Helsinki City Transport HKL in Finland is to receive a €60m loan from the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) to purchase 40 new trams manufactured by Finnish company Transtech.
With a maturity of 20 years, the loan will finance the purchase as part of the municipal investment programme that is aimed at improving service quality, as well as productivity of public transportation in Helsinki.
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The 40 new energy-efficient trams to be purchased by HKL will be low-floor Artic model trams and will replace the existing fleet built in the 1970s.
NIB president and CEO Henrik Normann said: “NIB has a long track record of co-financing improvements to public transportation in Helsinki.
“We believe that creating an efficient and comfortable public network for daily commuting helps communities reduce their carbon footprints and brings us closer to a carbon-free economy.”
The new Helsinki trams have been designed in cooperation between the city and Škoda Transportation group’s Transtech.
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By GlobalDataHKL’s new fleet will offer improved comfort and access for wheelchairs and prams, and have a passenger capacity that is 50% more than the older trams.
HKL president and CEO Ville Lehmuskoski said: “Long-term financing is essential for the implementation of competitive public transport projects.
“The loan from NIB secures the acquisition of the Artic trams for Helsinki, which are designed for the challenging Finnish conditions, and are excellent with regards to noise levels and maintenance requirements.”
HKL operates the trams and the metro and is also responsible for the construction and maintenance of track, stations and depots in Helsinki.
