The metro will start operating to Kivenlahti in Espoo on 3 December, said the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (Helsingin seudun liikenne – HSL) in a press release on Thursday.
The new section of line is seven kilometers long, with five new stations: Finnoo, Kaitaa, Soukka, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti.
Once the new stations are operational, there will be 30 metro stations in total. The metro network in Helsinki and Espoo is now 43 kilometers long.
The metro was extended from Ruoholahti to Matinkylä with eight new stations in 2017, when the first phase of the West Metro was completed. Since then, the works have continued to the west of Matinkylä.
“The timelines and costs of the construction of the metro extension were kept in line with the decisions of the Espoo City Council,” said Olli Isotalo, the Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment, the Chairman of the Board of Länsimetro.
“Even though the metro starts operating, construction continues around the stations. In the existing areas of Kaitaa, Soukka, Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti, development will be concentrated around the stations and services will improve. A completely new residential area will be created in Finnoo”, said Isotalo.
“The metro is now complete. The work of decades is coming to an end, although work to develop the metro will continue. The metro is the most popular mode of public transport: 93 percent of our customers gives the metro a good or very good rating,” said HSL Executive Director Mika Nykänen.
There will be no changes to feeder bus services when the new section of line opens. The metro will run in parallel with the current services for a few months. New bus routes aligned with the new section of metro line will be introduced in early 2023.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
