Turku approves tram network in city’s largest ever investment

Turku’s city council has approved the construction of a tram network in a vote of 36 to 31, reports Yle. The project, estimated to cost around 465 million euros, is the largest single investment in the city’s history.

The decision is conditional on the national government providing 30 percent of the total funding. The city must also wait for any potential legal appeals against the council decision to be resolved before construction can begin. Appeals could be made to the Administrative Court, with further appeals possible to the Supreme Administrative Court.

State funding for the project would be decided as part of the next round of so-called MAL negotiations, in which the Finnish government discusses urban growth projects with major cities. Turku has said it will begin negotiations immediately.

Construction to begin in 2027

Juha Saarikoski, CEO of Turun Raitiotie Oy, the city-owned company established to deliver the project, said the first construction works are scheduled to begin in 2027. Initial activity will include archaeological excavations and the renovation of Tuomiokirkkosilta bridge, where tram infrastructure will be incorporated into the street sections at the same time.

The bridge renovation plan, approved by the council in April, already includes a tram reservation and has received MAL funding, meaning that element can proceed before a broader state funding decision is made.

Saarikoski said a state funding decision for the remaining sections could come during 2028, after which construction would begin near the port of Turku, where the tram depot is planned. The depot is to be located in the Heikkilä district at the end of Kiertotähdentie.

Route and timeline

The tram line will run from Linnakaupunki through the Market Square and Kupittaa to Varissuo, covering approximately 12 kilometres. The Varissuo terminus will be the last section to be completed.

Tram services are estimated to begin in 2033, though Saarikoski noted that trams could be seen on the tracks around a year earlier for test runs and driver training.