Development phase of the Vaarala depot railway infrastructure in Vantaa

Kreate, GRK, and a group of designers have signed an agreement with Helsinki Region Transport on the design and implementation of the Vaarala depot rail infrastructure for the Vantaa tramway. The alliance-based agreement is divided into a development phase, which began in May 2025, and an implementation phase, which will be launched by a separate decision of the client.

The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Transport Authority has commissioned the Vantaa tram eastern alliance service providers to design and construct the Vaarala depot railway yard and railway infrastructure, as well as to carry out railway engineering, electrical and system work related to the Vantaa tram project. The alliance consists of Helsinki Region Transport, Kreate, GRK Finland, AFRY Finland, Sweco Finland, and WSP Finland.

Cooperation within the eastern alliance has gotten off to a good start and will become even closer as the development phase of the tram depot gets underway: The storage and maintenance of Vantaa’s trams will be concentrated in the Vaarala depot building to be constructed south of the Kehä III and Länsimäentie junction. The agreement now concluded does not include the construction of the tram depot building itself.

The target cost of the rail infrastructure project, which includes the design and implementation of the depot, is approximately EUR 18 million, of which the development project accounts for approximately EUR 2 million. The development project’s share will be divided among all alliance parties, and Kreate will record its share of the development phase in its order book for the second quarter. During the implementation phase, the construction would be divided equally between Kreate and GRK. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Urban Transport Authority will make a separate decision on moving to the implementation phase.

In October 2024, a consortium formed by Kreate and GRK was selected to build the eastern section of the Vantaa tramway between Tikkurila and Länsimäki. The alliance also includes design partners AFRY Finland, Sweco Finland, and WSP Finland, which were selected through a separate competitive tendering process. The eastern section of the Vantaa tramway is still in the development phase.

Illustration: Helsinki Metropolitan Area Urban Transport