Sweco’s architects enhance the spaciousness of the Tampere passenger railway yard

Published: Sep 5, 2025

The railway station is Tampere city’s business card and landmark, recognized by travelers across Finland. The renewal of the passenger yard leverages Sweco’s architectural designers’ experience in station construction and infrastructure projects.

Principal and architectural design of Tampere passenger railway yard

Tampere railway station area and the passenger yard is one of Finland’s busiest train exchange points. In addition to passengers, freight trains also share the same tracks. The goal of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is to create modern terminal and platform facilities that serve well into the future. The project began with an ideation and development phase.

“Sweco’s architects were tasked with finding a solution that ensures an aesthetically and lifecycle-high-quality implementation within target cost frames,” says Aki Kopra, the design manager from Kreate, the alliance partner of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency in the project. In addition, Sweco is also responsible for the construction and safety system design of the passenger yard.

“Materials need to be high-quality for a station building subjected to heavy use,” emphasizes Jukka Salonen from Sweco, who serves as the project manager for section C. Authentic materials such as copper and brass are used for wall surfaces. “They create the old station atmosphere even in new parts of the station.”

Focusing on design and project management is a key step for Kopra to implement the infrastructure project in a way that minimizes disruptions for travelers on the tracks and city streets. When the passenger yard is fully completed in 2031, one of the most important junctions of the Finnish railway network will be in excellent condition.

“The Tampere passenger railway yard supports smooth traffic in multiple directions, and at the same time, the rapidly developing and internationalizing city gets an important new business card.”

Local architects for infrastructure projects

Project manager Salonen and principal designer Seppo Sillanpää have to manage the broad and diverse scope at the passenger yard to ensure everything proceeds according to plans and on time. Collaboration with the alliance is tight.

“Regular big room meetings are important opportunities to share information from section C to the alliance and simultaneously gather information on the situation of other sections,” says Salonen. There is plenty to coordinate. Section C alone includes the station tunnel, interior spaces, and platform levels. “Additionally, construction is linked to many projects such as the tramway, Pendolino tunnel, and a new hotel in the station area.”

Sweco’s architects bring expertise in materials and construction history as well as insights into the architectural design of public spaces, station buildings, and infrastructure projects. Kopra also emphasizes the importance of local knowledge.

“Sweco has a good team involved. Many of the architects are local, so they know both the area and the building authorities. This streamlines the process.”

Easier to navigate, praising the history

The terminal built in the 1930s was not designed for the current passenger volumes, which are expected to only grow in the future. Sweco’s architects aim to improve the overall spaciousness and accessibility of the passenger yard.

“We sought clear logistical solutions to ensure people have space to move even during peak times in hallways, platforms, underpasses, and escalators,” Salonen explains. Meanwhile, the renovations are carried out with respect for the station’s aesthetics and building history. “The exterior architecture is comprehensively protected, and inside, features like the staircase with tiled walls are preserved.”

At the platform level, old concrete canopies are recast visually with the same shape. When granite steps are moved aside for escalators, they are reused in the northern stairs of the passenger yard.

Accessibility guides the station’s architectural design

Accessibility is an absolute requirement in the spatial solutions of the station building. According to Kopra, in addition to Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s accessibility goals, the project considers the European Union’s Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI) requirements. “They provide conditions for things like the width of paths and signs.”

Wayfinding signs for elevators and exits are designed considering the visually impaired, and significant effort is put into lighting. The project also improves cycling and walking paths and adds elevators and escalators. Kopra is pleased with the cost-effective, accessible, and impressive entity created in collaboration with Sweco’s architects.

“The layout of commercial spaces and passageways is clear-cut and accessible. Commercial spaces were also able to be combined, increasing their attractiveness and facilitating building system installations.”

Sweco assigned several design responsibilities in the Tampere passenger railway yard project

In addition to architectural design, Sweco has several other design tasks related to the Tampere passenger railway yard.

The Independence Bridge is being replaced with a more spacious one, and a new tram stop will be situated under the bridge. Also, the street bridge on the east side of the yard, the Tulli Bridge, has been redesigned slightly longer. The Tulli Bridge is constructed in 2025. During the construction of the railway bridge sections in 2026-2030, a tram stop is built, which includes a wall between vehicular traffic and the platform area. The work also includes modifications to the Travel Center Tunnel located further south.

Sweco is also responsible for the railway design as well as electrical railway, high voltage, and safety system design for the Tampere Passenger Yard. The area in question includes the entire passenger yard from Sorinsilta to Lapintie’s overpass and Kastin’s overpass in Naistenlahti. A carriage maintenance area is being excavated in Naistenlahti. Structural design has been needed, for example, for electrical railway foundations.

Additionally, Sweco is responsible for the commissioning of safety devices. This includes the sequential safety system designs for the passenger yard’s interlocking devices, the commissioning inspection specification for safety systems, and the sequential safety changes factory and field (FAT, SIT, and SAT) tests according to the railway subsystem commissioning guidelines.