Helsinki tram

Helsinki tram

File:Variotram Helsinki 2008-11-24.jpg Variotram at Senaatintori
File:MLNRV Hakaniemi 2010-05-03.JPG Valmet MLNRV in Hakaniemi
Overview
Locale	Helsinki, Finland
Transit type	Tram
Number of lines	13
Daily ridership	200,000 (weekdays)
Operation
Began operation	1891
Operator(s)	HKL
Number of vehicles	132
Technical
System length	38 km (23.6 mi) of double track
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Minimum radius of curvature	15 m (49.2 ft)
Electrification	600 V DC overhead lines
System map 200px

The Helsinki tram network forms part of the Helsinki public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Helsinki City Transport (Finnish: Helsingin kaupungin liikenne, Swedish: Helsingfors stads trafikverk) in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki. The trams are the main means of transport in the city centre. 56.7 million trips were made in 2013. The Helsinki system is one of the oldest electrified tram networks in the world.

Lines

Lines

In 2013, approximately 38 km (23.6 mi) of double track was in operation with 13 routes.

Helsinki tram lines as of 13 August 2013

Designation		From	Via	To	Service hours	Depot
	1	Market Square	Kallio	Käpylä	10:00–15:00	Koskela
	1A	Eira	Market Square, Kallio		06:00–09:30 15:00–18:30
	2	Kaivopuisto	Market Square, Töölö	Nordenskiöldinkatu (Eläintarha)	06:00–01:30	Koskela
	3		Punavuori, Kallio
	4	Katajanokka	Mannerheimintie	Munkkiniemi	06:00–01:30	Töölö
	4T	Katajanokka ferry terminal			10:00–11:30 16:00–17:00
	6	Hietalahti	Hakaniemi	Arabia	06:00–23:30	Koskela
	6T	West Harbour ferry terminal	Hietalahti, Hakaniemi		14:00–22:30	Koskela
	7A	Senate Square	Töölö, Pasila	Senate Square	06:00–23:30	Koskela / Töölö
	7B		Pasila, Töölö
	8	Jätkäsaari	Sörnäinen	Arabia	06:00–23:30	Koskela
	9	West Harbour ferry terminal	Kallio	Itä-Pasila	06:00–24:00	Koskela
	10	Kirurgi	Mannerheimintie	Pikku Huopalahti	06:00–23:30	Töölö

Additional lines

In addition to the 13 regular lines two special ones exist: the museum line operated by Helsinki City Transport in collaboration with Oy Stadin Ratikat Ab and the Spårakoff pub tram, both of which run during the summer months. These lines do not appear in the route map included with this article.

Additional tram lines as of summer 2012

Designation	From	Via	To	Service hours	Depot
-	Market Square	Kruunuhaka, Rautatientori	Market Square	10:00–17:00
PUB	Rautatientori	Kallio, Töölö, Market Square	Rautatientori	14:00–21:00

• ^A Approximate week day figures in 24-hour clock. Accurate times at HSL site.
• ^B Trams on lines 2 and 3 actually run to opposite direction in a figure-of-eight circular only changing their line signs at the terminuses.
• ^C Ferry arrival and departure times only.
• ^D Clockwise circular.
• ^E Counter-clockwise circular.
• ^F Non-numbered museum line.
• ^G Summer weekends only.
• ^H Summers only.
• ^I Weekdays only.

Technology and infrastructure

Two Valmet Nr I trams, the one in the front on line 4 and the one behind on its way to Töölö tram depot.

The tram network is built almost exclusively on the streets of Helsinki, making it a traditional tram system rather than a light rail one. The track gauge is one metre. The network consists almost entirely of double track. In some parts the tracks are separated from other road traffic; elsewhere they share road space with cars and buses.

The trams are powered with electricity conveyed by overhead wires. Trams have their own traffic lights, distinguished from normal lights in that they are based on symbols of single colour: an upward-pointing arrow signifies "go", a horizontal line "prepare to stop" and the letter S "stop". The traffic lights are synchronised to allow tram and bus traffic to flow relatively smoothly. This system is called HeLMi (Helsinki Public Transport Signal Priority and Passenger Information).

Depots

File:HelsinkiTramDepot.jpg

Töölö tram depot.

As of 2010, there are four tram depots/workshops in Helsinki; HKL-maintained depots in Töölö, Vallila and Koskela, and a Bombardier Transportation-maintained workshop at Pasilan konepaja.

• The Töölö depot houses trams running on lines 4 and 10, as well as some of those on lines 7A and 7B, approximately one third of the whole rolling stock. The Helsinki tram museum is located next to the Töölö depot. Between 1948 and 1974 the Töölö depot also housed the trolleybuses used on Helsinki's sole trolleybus line.
• The Vallila depot houses repair-, paint- and rebuilding facilities, and administrative functions.
• The Koskela depot is the largest tram depot in Helsinki. It houses approximately two thirds of trams in the city, and contains training facilities. The Koskela depot is linked to the main Helsinki tram network by a long section of double track that is not used by passenger-serving trams.
• The Pasilan konepaja tram workshop was established in mid-2008 by Bombardier transportation as a repair shop for the Helsinki Variotrams, the maintenance of which became Bombardier's responsibility in May 2008. The workshop takes up a part of the former VR Group electric locomotive workshop at Pasilan konepaja. As of August 2008, the workshop does not have a permanent link to the tram network (although tracks run just outside the depot doors); instead, portable tracks are used to run the trams to and from the workshop.

Planning process is under way (as of October 2008) for excavating a new underground tram depot in the base rock below the existing Vallila depot and adjacent city blocks. The underground depot is planned to have facilities for housing 180 trams plus repair facilities and staff parking spaces. The underground depot would partially or completely replace the Koskela depot, which is inconveniently located far from normally operated tram lines and would require major reconstruction if kept in use. An alternative is rebuilding and expanding the Koskela depot, but this is projected to be more expensive than the planned underground depot.

Rolling stock

Helsinki City Transport (HKL) has up to 124 tram units that can be used in scheduled passenger service (February 2015). HKL reported that it used 97 trams to operate peak-time scheduled traffic in the spring of 2013. Additionally, there are six trams in reserve and eight in charter use. The MLNRV I and II series (rebuilt Valmet NrI and NrII units), MLNRV Variotram, and Valmet NrI series comprise the current backbone of the fleet, but HKL is in the process of receiving 40 new Transtech Artic units.

In 2006–12, the whole Valmet Nr II+ series underwent a major modification process in which a 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) low-floor midsection was fitted in the tram. The type designation was changed from Nr II+ to MLNRV to reflect the modifications made, and the extended trams were re-introduced in traffic gradually as the modification works completed. During the process, HKL decided to also rebuild ten of the older Nr I trams in the same way, which brought the total number of MLNRV trams to 52 by mid-2014, when the works were completed.

The low-floor Variotram units, acquired in 1998–2003, proved to be unreliable, which caused a shortage of operable trams. Starting in 2004, HKL purchased ten DUEWAG series second-hand trams from the German town of Mannheim to cover for the shortage. Eventually arrangements were made with Bombardier, the manufacturer of the Variotrams, to keep a sufficient number of the units in operation. All of the DUEWAG units were either withdrawn or relegated to charter service by the end of 2014.

As of February 2015, HKL is in the process of acquiring 40 new low-floor trams from the from the Finnish manufacturer Transtech Oy. Two prototype units were delivered in 2013, and each entered passenger service approximately two months after delivery. The production series deliveries are expected to start in 2015. The order is worth €113 million and it includes an option for a further 90 trams.

The Transtech Artic has a double-articulated, eight-axle design. It is 27.3 m (89 ft 7 in) long and has 74 fixed seats, 14 foldable seats and space for 75 standee passengers. The design has a 100% low floor and conventional, turning bogies designed to run without problems on Helsinki's challenging old-fashioned track network.

To ease the construction of new tram tracks into Jätkäsaari (construction started in 2009) (see below), the acquisition of bi-directional trams was considered. However, HKL decided to build the Jätkäsaari extensions with conventional return loops and to use existing unidirectional rolling stock. The next time bi-directional rolling stock might be considered is the conversion of the orbital trunk bus line 550 (formerly branded Jokeri) (see below) into light rail.

The following table lists the current rolling stock. Corresponding articles have further details about the cars in use.

Rolling stock as of February 2015

Tram Type	No. of units	Car #	Built	Acquired	Modified	Seats	Standees	L	W	H	S	C	R
d MLNRV III Transtech Artic	2	l 401–440	2012–	2013–		88	125	27.6	2.4	3.8	×
c MLNRV II (Valmet Nr II)	42	f71–112	1983–87	1983–87	1996–2006, 2008–12	49	120	26.5	2.3	3.7	×
c MLNRV I (Valmet Nr I)	10	f113–122	1973–75	1973–75	1993–2003, 2005, 2012–14	49	120	26.5	2.3	3.7	×
d MLRV Bombardier Variotram	40	l 201–240	1998–2003	1998–2003		55	80	24.4	2.3	3.7	×
a NRV (Valmet Nr I)	30	d 31–70	1973–75	1973–75	1993–2003, 2005	39	106	20.1	2.3	3.7	×
g DUEWAG GT8N	1	k 166	1962, 1964	2007–08	1991–92	55	120	25.7	2.2	3.8		×
f DUEWAG GT8	1	h 150	1967	2004	1970, 2004	64	140	25.7	2.2	3.8		×
j HRO A7	1	g 135	1928	1928	1988	21	26	10.2	2.1	3.7		×
i HRO A4	1	j 157	1930	1930	1987	21	26	10.2	2.1	3.7		×
l Karia HM IV	1	m 320	1955	1955	1985	29	69	13.5	2.3	3.6		×
h Valmet RM 1	2	n 332, 339	1955	1955	1987, 2003–04	29	69	13.5	2.3	3.6		×
m Karia HM V	6	c 9–14, 175	1959	1959	2004–07	31	57	13.5	2.3	3.6			×
k HRO A9	1	b BS 1	1917	2007	2007	28	0	11.5	2.2			×
Totals	138					6,094	12,870				124	8	6

^F Car length in meters
^G Car width in meters
^H Car height in meters with pantograph
^I Scheduled service
^J Charter service
^K Reserve units

^L Number 339 is owned by Oy Stadin Ratikat Ab.
^M Number 175 is a restaurant tram and is counted as charter.
^N A replica of Brändö Spårvägs Ab tram number 1 from 1917.
^O 6,346 seats in scheduled service; 245 seats in charter service; 186 seats in reserve.
^P 13,552 standees in scheduled service; 405 standees in charter service; 342 standees in reserve.
Reference for the tabular data: Finnish Tramway Society

History

Main article: History of the Helsinki tram system

Planned extension of the network

Main article: Planned extension of the Helsinki tram network

See also

• Helsinki Metro
• Trams in Finland

Bibliography

Helsinki City Transport

Finnish Tramway Society

Helsingin Sanomat

Miscellaneous

External links

• Helsinki City Transport official website
• Tram line route map (Official map as of 2015)
• Raide-Jokeri (Official website)