Rising Costs Threaten Helsinki Metro Extension

The planned extension of Helsinki's metro system west to Espoo is being jeopardised by rising costs. Construction of the extension is now estimated to reach 800 million euros. The state has promised to pay for one third of the cost, but the near doubling of the price tag could prove too much for the government.

The Espoo City Council gave the go-ahead for the extension of the Metro in September 2006. At that time, the line from Ruoholahti in the west of Helsinki to Matinkylä was expected to cost 430 million euros.

According to Olavi Louko, chairman of the board of the company that is administering the construction of the new metro line says that it is unlikely that it will possible to get all of the features required by safety officials and passengers for less than 800 million.

Safety and comfort features on the trains and at stations are the biggest factors pushing up the costs. The sharp increase has caused a few members of the Espoo City Council to question the feasibility of the whole project.

The approval of the project by the Espoo City Council was made conditional to a one-third contribution to the costs by the state. Now there are suspicions that the government and Parliament might balk at the prospect of granting 300 million euros to a transport project of one city.

Metro-sceptics in Espoo are now reviving options that were put forward before the city decided to go for the metro.

Upgrading the present bus network is seen as one option: establishing a light rail system is seen as another.