Helsinki City Council has voted to extend the Crown Bridges light rail line by a further 5 km through the city to Jätkäsaari, at an estimated cost of €48m.

The approved extension runs beyond the currently planned route, which connects the Laajasalo district in the east with Hakaniemi. Tram services on the line are scheduled to start in 2027, using new 45 m long vehicles. Operating the longer trains on the extension will require lengthening of the city's current tram stops to accommodate them.

The project takes its name from the three vehicle-free Crown Bridges, which remain under construction at a cost of €326m. The bridges opened to pedestrians and cyclists in April, ahead of the tram launch. Once tram services begin, they will cut the distance from the city centre to the eastern coastal suburbs from 11 km to 5.5 km — a halving that positions the line as a direct link between Laajasalo and the central Hakaniemi district.

The council's decision commits the city to the €48m capital outlay for the 5 km extension into Jätkäsaari, a rapidly developing western harbour district. The estimate covers construction of the additional route; the operator and vehicle orders for the line build on the fleet plan for 45 m trams already established for the base scheme.

Metro station closure

In a separate development affecting Helsinki's urban rail network, the metro station at the city's main railway station will close for six months from October 2027 as part of a €125m refurbishment. The works include replacing escalators dating from 1982, when the metro first opened.

The timing places the metro closure in the same year as the planned start of Crown Bridges tram services, presenting the city with a period of significant disruption and adjustment across its public transport network in 2027.

The €48m extension cost compares with the €326m being spent on the three bridges themselves. The city has not yet published a construction timetable for the Jätkäsaari extension, and a start date for works on the lengthened tram stops remains to be confirmed.

With council approval secured, the next milestones for the project are the detailed design of the 5 km alignment and confirmation of the stop-lengthening programme, ahead of the 2027 launch of tram services across the Crown Bridges.