Some 63.5 million journeys were made on the Helsinki metro network in 2013, one million trips more than in 2012. Tero Anttila, Director of the Helsinki City Transport (HKL) Public Transport Planning Department, says that the expansion of new areas like Kalasatama and Jätkäsaari is partly responsible for the record-making increase in subway passengers. Build-up in Eastern Helsinki has also affected metro use over the long term.
“The metro is not just a public transport system; it also develops urban structure. Construction around the metro stations brings more passengers to the service. Helsinki has purposely developed its urban planning to comply with the principles of sustainable development, and this can be readily seen in the steady growth of metro and commuter train use,” says Anttila.
Praise for late-night and frequent service
Reception for the new line-up of late-night metro runs that began in November 2013 has been very positive.
“The rise in metro passenger demand has been a trend for a long time now. Passenger numbers have grown in the downtown area in particular, where most users of late-night travellers congregate,” says HKL’s Managing Director Matti Lahdenranta.
“The fact that the metro runs so frequently also appeals to many travellers,” adds HKL’s Director of Communications and Marketing Mari Flinck.
User satisfaction among metro users is top-notch. According to international surveys on underground service, customers want a means of public transport that offers service so often that they need never consult a timetable. Providing a service that runs this frequently is possible only when a sufficient number of people live in the same area.
Trams lost passengers
Not all tracks are seeing increased use in Helsinki, however, as trams showed less patronage last year than in the previous year.
“Repair work in the Hakaniemi Market area caused several trams to be diverted to alternative routes, cutting passenger numbers. It is pretty likely that people travelling from Sörnäinen to the city centre via Hakaniemi have shifted from using the trams to the metro,” says Anttila.
The use of trams has become more efficient, however, as more trams with a low floor have been added to the network. The new low-floor trams accommodate many more passengers.
