Escalators leading to southern platform level at Hakaniemi station being replaced – metro only accessible via northern entrance from 1 October
The long escalators leading from Hakaniemi metro station’s platform level to the tram and bus stops on the market square side, located between the ticket hall and the platform, will be closed on 1 October 2026. The escalators have reached the end of their service life and are being replaced. The new escalators will enter into service before the start of the Kalasatama metro service suspension. The replacement of the escalators is estimated to take seven months.
The escalators will be replaced before the suspension of metro services caused by the replacement of the Junatie metro bridge, in order to ensure smooth passage through Hakaniemi station during the suspension. Hakaniemi will serve as the metro’s terminus for trains coming from Kivenlahti and Tapiola during the suspension of metro services from 3 May to 8 December 2027. In addition to this, Hakaniemi will serve as the terminus for the bus service replacing the metro, which will increase the number of passengers using the station.
The lifts located near the escalators are within the construction site and will have to be closed while the escalators are being replaced, in order to ensure safety. This means that only the escalators and lifts on Toinen linja and Porthaninkatu will remain in service at Hakaniemi, as a result of which access to and from the station will only be possible via these routes.
One particular challenge involved in replacing the escalators is that the old ones are very long and heavy. Dismantling and transporting them away from the station requires careful planning, and similarly, bringing the new escalators from the level of Hakaniemi Market Square into the station is a challenging task.
Southern ticket hall to remain open during escalator replacement
The southern ticket hall will remain open during the escalator replacement, apart from a few short exceptions. The station’s commercial premises on the Hakaniemi Market Square side will remain open, which means that Entrance D, leading from tram platforms 13 and 14 to the station’s shops, will also remain open. Entrances E and F, on the western side of Ympyrätalo and Siltasaarenkatu, will be closed from 1 October for the duration of the project. Entrance C, located near the bus stops for buses heading towards Hakaniemi Market Hall and Sörnäinen, will close later in October. Entrance C will be used to remove the old escalators and bring the new ones into the station.
Information about changes to routes will be provided by signs at the station and in the surrounding area.