I voted yes for the Western Rail Link

The visualisation of Veikkola railway station is by Länsirata Oy.

I voted in favour of Kirkkonummi joining the Western Rail Link.

Kirkkonummi’s decision does not affect whether the line is built or not. That train has already left the station. Kirkkonummi’s decision, however, affects whether Northern Kirkkonummi gets a commuter rail station or not.

When making significant decisions, they must be justified openly, based on knowledge.

Why did I vote for the Western Rail Link?

Kirkkonummi’s share of the Western Rail Link would have totalled 26 million euros, while the cost estimate for the infrastructure to be built in Kirkkonummi included in the project was nearly 30 million euros. The agreement also includes a cost ceiling, beyond which a unanimous decision is required to increase expenditure.

Public transport is the only sustainable way to build a municipality. For many residents it is also the only way to get to work or access services, and bus transport is no substitute for a train. Once the line is complete, there will also be no direct bus connections from Northern Kirkkonummi to Helsinki — they will be converted to feeder services to Nummela and Hista.

I therefore saw no alternative but to support the Western Rail Link. Because I do not want Kirkkonummi to wither. And I do not want us to build our municipality on the assumption that everyone must have their own car.

Below is my speech in the municipal council that decided the matter on 8 December 2025.

My speech to the council on 8 December 2025

Thank you, Chair, tack ordförande.

Honourable colleagues, in this chamber our decisions should be based on the best available information, not on assumptions or beliefs. Especially now, when we face perhaps the most significant decision we will make as Kirkkonummi councillors. A decision that will affect the development of our municipality for decades if not centuries.

The most important piece of information is knowing how today’s decision affects the Western Rail Link. The largest funding municipalities, Espoo and Turku, have already approved the shareholder agreement by clear margins. Kirkkonummi’s share of the line, in turn, is smaller than the estimated cost of the infrastructure to be built in Kirkkonummi. Representatives of the other shareholders have also said that if Kirkkonummi withdraws, Kirkkonummi’s station will be dropped.

In other words, based on the best available information, we are not today deciding whether the Western Rail Link will be built. We are deciding whether Northern Kirkkonummi will have a commuter rail station.

Based on the same best available information, it is clear that Kirkkonummi cannot conclude any separate agreement with Länsirata Oy. Not even if, as proposed by the municipal board, the municipality offers to pay half the cost of the infrastructure to be built. Our options are therefore either to participate in the shareholder agreement or not.

Concerns have been raised regarding the shareholder agreement and cost risk. It is true that all infrastructure projects involve their share of cost risks. In this case, however, the agreement includes an unambiguous ceiling on the state’s financing contribution. Written legal interpretation provided under official accountability by the Ministry of Transport and Communications confirms that the same ceiling effectively applies to the municipalities’ financing shares as well.

In other words, based on the best available information, the risk that Kirkkonummi would be unwillingly required to pay more for the line than the agreement obliges does not exist.

The key question therefore remains whether we want a station in Northern Kirkkonummi or not. If we wish to develop public transport in Northern Kirkkonummi, a railway station is essential. Good public transport supports residents and employment in the area. It brings growth and vitality.

For many, public transport is also the only option. For example, for upper secondary students fulfilling their compulsory education, for the elderly, or for families who cannot afford one or more cars. It is not merely an expense but part of the municipality’s service network, just as roads and car parks are.

Therefore, based on the best available information, in order for Kirkkonummi to continue to be close to people and nature from Porkkala to Nuuksio — nära människan och naturen från Porkala till Noux — I see no alternative but to support the approval of the Western Rail Link shareholder agreement.

The council decided otherwise, and I wrote about the consequences in The West Railway revealed problems in Kirkkonummi’s governance . The broader context of the public transport funding crisis is in Public transport cannot keep getting more expensive . Read more in the Western Rail category .