Lentorata (Airport Line) is a planned railway line in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

, designed to link

Helsinki Airport Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (, ) , or simply Helsinki Airport, is the main international airport serving Helsinki, the capital of Finland, as well as its surrounding Helsinki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the Uusimaa region in Finland. ...

to the Finnish long-distance railway network and to complement the current airport connection via the

Ring Rail Line The Ring Rail Line (, ; formerly ''Marjarata'') is a railway route in the area of the city of Vantaa, in the Greater Helsinki Metropolitan Area of Finland. It connects Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and the adjacent Aviapolis business and retail distri ...

. Construction of the line is not expected to start until 2030, with the line operational several years later.

History

Lentorata has been included in the

Finnish Transport Agency The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (, ), shortened to FTIA, is a Finnish government agency responsible for the maintenance of Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders ...

's plans since 2010. Following the opening of the

in 2015, Helsinki Airport gained its first railway connection through the

Helsinki commuter rail Helsinki commuter rail (, ) is a commuter rail system serving the Helsinki metropolitan area. The system is managed by the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) and operations are contracted out to VR Group, VR at least until 2031. The sys ...

network. Long-distance trains stop at

Tikkurila railway station Tikkurila station (, ) is located in Tikkurila, the administrative centre of Vantaa in the Helsinki metropolitan area. It is located approximately from Helsinki Central railway station and from Helsinki Airport. The station is considered the ...

where frequent commuter trains take passengers to the airport. However, a need has also been identified for a rail link at the airport for long-distance traffic, with support from

Finavia Finavia Oyj, formerly the Finnish Civil Aviation Administration, is the public limited company responsible for maintaining and developing Finland's airport network. Finavia manages and develops 20 airports around the country, 18 of which pri ...

, the mayors of Helsinki and

Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...

and the chief executive of the state-owned national rail company

VR Group VR-Group Plc (, ), commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 commuter rail services every day. With ...

Route

The line is planned to travel in a long tunnel under built-up areas and to serve the underground

Helsinki Airport station Helsinki Airport station (, ) is a Helsinki commuter rail station located at Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland. Helsinki Airport station is on the Ring Rail Line, located between the stations of Aviapolis railway station, Aviapolis and Leinelä ...

, allowing direct access to the airport terminal from long-distance rail services, as well as to free the rail capacity taken up by long-distance traffic in the current main corridor (the

Helsinki–Riihimäki railway Helsinki–Riihimäki railway is a railway running between the Helsinki Central railway station and the Riihimäki railway station in Finland, and it is part of the Finnish Main Line. It was opened in 1862 as a part of the Finland's first railway ...

) for the increasing local commuter traffic. The tunnel would surface at

Kerava railway station Kerava railway station (, ) is located in the town of Kerava, Finland. It is located approximately from Helsinki Central railway station. Six tracks run through the station, three of which have platforms for passenger traffic. Kerava is a signif ...

, and the line would then continue northward to Tampere as either an upgraded

Riihimäki–Tampere railway Riihimäki–Tampere railway is a railway running between the Riihimäki railway station and the Tampere railway station in Finland, and it is part of the Finnish Main Line. The line between Riihimäki and Hämeenlinna was opened in 1862 as a part ...

or a brand new parallel line; and eastward to

Kouvola Kouvola () is a city in Finland and the administrative capital of Kymenlaakso. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country. The population of Kouvola is approximately . It is the most populous municipality in Finland, and the 17th m ...

using the planned new Itärata railway.

Cost

In 2019, ''Helsinki Times'' reported that, as part of a new rail connection with an expected travel time of one hour from

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

via the airport, the project would cost a total of €5.5 billion.

References

{{Railway lines in Finland Railway lines in Finland Proposed railway lines in Finland 5 ft gauge railways in Finland Railway tunnels in Finland Airport rail links

History

Route

Cost

See also

References