FINLAND: Responsibility for the development of plans for a high speed line between Helsinki and Turku has been transferred from the national transport infrastructure agency Väylävirasto to the dedicated project body which was established to oversee the project through to completion.
Turun Tunnin Juna Oy, or Turku One Hour Train, will plan the infrastructure works for a 300 km/h connection offering a journey time of 75 min (despite the project’s name) between Helsinki and Turku, compared to around 2 h at present. This would include a new direct line from Espoo to Salo via Lohja, the Espoo regional railway, Salo – Turku double-tracking and works in the Turku area.
Planning is scheduled to be completed by 2023, with the cost to be split 51:49 between the national and local governments and supported by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility.
The 300 km/h line would serve Espoo, Kirkkonummi, Vihti, Lohja and Salo, creating a common commuting area for 1·5 million residents in the western part of southern Finland and making rail more competitive in a region where it is currently losing out to coaches which offer a short journey time, lower fares and higher frequencies.
The line is planned as the first of a series of fast routes between major cities, with the combined cost of Helsinki – Turku and Helsinki – Tampere lines put at €5·7bn.
