Seven-month Helsinki metro shutdown threatens fares and ridership

Helsinki’s metro will stop running between Kulosaari and Sörnäinen for seven months in 2027, cutting ticket revenue by an estimated 15 million euros and increasing operating costs by a similar amount, Yle reports.

The disruption will begin after May Day and last until Finland’s Independence Day. It is being caused by the replacement of the Junatie metro bridge between Kalasatama and Sörnäinen. The work will also include repairs to the Sörnäinen and Kulosaari metro stations and other bridges in the area.

The affected section is the busiest part of the metro network, carrying an average of 80,000 journeys a day.

Helsinki Region Transport, known as HSL, plans to replace the metro with buses and trams. Passengers will transfer from metro trains to buses in Herttoniemi or Hakaniemi to travel past the closed section.

HSL warns that the disruption will significantly reduce the level of service and worsen the passenger experience. Journey times will increase and some trips may require additional transfers, according to Teuvo Syrjälä, an HSL project manager.

The Kalasatama metro station will be closed throughout the disruption, as well as for about two months before and after it.

New light rail services on the Kruunusillat routes are expected to help passengers in areas south of Herttoniemi. Cross-city connections north of the metro line will also be supported by light rail route 15. However, buses on Itäväylä are expected to become crowded as metro passengers move onto replacement services.

Some passengers may switch to cars or bicycles, while others may choose services and destinations that can be reached without transfers. A student interviewed by Yle said he was considering cycling if travelling from Puotila to Kallio became too difficult by metro.

At the same time, HSL is preparing next year’s budget with a proposed 3.1 per cent annual increase in ticket prices for the following three years. Raising fares could be difficult to justify while the main public transport link is significantly disrupted for seven months.

HSL also faces uncertainty over how quickly ridership will recover when metro services return to the Kalasatama section towards the end of 2027. Syrjälä acknowledged that some passengers could abandon public transport altogether.

Tiina Rinne, an associate professor at the University of Tampere’s Verne transport research centre, said international studies suggest that most passengers continue using public transport even during major disruptions. Reliable replacement services and guaranteed transfers can significantly reduce the perceived impact of longer journey times, she said.

According to Rinne, residents in eastern Helsinki will be affected most by the shutdown.