YIT Infra and the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency have signed an agreement for the Espoo City Rail excavation contract execution.  

The contract, valued at approximately €13m ($14.21m), will be included in YIT's order book for the first quarter of 2024.  

The preparatory work for the latest contract is anticipated to commence shortly, with the main construction activities scheduled to begin in April 2024.  

Work under the contract is anticipated to reach completion by the end of September 2026. 

Additionally, the agreement encompasses an option for further work, estimated at around €7m.  

The decision to proceed with the optional work will be made by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency by 30 September 2024. 

The scope of the excavation contract includes a variety of tasks such as open-pit excavation, aggregate crushing and transportation, construction of track structural layers, retaining walls, service roads, overhead lines, and their foundations.  

All rock ore produced during the excavation will be processed and used for other contracts related to Espoo City Rail. 

Potential additional work includes the construction and outfitting of a tunnel, as well as the installation of fasteners for electric railway equipment. 

YIT Infra segment EVP Aleksi Laine said: “The contract allows us to use the competence of our Infra segment extensively in both rail and bridge construction as well as ground and rock engineering.  

“For our part, we want to promote the construction of emission-free traffic in cities, and the Espoo City Rail project is a great example of this.” 

The total cost of the Espoo City Rail project amounts to around €350m, which is to be shared among the state, Espoo, and Kauniainen municipalities. 

In January this year, YIT, in partnership with NRC Group Finland, was appointed as the service provider for the construction of Area 2 of the Espoo City Rail.