Kreate to build a travel terminal and smoother train connections in Tampere – second phase of the company’s largest project ever added to the order book

Kreate and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency have signed a €192 million implementation agreement for the renovation of the Tampere passenger railway yard. The project will improve the flow of train traffic throughout Finland, renovate demanding bridge structures in the city centre, and build a new travel terminal in connection with the railway station. The agreement includes work already in progress, so Kreate will record over €152 million in its order backlog for the first quarter of the year from the implementation of the second phase of the project.

The renovation of Tampere passenger railway yard, one of Finland’s busiest station areas, continues. On January 21, 2026, Kreate and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency signed an implementation agreement for the Tampere passenger railway yard project. The contract is worth €192 million and includes the approximately €40 million worth of work already underway in the first phase.

The agreement is the largest in the company’s history, and Kreate will record more than €152 million in its order book for the first quarter of the year. Kreate is the sole construction partner in the project, and with this entry, the entire project is now in the order book.

“We are excited to continue building this interesting project, which is significant for Tampere. The project requires versatile technical expertise, precise scheduling, and smooth cooperation, which we have already been able to refine during the development phase and the first construction phase,” says Timo Vikström, CEO of Kreate Group.

Construction of the project began in April 2025. The second construction phase will begin in the spring, and the work will be completed in early 2031.

The railway station area will go through significant changes

Once completed, the project will significantly transform the railway station area, create conditions for the development of Tampere’s city centre, i.e., the Station District, and improve conditions for both trains and passengers.

Over the next few years, the four railway bridges crossing the Itsenäisyydenkatu underpass will be renovated, and a modern and spacious passenger terminal will be built underneath them in connection with the station building. The new terminal will feature over 700 square meters of brand-new commercial space and access to the platform areas. There will also be a tram stop right in front of the entrance to the travel terminal, which will streamline local travel chains.

To improve rail transport capacity, extensive track work will be carried out at the passenger station, a new third island platform will be built, and canopies will be installed on all platforms. A carriage maintenance area will be built in Naistenlahti to provide more space for passenger trains in the railway yard in the future.

“More than six million long-distance train passengers pass through the passenger railway yard each year. The project will improve the station’s capacity to meet current and future needs. At the same time, accessibility will be improved, technology will be updated, and the station will be given a modern and contemporary look,” says Kreate’s design manager Aki Kopra.

Construction in a dense urban environment

The project will be built in a dense urban environment at the intersection of nearly all modes of transport. The coming years promise interesting work phases for Kreate, which will challenge even experienced builders. 

The first phase of construction work, which is proceeding according to schedule, will be completed in 2026, and the Ratapihankatu and Erkkilä bridges, among others, will be opened to traffic. Exceptional work phases requiring precise planning, such as jacking the Erkkilä and Ratapihankatu bridges by more than a meter, are also planned for the second phase of the project.

“The diversity and technical complexity of the project are perfectly matched by Kreate’s expertise. The implementation involves bridge, track, route, and foundation builders, as well as experts in communications, design management, and information modeling. We simulate critical work phases virtually in data models, which allows us to significantly prevent risks in advance,” says Kopra.

The project will continue to be built as an alliance between the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and Kreate Oy. In addition to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the project has been commissioned by the City of Tampere, Fintraffic Raide Oy, and VR-Yhtymä Oyj, under separate agreements. The total budget for the project is €232 million.