Ultra-Highspeed Maglev Rail Solution for the
FinEst Link Project between Finland and Estonia
In 2015 the cities of Helsinki and Tallinn as well as the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council completed a preliminary feasibility study for the construction of an 85 km undersea high-speed railway link between the two cities. The project is part of the FinEst Smart Mobility initiative supported, among others, by the Finnish Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
In 2016, representatives of SwissRapide AG presented a proposal to key stakeholders in the project concerning the implementation of the FinEst Link based on the SwissRapide Ultra-Highspeed Maglev Rail systems. The SwissRapide solution has the following advantages over the conventional high-speed railway technology:
- The travel time between the two cities would be 12 minutes compared to 30 minutes as planned in the preliminary feasibility study.
- The total costs of construction would be 40% lower.
- The costs of operation and maintenance of the system would be 80% lower.
- The Ultra-Highspeed Maglev Rail system would provide a unique attraction for visitors to the region.
In detailed discussions with the Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, the Mayor of the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, with the Director General of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications as well as with the Project Director in September 2016, an initial project to connect the main train station in Helsinki with the Vantaa International Airport with an Ultra-Highspeed Maglev Rail link was also proposed. The Maglev Link would provide 10 minute travel times between the main train station and the airport, with trains leaving every 8 minutes in peak hours. The 18.5 km link would be an elevated, single-track design, which could be constructed within four years, if land right-of-way rights can be provided within the given timeframe.
Route options for the FinEst Link between Helsinki and Tallinn according to the preliminary feasibility study.