In 2016, a year after the memorandum of understanding between Finland and Estonia, the authorities announced the name of the consortium that will elaborate the feasibility study for the railway tunnel linking Tallinn to Helsinki.
The economic integration of the two countries and the regional integration of Helsinki and Tallinn are the specifics that represent the foundation of the cities’ ambition of becoming main economic centres in Northern Europe. Through the MoU, the two parties agreed to promote the elimination of agglomeration on the transport network between Helsinki and Tallinn on the North-Sea connection in TEN-T, the synchronisation of digital transport services between the two capitals, the support of the feasibility study for the Finnish – Estonian Transport Fixed Link railway tunnel.
While presenting the project, Kari Ruohonen, Project Director FinEst Link, said that two direct routes will be first investigated (route A and route B), alternatives that include a bridge between Naissaar (an island north-west of Tallinn) and Tallinn (as part of route B), as well as the construction of a much deeper tunnel in Helsinki (underneath the existing tunnels).
The project includes the construction of a 90-km rail tunnel that will reduce the travel time to less than 30 minutes and will contribute to the optimisation of freight logistics in the whole region. According to the prefeasibility study (of 2015), the development of the railway tunnel is economically feasible, the cost of the project being rated between EUR 9 and 13 billion. If the project receives a public financing of 40% of total costs, then it is economically motivated. After the launch of the project, financial negotiations and project planning, construction works could be initiated in 2025 and operations could start in 2030.
In February 2017, the authorities announced that the feasibility study and the impact assessment of the railway project will be elaborated by a consortium including Ramboll Finland, Sito OY, Strafica, Urban Research TA, Pöyry Finland, and Skepast&Puhkim. The consortium will establish whether the construction of the railway tunnel is motivated or not or if transport could be concentrated only on sea traffic and on the development of the ports of Tallinn and Helsinki.
The team of consultants will elaborate the studies of costs, investment recovery time and the possibility of building an underwater railway tunnel.
A feasibility evaluation and analysis will be elaborated in both scenarios. The impact of the rail connection on Estonia and Finland’s economies will be assessed, as well as that on Europe, the demographic, social and regional evolution, as well as economic predictions in both countries. Also, a traditional feasibility study on freight and passenger transport volumes will be carried out. Moreover, the study will also focus on the existing traffic and maritime transport connections between the ports of Tallinn and Helsinki.
The investigation on the technical concept and the economic evaluation will be led by a consortium including Sweco, WSP, Hendrikson & Ko, and Amberg Engineering from Switzerland which has also participated in the design of works for Gotthard and Brenner rail tunnels.
by Pamela Luica
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