Valimo railway station

Valimo railway station (Finnish: Valimon rautatieasema, Swedish: Gjuteriets järnvägsstation) is a station on the Helsinki commuter rail network located in the western part of Helsinki, Finland, between Huopalahti and Pitäjanmäki stations. It is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the northwest/west of Helsinki Central railway station, in the core of the Pitäjänmäki industrial area.

Valimo
Gjuteriet
Helsinki commuter rail station
General information
LocationValimopolku 3, 00380
Pitäjänmäki industrial area, Helsinki
Coordinates60°13′20″N 024°52′34″E
Owned byFinnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
Line(s)Rantarata
PlatformsIsland platform
Tracks2 with platforms
4 in total
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeVmo
Fare zoneB
ClassificationHalt[1]
History
Opened1 December 1949 (1949-12-01) (as Strömberg)
30 May 1976 (1976-05-30) (as Valimo)
Rebuilt2000
Previous namesStrömberg (1 December 1949–30 May 1976)
Passengers
20191,048,435[2]
Services
Preceding station Helsinki commuter rail Helsinki commuter rail Following station
Huopalahti
towards Helsinki
 A Pitäjänmäki
towards Leppävaara
L Pitäjänmäki
towards Kirkkonummi
Location

History
Strömberg halt in 1973

As Strömberg

The first iteration of the station was opened on 1 December 1949 under the name Strömberg. It was built exclusively to serve the workers of the Strömberg factory in the district of Pitäjänmäki; trains would only stop during times corresponding to the opening and closing times of work shifts at the facilities, and the only pathway to the halt was through the private area of the factory yards. As the Huutoniemi halt on the Seinäjoki–Vaasa railway was also called Strömberg at the time, fulfilling a similar purpose in Vaasa, it was first renamed Huutomäki on the day of the opening of the halt in Pitäjänmäki. Coinciding with parts of the rantarata being expanded to double track, Strömberg received another wooden side platform in 1958.[3]

As Valimo

The Strömberg halt was closed on 30 May 1976 and was replaced by the contemporary station of Valimo, some 300 metres (0.19 mi) to the east from the old platforms towards Helsinki. Unlike Strömberg, however, Valimo was intended to serve the entire industrial area in Pitäjänmäki. During the construction of the Leppävaara City Line, an additional pair of tracks from Helsinki to Leppävaara exclusively to be used by trains on the Helsinki commuter rail network, temporary platforms were built in Valimo in 1995. The wholly renovated station was inaugurated on 16 October 2000. By that time, the area served by the station had over 9,000 jobs.

In the early 1990s, an eventually rejected plan proposed that the Valimo and Pitäjänmäki stations should be merged and the platforms moved back to the site of the former Strömberg factories. The plans also included the building of a surrounding shopping mall, akin to the Malmi station.[4]

In 2000, the ABB Group proposed that the Valimo halt be once again renamed Strömberg (Swedish: Strömbergs); the proposal was also backed by the city council of Helsinki. The plan was not accepted by the Railway Administration, however.[3]

Architecture

The Valimo station was designed by architectural firm Arkkitehtitoimisto CJN Oy, and was constructed by Tekra Oy. The underpass is entirely constructed of concrete, with ceramic tiles decorating its walls. The open space connecting the tunnel and the stairwell leading to the platforms is equipped with a skylight. The elevator and its shaft also have walls made of glass, supported by steel frames.[5]

Services
Main article: Helsinki commuter rail § Rantarata (Coastal/Turku Line)

Valimo is served by line A to Leppävaara on the Helsinki commuter rail network. The line makes stops at all stations on its route. Eastbound trains towards Helsinki use track 3 and westbound trains towards Leppävaara use track 4.[6] The station has a HSL ticket vending machine, as well as elevators and 55 centimetres (22 in) high platforms for accessibility.[7][1]

The Valimo bus line terminus is located right to the south of the station, in the north end of the Valimotie street. Bus stops are also present on its east side, on regional road 120 (or Vihdintie). Additionally, there is a city bike terminal right by the north end of the station underpass. The Valimo station, as well as its surrounding bus stops, belong to HSL fare zone B.[7]

References
  1. Railway Network Statement 2022 (PDF). Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. 24 June 2021. ISBN 978-952-317-812-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  2. "Matkustajalaskenta - liikennepaikkojen matkustajamäärät - (summa)". tietopyynto.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  3. Nummelin, Markku (2008). Rantarata (in Finnish). Kustantaja Laaksonen. p. 21. ISBN 978-952-99685-8-9.
  4. Alapeteri, Niina; Liski, Matti; Palmgren, Lilja (2018). Pitäjänmäen aseman ympäristöhistoriallinen selvitys ja kehittämistavoitteet (PDF) (in Finnish). City of Helsinki. p. 30. ISBN 978-952-331-458-0.
  5. Mustonen, Pertti; Rytilä, Pekka (2002). Kaupunkiratakirja 2002: Helsinki - Huopalahti - Leppävaara (in Finnish). Gummerus. ISBN 951-718-876-5.
  6. "Reittikartat: Lähijunaliikenne" (PDF) (in English, Finnish, and Swedish). Helsinki Regional Transport Authority. August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  7. "Asemakartat: Valimo" (PDF) (in English, Finnish, and Swedish). Helsinki Regional Transport Authority. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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