CAF to Modernise Helsinki Metro Signalling with CBTC

CAF has been awarded a contract worth more than EUR 60 million to modernise the entire signalling infrastructure of the Helsinki metro network using its OPTIO Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system. The contract covers trackside signalling, a new control centre, and the retrofit of the existing M300 metro fleet with onboard CBTC equipment.

The project involves Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd, Helsinki City Transport, and Länsimetro Ltd, which together own, manage, and operate the metro system. CAF will also upgrade the 25 M300 trains previously supplied by the company, equipping them with onboard systems required for CBTC operation.

OPTIO will enable automatic train operation at Grade of Automation 2 (GoA2), with unattended automatic return operations (GoA3) at terminal sections of the lines. This represents a step change from conventional fixed-block signalling to continuous, communications-based control, improving operational flexibility and system robustness.




The Helsinki metro spans approximately 43 kilometres, includes 30 stations, and carries more than 78 million passengers annually. In service since 1982, the network connects central Helsinki with the neighbouring city of Espoo via two lines. The signalling modernisation is intended to improve reliability, support higher service frequencies, and accommodate forecast passenger growth.

Implementation will be phased, with commercial operation of the new signalling system planned by the end of the decade. The project also reinforces CAF’s position in automated metro signalling, following a recent automated metro contract in Naples, and forms part of the company’s broader expansion in the Scandinavian rail market.

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