Kreate and GRK signed an agreement on the implementation of the first phase of the eastern part of the Vantaa Light Rail – Kreate records €45 million to its order book

On November 26, 2025, the consortium formed by Kreate and GRK Finland signed an agreement with the City of Vantaa on the first implementation phase of the eastern section of the Vantaa light rail. The revised total cost estimate for the Vantaa light rail is approximately €750 million. The estimated cost of building the Eastern Alliance is €280 million, which will be divided equally among the parties in the consortium. Kreate records just over €45 million in its order book from the first phase. Construction of the eastern section of the Vantaa light rail will begin in December.

The implementation agreement for the first phase that has now been signed is a continuation of the development phase of the project that began last autumn. Kreate, GRK, and other alliance partners in the eastern part will also continue to implement the alliance model, which enables seamless cooperation and cost-effective solutions as the project progresses. The implementation of the second phase of the eastern section is expected to commence in spring 2026 under a separate agreement. The contract value for the second phase of the order is estimated to be significantly higher than that of the first contract.

Jonna Tuomiranta from GRK serves as project manager for the Eastern Alliance, and Sami Kari from Kreate serves as assistant project manager. During the development phase, the GREAT Vantaa consortium formed by Kreate and GRK has honed the entire organization to be highly effective. The Eastern Alliance has a wealth of expertise in procurement and construction.

“During the development phase, we have designed the best construction solutions together with our alliance partners. Moving into the implementation phase is an important milestone in our joint work. The Vantaa light rail project reinforces both companies’ long-term expertise in major rail and infrastructure investments. Our team is full of energy and ready to start construction,” says Tuomiranta.

More street areas will be built than normally would be built in Vantaa in 15 years.

The Eastern Alliance is building an approximately 8.5-kilometre tram line from Kuninkaala in Vantaa to the Mellunmäki metro station in Helsinki. In addition to the tram system, the project includes stops, lanes, bike paths, sidewalks, and underground infrastructure such as water supply lines and foundation reinforcement. In addition, new bridges will be built in the eastern part, including over Highway 50 (Kehä III) and Porvoonväylä.

“The construction of the eastern section involves a wide range of construction types, but nothing that is technically insurmountably challenging. The construction schedule is tighter than usual. We have ensured that we stay on schedule by optimizing our construction solutions to the highest degree. We optimize solutions specifically for foundation construction and bridge building that will speed up construction,” Kari says.

Overall, the Vantaa light rail project will involve building more streets and street areas in a few years than would normally be built in Vantaa in 15 years.

“The tram promotes the development of Vantaa as a compact, accessible, and climate-smart city. Moving into the implementation phase is a significant step towards a growing and developing Vantaa,” says project manager Hannu Lehtikankare from the City of Vantaa.

Safety and face-to-face dialogue

The builders of the Eastern Alliance are implementing the project responsibly, respecting the environment, local businesses, residents, and people traveling in the area. Special attention is paid to open and effective communication and to ensuring the safety of both employees and people moving around in the vicinity of the construction site.

Our goal is to implement high-quality infrastructure and minimize disruptions so that everyday life in the area can continue safely despite the construction work. Unfortunately, we cannot build completely silently, but we are actively engaged in dialogue with residents to minimize any inconvenience,” Tuomiranta says.

Construction is taking place in the middle of traffic and flows of people, so special attention has been paid to traffic arrangements during the work and to those moving around in the area.

“On Friday, November 28, we will visit Kuusikon koulu to inform students about upcoming traffic arrangements, and on December 1, the first day of work, we will guide children in safely crossing Kyytitie. We guide them to the pedestrian crossing and show them how the push button light we have installed works,” says Kari.

Kreate aims to respond to requests during construction. For example, at resident meetings, parents had raised concerns about whether their children would make it to school on time while admiring the big machines.

We tackled this by visiting the school in advance to showcase our impressive work machines. This has allowed the children to familiarize themselves with the work machines under supervision, which will hopefully help them take the most direct route to their lessons,” Kari explains.

Construction will begin in December

During the development phase, preparatory work has been carried out in the vicinity of the bridge crossing Porvoonväylä. The actual construction will begin in December at several different sites.

“We are starting construction by relocating gas pipes in the Kuusikko area. Work will begin in Kuninkaala, starting at Heidehof Park and continuing along Kyytitie. In addition, we are starting work in Rajakylä on Länsimäentie, near the Porvoonväylä bridge,” Tuomiranta lists.

The eastern section of the Vantaa light rail is scheduled for completion by the end of 2029. Kreate and GRK have a 50/50 share in the construction of the eastern section, meaning that the contract value for each company is approximately €140 million. In addition to Kreate and GRK, the Eastern Alliance includes design partners AFRY Finland, Sweco Finland, and WSP Finland. Another alliance is responsible for constructing the tram project in the western section between the Helsinki Airport and Tikkurila.