Sörnäinen metro station to be renovated during metro service disruption
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd will renovate the Sörnäinen metro station between 2027 and 2028. The platform of the station will undergo major fire safety and building services upgrades, as well as the replacement of the platform-level escalators and incline lifts.
The renovation of Sörnäinen metro station is scheduled for 2027–2028, which will allow the works to take advantage of the interruption in metro services between Herttoniemi and Hakaniemi required by the repair of the Junatie metro bridge. Most of the work on the metro station will be carried out during the metro shutdown, as many of the measures require the station to be closed.
The Board of Helsinki City Transport approved the project plan for the fire safety and building services renovation at its meeting on 13 May 2026. The project plan will now be submitted to the Helsinki City Board and City Council for processing. The project plan for the replacement of the escalators and lifts has already been approved by the Helsinki City Board.
Renovation to improve safety, security and comfort of station
The escalators and incline lifts leading from the ticket hall to the platform will be replaced. The stairs and lifts are original, date back to 1983 and have reached the end of their useful life. The replacement of the equipment will improve the functionality and accessibility of passenger transport.
The station’s fire safety systems will be modernised. The smoke control doors in the metro tunnels will be replaced by automatic doors. A glass wall will be installed at the bottom of the escalators to act as a smoke barrier, and new smoke baffles will be installed in the platform area.
The civil defence shelter’s equipment, HPAC and electrical systems will be replaced and renovated. In addition to this, platform lighting will be upgraded to be more energy-efficient, acoustic surfaces will be replaced and passenger guidance will be improved.
The first phase of work on the metro station will start in early 2027, while the station is still in use. The works affecting metro services will be scheduled for during the metro shutdown caused by the replacement of the Junatie metro bridge.
The construction site will be fully implemented as a low-emission site in accordance with the circular economy Green Deal agreement.
Station’s distinctive look to be preserved
The planning of the renovation has been guided by a building history inventory and a concept plan. The aim is to reinforce the original architectural appearance of the station’s platform in various ways. For example, the station’s distinctive yellow colour scheme will be reinforced and extended from the platform to the walls of the metro tunnel.
The results of a passenger survey and stakeholder interviews were used to develop the concept plan.
Public transport connections in the Sörnäinen area
Buses and trams serve Sörnäinen when the metro station is out of service. Buses run to Helsinki Railway Square frequently, and trams offer a variety of connections to different parts of the city centre. It is possible to travel towards Herttoniemi and Itäkeskus from the Junatie stop with frequent bus services 59, 500 and 510. Furthermore, bus 99, which replaces the metro between Hakaniemi and Herttoniemi, will run along Sörnäisten rantatie and stop at Suvilahti.
Metro stations and several bridges to be renovated during metro shutdown
Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd will also use the disruption to metro traffic caused by the replacement of the Junatie metro bridge to renovate other metro infrastructure. In addition to the works at Sörnäinen metro station, the Kulosaari metro station will be renovated and the Kulosaari metro bridge, the Kulosaari pedestrian tunnel, the northern metro bridge at Kulosaari station and the Tupasaarentie metro bridge will be repaired and the Naurissalmi metro bridge will be renewed during the metro shutdown.
Read more about the metro service disruption on the City Transport’s website
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