Reference case of a project in the planning stage: Tampere’s urban development and passenger railway yard

The demanding passenger railway yard project at the core of Tampere’s urban development enables further evolution of the Tampere city centre

Tampere's passenger railway yard is located in the core of the Kansi development area in the city centre. In the passenger railway yard project, alteration work is to be conducted on the railway yard itself and on the underpass on Itsenäisyydenkatu, which will enable further development of the nearby area.

The renewal of the passenger railway yard is part of broader development efforts in the Tampere city centre. Several development projects by the City of Tampere and various other operators are either ongoing or being planned near the railway yard. These include the Asemakeskus office building project, P-Hämppi parking facility expansion and the Tampere Kansi and Areena projects. All of these projects partially depend on the renovation of the passenger railway yard, and the requirements of these projects must be identified and accounted for in the decisions made in the Tampere passenger railway yard project. Furthermore, factors arising from the rest of the surrounding urban environment must also be considered.

The project solves unprecedented planning challenges collaboratively and pilots CO2 emission calculations and sustainable actions related to life cycle costs.

“The location at the very core of the city, among all these different projects at very disparate stages of planning, requires a lot from the design of the Tampere passenger railway yard project. The needs of all these simultaneous projects must be taken into account to enable the later construction of the Kansi area without it becoming excessively expensive,” says the project’s manager Mikko Heiskanen from the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA).

Constant dialogue between all parties involved is crucial for success. “Welado's team is committed to actively driving the project forward. They bring specialists together to solve the project's particularly demanding technical challenges. This has allowed the planning to proceed. With Welado's help, we believe we will be able to move on to the implementation stage as soon as funding is secured. We place our trust in Welado and keep moving forward at a brisk pace,” Heiskanen continues.

“In such a significant and challenging project, we are facing unprecedented challenges. We have introduced a lot of new tools, including lean ones, for project management. With these we strive to make both the project and information flow smoother. From the people involved, the project demands problem-solving skills and readiness for change. Open and participatory collaboration with all parties involved, supported by skilful communication, is the key to success. These are the skills that help drive the project forward. We also want to try new things in the project, and we are the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s pilot project for CO2 emission and life cycle cost calculations,” says project manager Kimmo Laatunen from Welado.

Once the Tampere passenger railway yard project is complete, travel chains will be smooth and accessible, and the experience of travel will be elevated to an entirely new level

In the passenger railway yard project, the current underpass on Itsenäisyydenkatu and the old station tunnel will be combined into one travel terminal complete with services and comfortable access. The station tunnel is to be completely rebuilt as a 600 square metre business complex with a diverse offering of premises at the heart of passenger streams. Pathways to the platforms will be renewed with respect to the history of the railway station. In the project, a new intermediate platform will be built on the railway yard, and in addition to the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass, other demanding bridge structures will also be renewed: Erkkilä overpass and the underpasses of Viinikanoja and the Tampereen valtatie highway. Once the work is complete, the various travel chains will be smooth and accessible.

FTIA’s cost estimate for the project currently stands at some 160 million euros, including construction costs. Furthermore, the project has other financiers to the tune of some 50 million euros, including the City of Tampere, VR Group and Fintraffic Raide Oy. The final scope and costs of the project will be agreed upon in financial and implementation agreements. As of yet there is no funding decision for the project.

For more information on the project and its progress, contact Kimmo Laatunen.