Tampere Tramway traffic to Santalahti begins on Monday 7 August – more than 23 million journeys have been made during a two-year period
The Tampere Tramway route will expand on Monday 7 August when traffic on tramway section 2A from Pyynikintori to Santalahti begins. Work on the new section was completed on schedule. Section 2 from Pyynikintori via Hiedanranta to Lentävänniemi is being built in two parts. Section 2B will be completed at the end of 2024, and traffic to Lentävänniemi is scheduled to begin on 7 January 2025. Tramway passenger numbers have been continuously increasing, with more than 23 million journeys made during the first two years of operation. The start of traffic to Santalahti is being celebrated today – Sunday 6 August – in Hämeenpuisto from 12 noon to 4 pm.
Construction work on section 2 of Tampere Tramway began in autumn 2020 and traffic on part A from Pyynikintori to Santalahti is starting as planned. Traffic on the first section of Tampere Tramway (Pyynikintori-Hervanta, Tampere University Hospital-Sorin aukio) also began on schedule two years ago on 9 August.
- Tampere is known as a city that turns words into reality and has the ability and courage to take action. This is also the case with the tramway: the project has been implemented smoothly and on time. Tampere residents have embraced the tramway, its popularity continues to grow and it has become an outstanding part of our city’s transport system. The tramway is more than just rails and tram cars: it also reflects the modern Tampere of the future, summarises Kalervo Kummola, Mayor of Tampere.
- We’ve taken another big step on the Tampere Tramway journey: a new district is now accessible by tram. I’m proud of the employees in our tramway family who have once again given their all to ensure that we achieved our shared goal on time. I want to thank residents and actors in the area for their patience during the construction period. A Tampere Region Public Transport (Nysse) survey shows that tramway lines are among the most popular routes in the Nysse region, and I hope that the tramway and the newly completed tramline and related street areas will make everyday life smoother and more pleasant for everyone moving around in the area, says Pekka Sirviö, CEO of Tampere Tramway Ltd.
The tramway has been built to make life easier for residents and people moving around here. It is part of the development and change in Tampere that aims to slow climate change and increase the share of sustainable modes of transport.
- The tramway has been and will continue to be a strong urban development project. The number of people living along the tramway route has already clearly increased. Land use, and residential construction in particular, has clearly been implemented faster than expected on section 1. More than 50% of land use for the 30-year review period estimated in 2016 was already realised during the first 6 years. Construction during recent years has also been very active otherwise. However, the appeal of the tramway route has been exceptionally good, explains Mikko Nurminen, Director of Tampere’s Urban Environment and Infrastructure service unit.
The start of traffic is being celebrated today in Hämeenpuisto
The start of Tampere Tramway’s Santalahti traffic is being celebrated today – Sunday 6 August – in Hämeenpuisto from 12 noon to 4 pm. The Santalahti Tramway celebration will also extend to the area near the Santalahti end stop and to festive tram cars operating during the event. The event is free of charge.
In addition to enjoying a diverse range of performances in Hämeenpuisto and on the festive tram cars, participants can learn more about the activities of the Tampere Tramway family. The event also provides the opportunity to participate in a tramway art workshop or complete a fun Tramway orienteering track. Participants can mint themselves a Tramway coin to commemorate the event.
The Tramway celebration is being held at the same time as the Puistofiesta festival in Hämeenpuisto. More information about the event is available at: https://www.tampereenratikka.fi/ratikkajuhla/
Two kilometres of new tramway, three new stops
The Pyynikintori-Santalahti tramway section being taken into use on Monday 7 August is two kilometres long. It has three stops: Särkänniemi on Sepänkatu and Tikkutehdas and Santalahti on Rantatie.
Construction on the tramway section began in November 2020, immediately after Tampere City Council approved construction of section 2 of Tampere Tramway in October. The Council decided that the tramway would be implemented in phases, with the section from Pyynikintori to Santalahti being completed first. After permit questions related to Näsisaari were resolved, work on the Santalahti-Hiedanranta-Lentävänniemi section started in March 2022.
In addition to building the tramway track and its systems, all street areas associated with the tramway were renewed.
- The Pyynikintori-Santalahti section was completed on schedule and test runs were very successful, so we’re extremely satisfied with the end result. A large amount of municipal engineering work – the water and sewer network, stormwater systems, electrical and heating network and telecommunications cabling – were also renewed in conjunction with construction of the track and street structures. We want to thank the residents and stakeholders for being so cooperative during construction, and we wish everyone very pleasant tramway journeys, says Project Manager Sari Valjus.
The objective cost for the construction phase of the Tramway Alliance’s section 2 implementation plan approved by Tampere City Council was 99.49 million euros. At this time, 64% of project time has been used and 62% of the construction phase has been invoiced. More than 200 people are working on the construction project.
The Tramway Alliance planners and builders have done more than 650,000 hours of work so far during section 2. This means over 400 person-years. The Tramway Alliance signed subcontracting agreements worth over 10,000 euros with more than 200 different companies. In terms of euros, two-thirds of the subcontracting went to companies in the Pirkanmaa region.
The entire section 2 of Tampere Tramway includes 6.7 kilometres of double track, 9 tram stop pairs, 4 electricity supply stations as well as 7 new bridges and 7 support walls. The second part from Santalahti to Lentävänniemi is scheduled for completion at the end of 2024.