According to the new report, Eastern Finland’s train connections would be improved by increasing speeds on current sections of track and extending the Lahti straight line to Mikkeli.
The new Savo straight line would improve both long-distance transport connections in the Lahti region and the accessibility of Savo and Kainuu, states a recent report. The report made by Proxion Plan oy has been ordered by the city of Lahti, the Päijät-Hämee association and the city of Heinola. The people of Päijäthämä are proposing the speeding up of already existing track sections and the construction of the Savo straight line as an alternative to the Itära line.
In the background are the large rail projects planned by the Marin government, which would direct the Itärata line from the Lentorada to Porvoo and Kouvola to the Karelia line. Lahti would be left out of the adjustment.
In the report made by Proxion Plan, the improvement of rail transport in Eastern Finland is looked at from three different perspectives: development of current lines and increasing speeds, construction of the Savo straight line, and construction of the Itära line.
According to the report, the journey from Mikkeli to Helsinki would take just under an hour and a half on the new Savo straight track. Now the route goes through Kouvola and takes 2.5 hours. According to Itärata Oy’s calculations, Itärata would reduce the journey time of the Mikkeli–Helsinki route to about two hours.
You could get to Kuopio from Helsinki with both rail options in about three hours. The report states that it is possible to increase the speed of existing track sections to up to 300 kilometers per hour with relatively small measures.
The cost estimate is half of the budget of the eastern railway
According to the report, the new Savo straight line would be cheaper than the Itära line. Itärata requires the construction of a runway from Pasila to Kerava via the airport. The combined cost estimate of the project is 4.4 billion euros. The cost estimate does not take into account the improvement measures needed for the Savo and Karelia railways. The combined cost estimate of the speed increase of the Lahti straight line and the Karelia line, as well as the construction of the Savo straight line, would be half as cheap, i.e. 1.8 billion euros.
The Päijät-Häme association and the cities of Lahti and Heinola will present the results of the new survey in more detail at a seminar for decision-makers during the fall.