Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2012 | Page 40

Going Automatic

Moving Innovation

The west metro will also run as an automatic metro right from the beginning. The automatic system will make train traffic safer
and faster, with increased frequency. To begin with, the shortest interval between trains
will be 2.5 minutes. Ultimately, the metro
ride from Matinkylä to Ruoholahti will take
16 minutes.
Of course, upon completion the metro will connect the southern parts of Espoo
to the regional rail transport system. It is estimated that over 100,000 passengers will
use the metro daily and that around 60,000
will cross the border between Helsinki and
Espoo every day. According to estimates,
the busiest stations are likely to be Tapiola,
Matinkylä and Lauttasaari.
“We are expecting that the metroline
will add a dynamic element to the communities nearby the metro station and also to areas which are a little further off,” says Olavi
Louko, adding that the new Suurpelto community is only a couple of kilometres away
from the nearest station and could possibly
use electrically charged e-buses in the feeder traffic.

The metroline is also very exciting in the
sense that it will link together the powerful
Tapiola-Otaniemi-Keilaniemi triangle. Each
of these areas has left a permanent mark in
history, and together they form the most potent trio in the country.
According to Louko, the arrival of
the metroline bodes well also for the “innovation university” Aalto which decided to
place its main campus in Otaniemi. Students
have easy access to the metro and are only minutes away from downtown Helsinki.
“The City of Espoo is actively involved in
developing the Aalto University Campus,”
Louko says.
Also, as World Design Capital 2012 is
finally upon us, it is worthwhile to mention
that the design of the metro stations themselves should be something to see, too. One
of the prerequisites for the designers was instant recognition: that you need but to glance
at the station from the train and know immediately where you are.
The platforms will be 90 metres in
length, spacious and unbroken, with tracks
located on both sides. The stations of the

38 Nordicum

west metro will be fitted with platform
screen doors, increasing passenger safety in the platform area. Also the old stations will be equipped with platform screen
doors.

Down
at the Station
The lighting of the stations plays a big role
in the eventual user-experience. Natural
light will be exploited whenever possible
and lighting solutions will aim to promote
accessibility and prevent glare. There will
be no separate ceiling designs; ceilings will
be shotcreted. The master plan calls for all
stations to be accessible and each level easy
to reach.
The over-all guiding vision is “metro
station as a meeting place” and will be realised a little differently in each of the locations. In any case, the metro will be a memorable experience that transcends the basic
need for transportation.

Sami J. Anteroinen