Helsinki tram network
The Helsinki tram network forms part of the Helsinki public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Helsinki City Transport in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki. The trams are the main means of transport in the city centre. 56.7 million trips were made in 2013. The Helsinki system is one of the oldest electrified tram networks in the world.
Lines
In 2017, approximately of double track was in operation with 11 routes.Additional lines
In addition to the 11 regular lines two special ones exist: the museum line operated by Helsinki City Transport in collaboration with Oy Stadin Ratikat Ab and the Spårakoff pub tram, both of which run during the summer months. These lines do not appear in the route map included with this article.| Designation | From | Via | To | Service hours | Depot |
| - | Market Square | Kruunuhaka, Rautatientori | Market Square | 10:00–17:00 | |
| PUB | Rautatientori | Kallio, Töölö, Market Square | Rautatientori | 14:00–21:00 |
- Approximate week day figures in 24-hour clock. Accurate times at .
- Trams on lines 7, 2 and 3 do not turn around at their shared terminuses, but change their line signs.
- Ferry arrival and departure times only.
- Sundays only.
- Weekdays and Saturdays only.
- Non-numbered museum line.
- Counter-clockwise circular.
- Summer weekends only.
- Summers only.
Technology and infrastructure
The trams are powered with electricity conveyed by overhead wires. Trams have their own traffic lights, distinguished from normal lights in that they are based on symbols of single colour: an upward-pointing arrow signifies "go", a horizontal line "prepare to stop" and the letter S "stop". The traffic lights are synchronised to allow tram and bus traffic to flow relatively smoothly. This system is called HeLMi.
Depots
As of 2010, there are four tram depots/workshops in Helsinki; HKL-maintained depots in Töölö, Vallila and Koskela, and a Bombardier Transportation-maintained workshop at Pasilan konepaja.- The Töölö depot houses trams running on lines 4 and 10, as well as some of those on line 5, approximately one third of the whole rolling stock. The Helsinki tram museum is located next to the Töölö depot. Between 1948 and 1974 the Töölö depot also housed the trolleybuses used on Helsinki's sole trolleybus line.
- The Vallila depot houses repair-, paint- and rebuilding facilities, and administrative functions.
- The Koskela depot is the largest tram depot in Helsinki. It houses approximately two thirds of trams in the city, and contains training facilities. The Koskela depot is linked to the main Helsinki tram network by a long section of double track that is not used by passenger-serving trams.
- The Pasilan konepaja tram workshop was established in mid-2008 by Bombardier transportation as a repair shop for the Helsinki Variotrams, the maintenance of which became Bombardier's responsibility in May 2008. The workshop takes up a part of the former VR Group electric locomotive workshop at Pasilan konepaja. As of August 2008, the workshop does not have a permanent link to the tram network ; instead, portable tracks are used to run the trams to and from the workshop.
Rolling stock
As of February 2015, HKL has up to 124 tram units that can be used in scheduled passenger service. HKL reported that it used 97 trams to operate peak-time scheduled traffic in the spring of 2013. Additionally, there are six trams in reserve and eight in charter use. The MLNRV I and II series, MLRV Variotram, and Valmet NrI series comprise the current backbone of the fleet, but HKL is in the process of receiving 40 new Transtech Artic units.In 2006–12, all Valmet Nr II+ vehicles underwent a major modification process in which a low-floor midsection was added to the tram. The type designation was changed from Nr II+ to MLNRV to reflect the modifications made, and the longer trams were re-introduced in traffic gradually as the modification works were completed. During the process, HKL decided to also rebuild ten of the older Nr I trams in the same way, which brought the total number of MLNRV trams to 52 upon completion in mid-2014.
The fully low-floor Variotram units, acquired in 1998–2003 from Adtranz and built by Transtech Oy in Otanmäki, proved to be unreliable, causing a shortage of operable trams. Starting in 2004, HKL purchased ten DUEWAG series second-hand trams from Mannheim in Germany to cover for the shortage. Eventually arrangements were made with Bombardier to keep a sufficient number of the units in operation. All of the DUEWAG units were either withdrawn or relegated to charter service by the end of 2014. Variotrams were disabled in 2018 because they had problems in Helsinki tram network.
HKL is now in the process of acquiring 40 new low-floor Artic trams from Transtech. They have a double-articulated, eight-axle design, are long and have 74 fixed seats, 14 foldable seats and space for 75 standing passengers. The design has a 100% low floor and conventional, turning bogies designed to run without problems on Helsinki's challenging old-fashioned track network. Two prototype units were delivered in 2013, and each entered passenger service approximately two months after delivery. The first unit of the production series, no. 403, arrived in Helsinki in January 2016 and 18 units in total were delivered in 2016. The order is worth €113 million and it includes an option for a further 90 trams.
To ease the construction of new tram tracks into Jätkäsaari beginning in 2009, HKL considered using bi-directional trams on the new line. However, HKL decided to build the Jätkäsaari extensions with conventional return loops and to use the existing uni-directional rolling stock. Bi-directional rolling stock will be used on the conversion of the orbital trunk bus line 550 into light rail and the Crown Bridges bridge connection to Laajasalo.
The following table lists the current rolling stock. Corresponding articles have further details about the cars in use.
| Tram Type | No. of units | Car # | Built | Acquired | Modified | Seats | Standees | L | W | H | S | C | R |
| MLNRV III Transtech Artic | 24 | 401–440 | 2012– | 2013– | 88 | 125 | 27.6 | 2.4 | 3.8 | × | |||
| MLNRV II | 42 | 71–112 | 1983–87 | 1983–87 | 1996–2006, 2008–12 | 49 | 120 | 26.5 | 2.3 | 3.7 | × | ||
| MLNRV I | 10 | 113–122 | 1973–75 | 1973–75 | 1993–2003, 2005, 2012–14 | 49 | 120 | 26.5 | 2.3 | 3.7 | × | ||
| MLRV Bombardier Variotram | 40 | 201–240 | 1998–2003 | 1998–2003 | 55 | 80 | 24.4 | 2.3 | 3.7 | × | |||
| NRV | 30 | 31–70 | 1973–75 | 1973–75 | 1993–2003, 2005 | 39 | 106 | 20.1 | 2.3 | 3.7 | × | ||
| DUEWAG GT8N | 1 | 166 | 1962, 1964 | 2007–08 | 1991–92 | 55 | 120 | 25.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | × | ||
| DUEWAG GT8 | 1 | 150 | 1967 | 2004 | 1970, 2004 | 64 | 140 | 25.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | × | ||
| HRO A7 | 1 | 135 | 1928 | 1928 | 1988 | 21 | 26 | 10.2 | 2.1 | 3.7 | × | ||
| HRO A4 | 1 | 157 | 1930 | 1930 | 1987 | 21 | 26 | 10.2 | 2.1 | 3.7 | × | ||
| Karia HM IV | 1 | 320 | 1955 | 1955 | 1985 | 29 | 69 | 13.5 | 2.3 | 3.6 | × | ||
| Valmet RM 1 | 2 | 332, 339 | 1955 | 1955 | 1987, 2003–04 | 29 | 69 | 13.5 | 2.3 | 3.6 | × | ||
| Karia HM V | 6 | 9–14, 175 | 1959 | 1959 | 2004–07 | 31 | 57 | 13.5 | 2.3 | 3.6 | × | ||
| HRO A9 | 1 | BS 1 | 1917 | 2007 | 2007 | 28 | 0 | 11.5 | 2.2 | × | |||
| Totals | 140 | 6,270 | 13,020 | 124 | 8 | 6 |
Car length in meters
Car width in meters
Car height in meters with pantograph
Scheduled service
Charter service
Reserve units
Number 339 is owned by Oy Stadin Ratikat Ab.
Number 175 is a restaurant tram and is counted as charter.
A replica of Brändö Spårvägs Ab tram number 1 from 1917.
6,346 seats in scheduled service; 245 seats in charter service; 186 seats in reserve.
13,552 standees in scheduled service; 405 standees in charter service; 342 standees in reserve.
Reference for the tabular data: