The City of Vantaa Board tabled the revised project plan for the Vantaa light rail – the matter will be reconsidered on November 10

At the meeting, the City Board voted on whether to return the revised project plan for further preparation. It was decided to continue the processing of the matter with a vote of 11–4.

The project plan, total cost, and revenue estimate for the Vantaa light rail have been specified further. During the one-year development phase, the alliance partners reviewed all construction plans and costs of the light rail.

Based on the development work carried out, the Vantaa light rail alliance proposes a revised project plan. The most significant changes concern the project’s total cost and the more detailed implementation of the tramway. The estimate of the revenues generated by the project has also been refined.

Extension from Aviapolis to the airport terminal area to be implemented later

According to the proposal, in the first phase the alliance would build the tramway from Mellunmäki to the northern entrance of Aviapolis station. An extension to the terminal area of Helsinki-Vantaa Airport would be implemented later.

In other respects, the route would be largely implemented according to the previous plan. On some sections, the tramway has been moved from the center of the street area to the edge, allowing more of the street and water infrastructure structures to be preserved. Some pedestrian and cycling routes and improvements to the street environment are justified to be implemented at a later stage.

General cost increase affects the project price

As a result of the development phase, a change to the project’s total cost is proposed. The final cost would be 750 (647 M€) million euros, of which the City of Vantaa’s share would be 541 (448 M€) million euros.

There are several reasons behind the increase in the total cost. Since the project plan approved in 2023, the general cost level in the infrastructure sector has risen. This applies to both materials and labor. During the development phase, extensive soil studies and measurements have been carried out, which have affected the extent of ground reinforcement solutions.

Temporary arrangements required during construction in an urban environment, and especially the costs related to long-term construction sites as well as risks and project management in a large-scale project, can now be assessed more reliably than before.