Metro service suspension in 2027 – Kalasatama metro station closed for a shorter period than expected
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. will replace the Junatie metro bridge between Kalasatama and Sörnäinen between 2026 and 2028. The project timetables have been specified as planning has progressed. The metro service suspension required to replace the bridge will start in late spring 2027. Kalasatama metro station will be closed for a period that is eight months shorter than initially expected.
The current estimate is that the suspension of metro services will last seven months. The works that will require metro services to be suspended will start in late spring 2027 and continue until late 2027. During this period, the metro will run from the west to Hakaniemi and from the east to Herttoniemi.
The metro station at Kalasatama will be closed during the service break, as well as for about two months before and two months after the metro service suspension. Metro trains will pass the station without stopping, both before and after the break in the metro service.
Kalasatama metro station will be closed due to the construction work on the metro bridge. During the project’s development stage, work techniques were discovered for the demolition of the current bridge that have reduced the station’s closure time from the previous estimate. According to the earlier estimate, the station would have been closed for about eight months longer. This shorter closure is possible as the demolition of the pier bridges can be largely avoided thanks to the transfer methods used in the demolition work.
The planning phase also determined that metro trains from the east will only operate up to Herttoniemi during the metro service suspension.
During the suspension, Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. will be renovating other bridges between Herttoniemi and Kulosaari stations, and the metro will not be able to serve Kulosaari during these works.
Replacement bus 99 and trams to replace the missing metro connection
The replacement bus line 99 will run between Hakaniemi and Herttoniemi stations during the metro service suspension, at intervals of approximately two minutes at its highest frequency. The bus will run during the metro operating hours.
The bus will run between Herttoniemi and Hakaniemi along Itäväylä and Sörnäisten rantatie. The aim is to provide the smoothest possible run for the buses, as well as bus lanes along the entire route. The bus will stop only in Kulosaari and Suvilahti between Herttoniemi and Hakaniemi.
According to the current plan, HSL will also increase other bus services between Herttoniemi and Pasila and between East Helsinki and the railway line (main line). These changes will be made by modifying existing routes and intervals, and more details on the changes will be announced later.
When tram services on the Crown Bridges start in early 2027, the aim is for the new line 12 to run all the way to Central Railway Station instead of Hakaniemi, partly helping to replace metro services during their suspension. The terminal point will move to Hakaniemi when the renovation of Kaivokatu begins after the Junatie renovation.
While Kalasatama station is closed, the route of line 13 will also be extended from Nihti to the city centre.
Kalasatama’s connections to East Helsinki and to west towards Pasila are secured by the existing bus lines 59, 500 and 510. These lines will be strengthened further and their service made smoother. The functionality of the pedestrian and cycling environment in Kalasatama, as well as the clarity of signage, will also be taken into consideration during the construction works.
Replacement of Junatie metro bridge to start with preparatory works
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. will start the preparatory works for the replacement of the metro bridge in spring 2026. The start of the works will lead to traffic disruptions in the area, more information on which will follow during the spring. Before the metro service suspension begins, the construction works will start with e.g. the intermediate supports and deck structures of the bridge.
Metro stations and bridges both to be renovated during the shutdown
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd. will make extensive use of the suspension to metro services caused by the replacement of the Junatie metro bridge. The Sörnäinen and Kulosaari metro stations will both be renovated during the metro service shutdown in 2027, as will other bridges in the service suspension area. These works will be scheduled to coincide with the metro service suspension to cause as little disruption to the passengers as possible.
Fire safety and building services will be renovated at Sörnäinen station. The escalators and lifts leading to the metro platform will also be replaced.
At Kulosaari station, the lighting of the platform area and the surface of the platform will be replaced in the uncovered parts of the platform. The waterproofing of the track will be repaired and the wall surfaces in the ticket hall will be renovated.
During the metro service suspension, five other bridges in the shutdown area will be repaired in addition to the Junatie metro bridge: Kulosaari metro bridge, Kulosaari pedestrian tunnel, Kulosaari station’s northern metro bridge, Tupasaarentie metro bridge and Naurissalmi metro bridge.
More information on the projects will be provided as the plans progress.