EU co-financing to help further plans for Helsinki City Rail Loop

The European Union will co-finance with €5 million from the TEN-T Programme a series of studies required for the planning of the Helsinki City Rail Loop in Finland. The project, which is part of the “Nordic Triangle railway/road axis” (TEN-T Priority Project 12), precedes a works phase which, once completed, will help improve the punctuality and reliability of passenger train services in the city.

The project, which was selected for funding under the 2011 TEN-T Annual Call, will cover several key studies required for the planning phase of the City Rail Loop. These include geological investigations, mapping and field surveying, planning the location of tracks and stations and the planning of switches, safety devices and signalling connections along the line.

The City Rail Loop is planned as an underground double track railway line running under Helsinki’s city centre, connecting the urban tracks of the main rail line to/from the city with the airport line and coastal rail line. Trains will run in two parallel tunnels and three underground stations are also planned. The line will help improve the overall punctuality and reliability of passenger train traffic in Finland.

The project will be managed by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency and is set to be completed by December 2014.

For more information: http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/ten-t_projects/ten-t_projects_by_country/finland/2011-fi-93125-s.htm or e-mail: [email protected]