The Turku City Council has decided that a tramway will be built in Turku. At its meeting held on Monday, May 18, the City Council approved the construction of a 12-kilometer tramline running from the harbor through the city center and Kupittaa to Varissuo. The decision is conditional on securing state funding during the next MAL negotiations.
The decision passed with a vote of 36-31 after five hours of debate, concluding at 10:57 PM.
"The construction of the tramway is the right decision because it is an investment in Turku’s future. It is a tool for building sustainable growth, a better everyday life, and a more human-centered city. Turku is growing strongly, and the tramway will help guide that growth wisely. Services and jobs emerge where people move and live. At the same time, it will enable different housing options across the city," said Turku Mayor Piia Elo.
The project includes a full-scale street renovation along the entire route. In addition to the tracks, the city will build new bike lanes, sidewalks, green infrastructure, municipal utilities, and ground reinforcements along the 12-kilometer corridor. The tramway will become the transportation backbone of the rapidly developing Kupittaa-Itäharju area.
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"With this decision, Varissuo will become more closely connected to the developing areas of the city center and Kupittaa, while Itäharju will begin flourishing according to plan. A modern public transport system will run through the city center and connect residents to the growing western districts and the harbor," Mayor Piia Elo explained.
Turku’s population is expected to grow by tens of thousands by 2050, while employment growth is also forecast to remain strongly positive. A significant share of this population and job growth is expected to concentrate along the tramway corridor.
How the project will move forward
According to the City Council’s decision, the first phase of the tramway project between 2026 and 2028 will focus on building a public transport corridor through historic Turku. During the following two years, the Cathedral Bridge and the surrounding streets between Hämeenkatu and Eerikinkatu will undergo major renovations, alongside extensive archaeological excavations in the area.
The budget for the first construction phase is €33.3 million, of which €10 million has already been secured through state funding. In addition, the archaeological excavation budget amounts to €15.1 million. These costs are included in the tramway’s total estimated cost of €465.2 million.
Construction of the tramway itself will begin once state funding is confirmed in the next round of MAL negotiations. The tramline is expected to be completed in 2032, with operations starting in autumn 2033 after testing and trial runs. Residents will gradually gain access to the renewed streetscapes as construction progresses.
"The tramway is a massive urban development project. It will comprehensively and cost-effectively improve the city structure and transportation system. It will increase the attractiveness and appeal of the entire city," stated Chief Executive Officer Tuomas Heikkinen.
The City Council also approved moving forward with the tram procurement process, allocating €2.5 million as part of the estimated total procurement cost of €65-75 million. The long-term procurement process will continue alongside the infrastructure works to ensure the trams arrive in Turku on schedule and operations can begin as planned.
A long planning history
The Turku tramway project has a long planning history. The initial political decision to build a tramway was made by the City Council back in December 2009. Since then, three master plans have been completed, with the latest approved by the City Board in October 2023. The alliance agreement was signed in April 2024.
The tramway is also included in Turku’s Mayor’s Program 2025-2029, where all political parties represented in the City Council agreed that any tramway investment would be based on comprehensive and accurate assessments of construction and operational costs and impacts.
"All studies are complete, the costs are known, and the impacts have been assessed. Now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and start building. Trams will run in Turku in 2033," said Mayor Piia Elo.
The tramway will be built by the Turku Tramway Alliance between 2026 and 2033. The alliance includes the City of Turku and Turku Tramway Ltd as clients, Ramboll Finland Oy and Sweco Finland Oy as designers, and GRK Suomi Oy and NRC Group Finland Oy as contractors.
IMAGE: Turku Tramway Alliance