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Helsinki Metro Capacity and Reliability Improvement Programme (METKA)
Venue: 10th Floor, Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, SE1 8NJ
Speakers: Heikki Viika, Bart Thomas
Flyer: Link to talk flyer, available to download as a pdf document.
The Helsinki Metro is undergoing its most significant modernisation since the railway opened more than 40 years ago. Through the Metro Capacity and Reliability Improvement Programme (METKA), ageing train control, communications and operational systems are being renewed to improve reliability, maintain safety and increase network capacity without the need for new infrastructure. The programme aims to deliver a sustainable 25% increase in capacity, enabling more frequent services and supporting the continuing growth of public transport across the Helsinki metropolitan area. In this presentation, Heikki Viika, Programme Director for METKA, will provide an overview of the programme, including the strategic drivers for modernisation, the procurement and delivery approach, key milestones achieved to date, and the challenges associated with renewing critical railway systems while maintaining day-to-day metro operations. The session will also explore how the project is positioning the Helsinki Metro for the next generation of urban mobility. Bart Thomas will then examine the technical aspects of the programme, focusing on onboard system integration and the introduction of modern train control technologies. The presentation will discuss the integration challenges associated with upgrading existing and new rolling stock as well as a novel approach for fitting engineering vehicles.
The talk will provide a unique insight into how a major metro railway is being modernised through the careful integration of new technologies into an existing railway, delivering increased capacity, improved reliability and a more sustainable transport system for the future.
Heikki Viika is Programme Director of the Metro Capacity and Reliability Improvement Programme (METKA) for Helsinki's metro network. He is responsible for leading one of the largest rail modernisation programmes currently underway in Northern Europe, overseeing the renewal of critical train control and communications systems that will increase capacity and improve reliability across the Helsinki metropolitan area. Heikki has more than three decades of international experience in railway systems, transportation technology and major infrastructure delivery. His career has included senior leadership roles across the rail industry, including work on advanced signalling and train control programmes, business leadership within the railway supply sector, and the delivery of complex transport projects across Europe and Asia. His experience spans railway modernisation, programme management, systems engineering and strategic transport development.
Bart Thomas is a Chartered Engineer and a rail systems and integration specialist with extensive experience delivering complex signalling, communications, control and rolling stock integration projects across metro, mainline and urban transit networks. Throughout his career, Bart has worked across all phases of the project lifecycle, from requirements development and systems engineering through to integration, testing, commissioning and operational handover. His experience includes the delivery of major railway modernisation programmes where legacy assets must be integrated with new digital signalling and control technologies while maintaining safe and reliable railway operations.