On August 12, 2024, a new tram line, Line 13, was inaugurated in Helsinki, this is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

New Tram Line in Helsinki

Stretching 4.5 km and featuring 14 stops, it provides a convenient link between the northeastern part of Finland’s capital and two key transportation hubs.

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The line connects the port area of Nihti with the Kalasatama metro station and the Pasila railway station, one of the busiest in the country after Helsinki Central.

Currently, Artic X34 trams, measuring 27.6 meters in length, are operating on the new line.

In the future, these will be replaced by longer ForCity Smart Artic X54 trams, which are 34.5 meters long, similar to those used on Helsinki’s Line 15, which opened in October 2023 and connects Helsinki with Espoo.

These low-floor trams are manufactured by the Finnish company Škoda Transtech, a subsidiary of the Czech Škoda Transportation.

The construction of the line cost €79.3 million, with an expected annual passenger volume of 4-5 million.

The new line offers a travel time of 11-12 minutes from Kalasatama to Pasila, while the total travel time between the terminus stops is approximately 21 minutes.

The average speed of the trams on Line 13 reaches 19-20 km/h, significantly higher than on other lines where the speed is around 14 km/h. The interval between trams on Line 13 is 10 minutes.

In the future, the Nihti terminus will offer a transfer to the new Kruunusillat tram line, construction of which began in the fall of 2021 and is expected to be completed by 2027.

This 5.5 km line will connect central Helsinki with the eastern suburb of Laajasalo, including three bridges, one of which will be the longest in Finland, at 1.2 km.

The new Line 13 is designed to meet the growing demand for public transportation.

By 2040, the population in the Kalasatama area is expected to increase to 30,000 people, with a similar number in the Pasila area.

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