The alliance model enabled the success of the capital region’s newest tramway project, Raide-Jokeri. Kari-Pekka Lumme, Project Manager at NCR Group Finland, says that the success of the project was based on a good working atmosphere, mutual trust and the flexibility provided by the alliance model.
The project came in under budget and under schedule, and the service started ahead of schedule in October 2023. Once the service is established, the Raide-Jokeri will transport passengers every six minutes from east to west, from Itäkeskus in Helsinki to Keilaniemi in Espoo and back. It can carry around 200 passengers at a time. In 2030, the number of passengers on weekdays is expected to be around 90 000.
Everyone benefited from the success, because in the alliance model, everyone bears the responsibility and risks, but also shares in the success. Planning for the long and complex project started back in 2016.
Viivi Sänkiniemi, Communications Manager, emphasises the importance of interaction for success. From the start, the project was open and the communication channels and resources were good. Successful communication was also mentioned in the criteria for the Project of the Year award.
The flexible model was able to smoothly deal with changes along the way. Lumme stresses that an open atmosphere is where innovation and ideas emerge and continuous development takes place. In total, around 8 000 people worked on the project, with a maximum of around 1 000 at any one time.
The parties to the alliance were Helsinki, Espoo and Kaupunkiliikenne Oy as contractors, Ramboll Finland Oy, Sitowise Oy and Sweco as designers and YIT Suomi Oy and NCR Group Finland as contractors. The alliance’s project manager was responsible for the operational management of the project and the client had its own project manager. The entire alliance was managed by the alliance management team.
-In an alliance model, you can have a lot of influence on the content of the work as a whole and the way it is done. The work is genuinely done together and the focus is on the best possible outcome,” says Lumme.
-The leverage is open until the end, and together we will consider where a lighter solution can be found and where more needs to be invested. This had an impact on the project schedule and budget.
The Raide Jokeri took place at a time when sustainability, the environment and green planning were high on the agenda. Sänkiniemi says that measures to improve the environment were strongly taken into account in the project.
-We have a lot of good accountability work, but it is no longer thought of separately as accountability. Safety and traffic management during work are part of our daily routine. In terms of environmental responsibility, I think we set a good example for future projects,” says Sänkiniemi.
The 25-kilometre-long Rail-Joker route runs from Itäkeskus to Keilaniemi. The route has 34 pairs of stops and connects university campuses. The route is expected to have 90 000 daily passengers in 2030.
Read the full story in the latest Projektimaailma magazine
