Trams : Growirg, Cut Backs Then Expansion

Growing

1890 to 1900 : Horse Tram Single Track

1900 to 1908 : Electric Single Track

1908 to 1945

1945 to 1975

1976 to 1998

They arrived in red and grey but there was much protest, so they were repainted in green and yellow!

1998 onwards

Here is the network in the early 1900s.

The network had expanded significantly by the mid 1950s, but still withing the city are of Helsinki. In the early 1970s proposals were mooted for the closure of the system, but forunately this was turned into proposal for expansion in the later 1970s.

Today's network has spread off the core peninsula that constrains Helsinki itself; although the map below is not up to date, such are the dubious joys of Wikipedia!

Tram 4 ...

... starts on an island to the east of the city centre.

For obvious reasons of adjacent wetness, this has developed as Helsinki Port.

Tram 4 has a terminus amongst fairly modern apartment blocks.

Stops are not at all lavish, being tram stops in the utilitarian mode ...

... with just a ticket machine as a sop to modernity.

Nor far from the terminus. Tram 4 is joined by Tram 5 ...

... which gets closer to the big ships. Its terminus is also basic and has a 'round the streets' terminal loop.

Both routes cross the non-navigable narrow channel on a fixed bridge ...

... continuing towards that spectacular Cathedral

There, the service 5 veers right ...

... and our 4 goes straight on.

Yes, this is a real tram, battling for supremacy in streets barely wide enough! This section of road is unserved by Streetview so we assume that it is tram and access only.

Soon our Tram 4 turns right and we are in the thick of the city centre with multiple junctions and trams going everywhere.

Deep joy!

We pass close to, but not at, the central rail station.

This north/south corridor is busy, man!

As Tram 4 leaves the city centre, we fork left and, there is reserved track!

Helsinki bus 200 is an outer suburban route to Espoo which penetrates Zone 3 in the fares system. That's way out, man!

The "reserved track" is only just "reserved" in parts!!

At the end of a fine tree lined avenue ...

... You might think that the tracks would go straight on ...

... but they don't; they wiggle. 

Soon the route become VERY residential ...

... where there is a round the houses turning loop.

And just round the corner is the sea!

You can nip round said corner and enjoy an ice cream (Jäätelö) although the cubicle was closed when Streetview ambled past..

So we have enjoyed a very typical traditional tram route like they always used to be. All Helsinki city routes are similar.

As part of our usual weekend variety blogs we will take a brief look at Tram 4 on line. 

How much? When?

 Next Variety blog : Saturday 21st October 

Is It A Tram OR Light Rail?

Helsinki Line 15 Opens On Saturday

The PR for the launch is impressive!

They call it a Carnival!

Half fare ...

... a day of frolic and fun ...

... with special information points at main stops.

That is what fbb calls a launch!

What is more remarkable is that this line does NOT serve the main areas of the city of Helsinki - it is an orbital route between busy suburbs.,

In the video that follows, your ride will start from Keilaniemi ...

(map, lower left) and orbit the city area remaining in Zone B ...

... until arriving at Itakescus (above map upper right).

From the above maps, you can see that there are connections with Helsinki's Metro at both ends of the "Light Rail" and at Otaniemi. There are also links with suburban rail at three stations en route.

These are at Leppavarra, Huopalahti and Viikin Tiesespuisto.

And what is Raide-Jokeri as in the heading of the above map? fbb cannot tell you because he is parlously ignorant of the Finnish lingo AND Google Translate doesn't translate; well, it offers "track joker".

Before enjoying about 5 min of spectacular speeded up video, we can look at the two termini. Streetview is far from up-to-date, so pictures are not easy to interpret. At Keilaniemi we just have an aerial view ...

... and a picture of the shiny new Metro station.

The video starts quite abruptly at the terminus stop.

At the other terminus we see, again, an aerial view, the tram/light rail stop and the metro.

The metro stop is underground ...

... well hidden beneath a block of flats and the co-op!

Of course there is a substantial bus station!

This is how public transport should be.

Here is the video, obviously recorder before opening and under test - hence the lack of passengers.

Well; is it a tram or a light rail route? Is it really a "new mode of travel"?

fbb reckons it's a tram ; but how different is it from "normal" Helsinki trams?  See tomorrow's blog.

Possibly the view of Helsinkihat is most well known.

Helsinki Cathedral is the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki. The church was originally built from 1830 to 1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. It was also known as St Nicholas's Church until the independence of Finland in 1917. It is a major landmark of the city, and possibly the most famous structure in Finland as a whole when viewed globally.

But not served by Tram/Light Rail 15.

Snippet

It look a bit like, after months (years?) of speculation ...

... Deutsche Bahn is about to sell its Arriva business.

The reports are probably right as the Financial Times agrees ...

... but seems to think that Arriva only has buses in London.

The feeling from the financial gurus is that this may take some time as Arriva needs to be unknitted from Deutsche Bahn and this process may be "complicated".

Therefore yet another UK bus group is in the hands of an Investment Company - i.e. very much NOT in the hands of a transport group of any kind.

Customers and employees should be worried!

 Next Helsinki blog : Thursday 19th October