Tram stops and tracks
There are over 300 tram stops in Helsinki. The length of the two-way tram line track is 94 kilometres.
Tram stops
Most of them are raised. In other words, the stop is at almost the same level as the floor of the low-floor trams. The majority of the stops have a shelter. Tram stops are managed by Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd and the stop shelters by JCDecaux.
The party responsible for tram stop maintenance varies depending on the location of the tram stop. Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd is responsible for maintaining stops located in the centre of the road, while stops bordering parks and the City’s real estate are maintained by the City of Helsinki Urban Environment Division. Tram stops located in front of properties are maintained by the property in question.
The safe distance from the edge of the stop has been marked with a white border. It also acts as the high-visibility marking next to a high kerbstone.
Please use the pedestrian crossing when you cross the track or leave the stop.
At the busiest tram stops, Helmi displays (Helsinki public transport signal priority and passenger information system) show the line-specific arrival time of the next two trams in real time.
The displays at tram stops check the location of trams using GPS. If the tram cannot make contact with the satellite for some reason, the display at the stop will show the tram arrival time based on the time in the timetable (with a ~ sign before the minutes). This means that the time shown on the display will not necessarily be correct.
The displays at stops cannot show the arrival times of trams on diverted routes. This is why the displays will sometimes be completely switched off to make sure that they do not give passengers inaccurate information. However, any route diversions will be shown in the information text scrolling across the bottom of the screen.
Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) is in charge of the stop displays’ operation.
For the tram stops, the height, width, length and sideways slope are measured; based on these values, an accessibility index is calculated. The best possible accessibility index is 100. In 2021, the accessibility index was at 74%.
Track
The length of the two-way tram line track is 94 kilometres. There are also tracks for back-up connections and depots.
We maintain the tram tracks and tram stops and carry out some of the renovations on them.
Additionally, we manage the installations and maintenance of the overhead lines and other electrical technology for the tram tracks, maintain the stops we are responsible for, and manufacture the necessary track components, such as junctions, points and curves.
Tram tracks have a lot to cope with. For example, in Mäkelänkatu the trams get to run at full speed in their own lane, while in the narrow streets of the city centre they have to share the space with the rest of the traffic. Helsinki’s track profile with its tight curves and hills is extremely demanding in places.