AFRY to ensure sufficient capacity for the Tampere–Jyväskylä railway project in Finland

Designing the next phase of the Tampere–Jyväskylä rail line

AFRY plays a key role in the Tampere–Jyväskylä railway project, an initiative by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency to enhance traffic flow, punctuality, and sustainability on one of Finland’s most vital railway routes. Spanning from 2020 to 2026, the project involves a wide range of development and basic improvement measures along the line.

AFRY is responsible for one of the design packages within this ambitious project, and also managed the development phase of its assigned package, which transitioned seamlessly into the implementation stage earlier in the project timeline.

Development phase according to the alliance model

What makes this project exceptional is the development phase adapted from the alliance model, where AFRY and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency formed a joint organization. Established at the start of the development phase in 2022–2023, this organization assumed full responsibility for design and design management through to the implementation phase and project completion. A key benefit of this approach was AFRY’s commitment to securing sufficient personnel for the entire project duration, eliminating the need for the client to tender sub-packages and streamlining overall progress.

Due to the development phase, the transition to implementation was seamless. By fall 2025, three of the four sub-tasks from the development phase are complete, with the final and most demanding task, the construction plan for railway realignment and double track, nearing completion. Updates made during the construction planning phase have further enhanced the sustainability, safety, and user-friendliness of the design solutions.

Design solutions have been developed to be even more sustainable

Sustainability plays a central role in the Tampere–Jyväskylä railway project. AFRY’s innovative design solutions for the railway realignment and double track sub-task aim to achieve BREEAM Infrastructure certification, a globally recognized standard for sustainable infrastructure. This certification underscores our commitment to minimizing environmental impact, promoting social responsibility, and ensuring long-term economic viability, among other key considerations.

While the certification applies to a specific sub-task, sustainability has been a guiding principle across the project’s other areas as well.

The project aims to ensure capacity

The Tampere–Jyväskylä railway section is a critical part of Finland’s main railway network, connecting key cities and supporting both passenger and freight traffic. By introducing a new passing loop, major realignments, and double-tracking, the project will significantly enhance capacity, reduce delays, and support Finland’s growing transportation needs.

The Tampere–Jyväskylä railway section is part of Finland's main railway network, with a track length of 154 km and a rail length of 194 km.

AFRY delivers multidisciplinary design solutions for the project

In the implementation phase, AFRY has brought its extensive multidisciplinary expertise to the project, taking responsibility for project management as well as railway, geotechnical, road and street, bridge, environmental, and tunnel design. Ramboll and Sweco are also involved in the design work. The collaboration is built on strong infrastructure expertise and a proven track record in collaborative projects.