Kelvia light rail

The Kelvia light rail (Finnish: Kelvian raitiovaunu) is a system serving the Kelvia Capital District in Kelvia, Arola. The system first opened with 5 stations in the city center on 6th June 2008 and has since expanded into phases. It is the northernmost light rail system in the world.

The light rail system has 2 lines (Line T1, Line T2) serving 16 stations. Both lines start at the Kelvia Central intermodal hub and branch off near the end of the city center, with Line T1 continuing to the Kelvia Kasala International Airport and Line T2 travelling east to the district of Hurskala.

History
In the 1960s, after Arola gained independence, the government planned a comprehensive metro plan in the city which was to be built in phases in the 1970s and 1980s. However, continued corruption problems in the country and lack of funding meant that the entire project had to be scrapped just before construction started.

In January 1993, the idea of a light rail system in Kelvia came into conception and three years later, the city started a proposition to build an initial 2-line light rail system consisting of 14 stations to be built in the next two decades. The proposition was passed and major planning began immediately.

In September 1998, bidding for the system’s infrastructure began, with construction scheduled to begin in 2001. In late 2004, a controversial rolling stock contract was awarded to Takusa Railway Equipment, even though the company had no prior experience in building light rail vehicles. This caused public outrage and it was ultimately decided to re-award the contract to the second highest bidder:, who would provide modified vehicles for the system.

On 6th June 2008, Kelvia’s first light rail line opened between Central and Kovanen stops, just weeks before the Republic of Arola Golden Jubilee Celebrations were scheduled to be held. The 5-station line helped to relieve congestion on buses in the city, providing links between parts of the city center.

On 24th July 2010, the line was extended by 4 stops to Kekkola, before the penultimate section of the initial system opened on 9th October 2010 to Kelvia Kasala International Airport.

Line T2 opened on 19th February 2018 as the final portion of the initial system, taking the line from the intermodal hub to the eastern part of the city, connecting Television Circle. The line was originally expected to open in 2014, but construction delays at Television Circle pushed back the opening by four years.

Following the success of the initial system, KKL made a second proposition in February 2019 to expand it into a three-line system which includes underground tunnel segments. The proposition was passed in December that year and construction began in March 2020 amidst the. As part of the expansion, Line T2 was extended to Hurskala on 5th July 2023, with 2 new stops.

The KKL is currently studying a potential fourth line to serve the northern and more southern suburbs of Kelvia, which will not pass through the city center unlike the existing three lines.

Rolling stock
The Kelvia light rail system currently has 35 light rail vehicles, 33 are used in service, while 2 spare trains are parked at the Kekkola light rail depot.

Siemens S70
The Siemens S70 vehicles purchased for the Kelvia light rail as part of the initial system were built in 2006–07. The trains are identical to the ones used in North America, however the design of the front ends have been changed to closely resemble the Avanto tram-trains used in Europe.

The order of S70 vehicles was placed after KKL re-awarded the contract to Siemens Mobility due to public outrage from the previous bid. The first S70 train was delivered in October 2007 and the last arrived in Arola in May 2009. As the Okka Line did not open until early 2018, surplus S70 trains intended for the line were kept in storage until late 2017, when they began testing on the line.

Alstom Citadis 305
On June 26, 2021, KKL opened up tenders for the procurement of light rail trains as part of the system expansion. Bidders included and. The bidding process closed on August 28, 2021 and was awarded to Alstom on September 24th.

50 new 305 vehicles were ordered to build up capacity in the planned Line T2 extension and will be the primary rolling stock of the entire Line T3. The first Citadis 305 arrived in Kelvia on April 4, 2023, in time for the opening of the Line T2 extension in July, and will conclude in late 2024. To accommodate the new vehicles, all existing stations served by Line T2 were lengthened, with the exception of Kelvia Central intermodal hub and Kaukolammi - Television Circle.

Fares and ticketing
A typical single journey ticket on the system costs $0.60 per stop, making the Kelvia light rail one of the most affordable transit systems in the world. A concession ticket for minors under 13 years old is also available with a discount of $0.20 for each stop.

KKL’s contactless smart card, Winky is compatible on the Kelvia light rail since its opening, along with its sister mobile app, Winky+.