Poyry : Pöyry and AINS group are preparing for the next engineering phase of the railway tunnel between Finland and Estonia

Pöyry and AINS Group are preparing for the next engineering phase of the Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel project, in partnership with Finest Bay Area Development Ltd. The project is estimated to employ hundreds of experts by the end of the year.

Illustration of the railway tunnel between Finland and Estonia

Finest Bay Area Development Ltd is planning to build the world's longest railway tunnel between Finland and Estonia. Pöyry and AINS Group have been responsible for the conceptual design of the project. The consortium is now preparing the organisation and process for the next engineering phase of this mega size project.

'This is an incredibly significant project, in which our combined engineering expertise can be widely utilised and showcased. New digital and collaborative tools and methods will be developed open-mindedly throughout the process,' says Mikko Inkala, Head of Pöyry's Infrastructure Business Unit.

The organisation of the engineering team depends on the progress of the project and the permission process. The next engineering phase includes e.g. geological investigations and the conceptual design of the railway tunnel and the stations.

According to the current plans, the tunnel system consists of a 100+ km twin tunnel - the length depending on the chosen route - as well as four stations, depot and two artificial islands.

'We have estimated together that by the end of the year, the project will employ hundreds of engineers, researchers and application developers,' says Timo Saanio, Vice President, AINS Group

Conceptual design of the Finest Bay Area project began in May 2018, simultaneously with the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The EIA program has been delivered to the Finnish authorities in January 2019. EIA process will utilise new ways to collect feedback from the citizens, e.g. through a smartphone app.

Pöyry and AINS Group are highly skilled experts, mastering tunnels, underground spaces and mega scale infrastructure projects.

Pictured from left to right: Mikko Inkala, Pöyry, Timo Saanio, AINS Group, Kari Fagerholm, Pöyry and Jyrki Keinänen, AINS Group

Additional information:

Mikko Inkala, BU President Infrastructure, Pöyry
Tel. [phone]
[e-mail]

Timo Saanio, Vice President, AINS Group
Tel. [phone]
[e-mail]