Depot projects
The depot projects are a part of the development plan in preparation for the growth of the inner city’s light rail fleet and the needs of new light rail vehicles.
Trams are currently stored and maintained at three depots: Ruskeasuo, Vallila and Töölö. Tram carriages are stored and serviced at the Töölö and Ruskeasuo depots. The Vallila depot also handles larger works, such as crash repairs and renovations. The Roihupelto depot serves the storage and repair needs of tram carriages on light rail line 15.
According to the line plans, the tram traffic in the inner city will have increasing vehicle needs. In addition to this, new vehicles will be acquired for the new light rail lines planned, which the new depots will also serve.
As rail traffic is expanding, a depot development project of historical extent is underway.
The depot strategy prepares for the expansion of rail traffic
The key deficiencies of the depots are the lack of storage space, the outdated and impractical maintenance and repair facilities, and the poor condition of the buildings. The Töölö and Vallila depots are about 100 years old, while the Koskela depot is over 50 years old, for the most part.
The purpose of the depot strategy, devised in 2018 and updated in 2021, is to amend these deficiencies and respond to the expansion of rail traffic.
The Ruskeasuo depot was completed in spring 2024, and service and maintenance activities started there in late 2024.
A sizable renovation project was initiated in the Koskela depot in 2024, as the current facilities, some of which are as old as 80 years and no longer fit for purpose, will be replaced with a new depot. According to the current timetable, the new depot will be opened in 2029.
The current track repair workshop used for building and maintaining the tramways is located in the Koskela depot, which will be renovated, leading to the workshop being moved to Kivikko. The aim is to complete the workshop and start production by 2025.
The Töölö depot will be in operation until the end of the 2030s. This will ensure sufficient depot space for both the Crown Bridges Light Rail and the tramways of West Helsinki at the end of the 2020s.
In addition to this, these reforms allow us to prepare for carriage purchases or changes to tram timetables, for example.
Depot plans under preparation
Koskela depot renewal project
The current facilities, some of which are as old as 80 years and no longer fit for purpose, will be replaced with a new depot. The project will begin in 2024.
More information about Koskela depot project.More information