The Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) revealed that the Raide-Jokeri, commonly referred to as Light Rail Line 15, is set to commence passenger service on Saturday, October 21.
Stretching across 25 kilometers, Line 15 will operate between Itäkeskus in eastern Helsinki and Keilaniemi in Espoo, passing through the city’s northern suburbs.
Previously this October, HSL was forced to postpone a press conference intended to formally announce the new tram line’s inaugural date, following an incident where one of the recently-introduced trams derailed and struck a post designed to hold overhead power lines.
The recently inaugurated route comprises 34 stop points. It creates a communication link between Itäkeskus, Aalto University, and Keilaniemi metro stations and interlinks with Oulunkylä, Huopalahti, and Leppävaara railway stations.
As the Light Rail Line 15 progresses, it is planned to supersede the bus service offered by Line 550. For a certain period, these two services – the bus and light rail line 15 – will coexist, managing overlapping routes until the dismissal of line 550 services by the year’s end.
