The first part of Tampere’s long-awaited tram network is nearing completion, according to the tram alliance behind the project.
The Alliance has been working on the project for three and a half years.
This first part covers a two-way line running east from Pyynikintori to Hervantajärvi and Tampere University Hospital, as well as the Hatanpää motorway at the intersection of Hämeentie.
“This is a historic moment when the most important work phase of the first part of the Tampere tramway, track work, is now being completed,” said Sari Valjus, Tramway Alliance Project Manager, in a press release released Thursday.
The installation of the railway system in Tampere has been discussed since the 1970s. The first feasibility studies were carried out in 2001. In 2016, Tampere City Council approved plans to build a EUR 330 million system to complete the first phase of the project in 2021.
Last November, Tampere City Council decided to continue the tram on the Hatanpää motorway. This added 700 meters to the proposed tracks.
On Monday, 19 October, the Council will decide on the extension of the second part of the tramway to the suburb of Lentävänniemi.
The Tram Association says it has the technical capacity to start this second phase of construction if the Council gives it the green light.
According to the association, the first track section is less than 26 million euros. Work on the Hatanpää Highway Tramway line is 46 percent and is progressing on schedule.
The test tests of the first part have already started with the official opening for public commuters on August 9, 2021.
Source: The Nordic Page