Helsinki

Basic information

Name of the public transport authority: HSL Helsinki Region Transport

Name of the public transport authority in local language: HSL Helsingin seudun liikenne (Finnish), HRT Helsingforsregionens trafik (Swedish)

Geographical area: HSL consists of 9 municipalities in the Helsinki region: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi, Siuntio, Kerava, Tuusula, Sipoo

Inhabitants in the PTA area: 1.4 million

Responsibilities

Ticketing:

HSL is responsible for the public transport ticket system within its area. Tickets are sold on the HSL app, ticketing machines, and third-party sales points such as kiosks and stores. Tickets can also be uploaded on an HSL card. HSL is responsible for deciding ticket prices and ticketing zones, as well as ticket inspection.

Procurement:

Tram, light rail and the metro are procured by direct award from Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd (Kaupunkiliikenne Oy), whose primary owner is the City of Helsinki.

Ferry services are procured by direct award from Suomenlinnan Liikenne Oy (subsidiary of Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd).

Commuter trains and buses are procured through tender. The trains are operated by VR on a ten-year contract. Buses are procured from several operators, the largest of which are Nobina, Koiviston Auto and Pohjolan Liikenne.

Rolling stock and depot ownership:

Buses, trams, light rail and ferries: the rolling stock is owned by the operator.

Trains: Rolling stock is owned by a rolling stock company jointly owned by the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen.

Public transport planning:

HSL is responsible for planning the routes and timetables of all public transport within its area. The municipalities are responsible for building new transport infrastructure, such as tracks, stations and bus terminals.

Development of mobility policy / Transport system planning:

In addition to organising public transport for its 9 member municipalities, HSL is responsible for planning the transport system for the entire Helsinki region (14 municipalities). The Helsinki Region Transport System Plan is part of the regional plan for land use, housing and transportation. This plan will form the core of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for the Helsinki region.

Marketing of public transport:

HSL is completely responsible for marketing the public transport within its area.

Passenger information:

HSL is responsible for passenger information within its area. This information is available on HSL app, on displays on both stops and stations as well as inside the vehicles, and on third-party apps through an open API (application programming interface).

Some passenger information is taken care of by other parties. For example, the displays inside the metro and at the metro station platforms are the responsibility of the metro operator. Timetable displays on the train stations are the responsibility of Fintraffic, the state-owned traffic management company.

Organisational model

Intermunicipal co-operation

HSL is owned by its nine member municipalities, of which the City of Helsinki is the biggest.

The highest decision-making body of HSL is the General Meeting, where the municipalities’ vote share is determined according to their respective population, with no municipality getting more than 50 per cent.

The General Meeting selects the Executive Board of HSL which is responsible for protecting the interests of the joint local authority, supervises its management and establishes its operating principles. The Executive Board is elected for a municipal electoral period of four years, and the composition of the board depends on the population of the municipality as well as the results of the municipal election.

Public transport contracting

Procured by the PTA: urban buses, regional buses within the PTA, some regional buses stretching outside of the PTA, commuter trains, metro, trams, light rail, ferries, on-demand buses

Not procured by the PTA, but most/all services accept PTA tickets: some regional buses stretching outside of the PTA, regional trains

Not procured by the PTA, most/all services do not accept PTA tickets: some regional buses stretching outside of the PTA, long-distance trains, long-distance buses

There are also two bike-sharing schemes, one procured by Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd and the City of Espoo, and another by the City of Vantaa. HSL is responsible for the marketing and customer interface of the systems.

Current developments

As of 2024:

• The process to implement a new account-based ticketing system is underway. When completed, contactless payments will also be possible.
• Completion of a new light rail link between Central Helsinki and the eastern suburb of Laajasalo approximately by 2027. The link will run along a set of new bridges, the longest of which will be over 2 kilometres long. Only trams, cyclists and pedestrians are allowed on the bridges.
• Other major extensions to the tram network within the next 10 years.