks. In the autumn, approximately two or three 12-hour disruptions will again take place at weekends.
  • As for 2026 and 2027, the arrangements will be specified later as the planning of the project progresses. Service changes are expected also in 2026 and 2027.

 

During the service disruptions, commuter train services will be replaced with bus services west of Leppävaara. The replacement bus services will be based on extra buses that run via the train stations, but existing bus routes will also be used to a certain degree.  

 

Replacement buses are planned to run between Kirkkonummi and Leppävaara via the intermediate stations. In addition, a direct bus service will run from Helsinki to Espoon keskus via the Tuomarila intersection and Turunväylä. If need be, bus routes serving Kirkkonummi and Siuntio will be strengthened.

 

We will provide more information about the service changes and alternative transport links on hsl.fi, on the HSL app and in the Journey Planner.

More information about the project

Visit the following pages to learn more about the development and phases of the project: