Tampere railway station
Encyclopedia
The Tampere railway station is a functionalist
building in Tampere
, Finland
, designed by Eero Seppälä and Otto Flodin, completed in 1936. The 36-metre clock tower was later added because the Finnish railway bureau required it (its total height from ground level is about 50 metres). The city's main street Hämeenkatu
begins at the railway station, continuing over the Hämeensilta bridge to its western end at the Aleksanteri church. The Itsenäisyydenkatu (originally called Puolimatkankatu) street begins at the Tammela
side of the station, continuing to the Kaleva Church
.
Situated in a central location, the station and its railway yard have served as divisors of the city's districts almost in the same way as Tammerkoski
: Tamperean places are often located by saying which side of the station they are on.
For decades, there has been discussion of a unified travel centre in Tampere: currently, the long-distance bus terminal
is quite far away from the railway station.
There are currently three platforms in the Tampere railway station, two of which have a roof. There are five tracks in total, but there are plans to add a fourth platform, making seven tracks in total.
About 120 trains arrive at and depart from the Tampere railway station every day. Annually, about 1.5 million passengers pass through the station. Most of the traffic is towards Helsinki
. Tampere also has railway connections northwards, and towards the cities of Turku
, Jyväskylä
, and Pori
. Pendolino
trains go from Tampere to Helsinki, Kuopio
via Jyväskylä, and Oulu
via Seinäjoki
.
The Tampere cargo station is located south from the passenger station. It includes one of the busiest railway organisation yards in Finland. The green building on the east side of the tracks, opposite the old passenger station is the old cargo station. A track leads from the cargo station, over the highway
to Helsinki, to the Nekala
district, which previously contained many private tracks servicing stock companies. Nowadays, some of the tracks have been disassembled and some are disused. The starting point of the track is used to store train carriages.
. The old station was built into a 2nd class station according to specific plans contradicting the overall track design. Its designer is thought to have been Knut Nylander.
The station served its task well in its early days, because only a couple of trains arrived in Tampere per day. However, it soon became crowded, and the station had to be expanded several times. At that time, it was decided to build a new station in Tampere, and a design competition was held.
Connections between Tammela and the city centre were greatly improved when a tunnel
was built underneath the station yard, completed at the same time as the new station.
Only very few changes have been made to the Tampere railway station over the years. In contrast, the area around the station has changed. In 1983, a shopping and parking building was built on the south side of the station. In 1989, a 98-metre shopping tunnel, known as Asematunneli (station tunnel) was built throughout the station building, containing about twenty shops. At the same time, the station's ticket office moved to its new premises. A new storage area for luggage was built next to the ticket office in 1994.
The tracks were greatly renewed in the late 1990s, and the loading tracks of the old cargo station were disassembled and the locomotive garage houses were disuses. Many tracks leading to nearby storage buildings were also disassembled. In 2004, the track from the track yard to the Naistenlahti power station was cut from its northern end. The southern end is used to store and organise train carriages.
Functionalism (architecture)
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
building in Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, designed by Eero Seppälä and Otto Flodin, completed in 1936. The 36-metre clock tower was later added because the Finnish railway bureau required it (its total height from ground level is about 50 metres). The city's main street Hämeenkatu
Hämeenkatu
Hämeenkatu is the main street of Tampere, Finland. The beautiful boulevard is roughly a kilometre long, and 28.5 metres wide at its widest point....
begins at the railway station, continuing over the Hämeensilta bridge to its western end at the Aleksanteri church. The Itsenäisyydenkatu (originally called Puolimatkankatu) street begins at the Tammela
Tammela
Tammela is a municipality of Finland. The first mention of a village named Tammela was in documents from 1423.It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Tavastia Proper region. The municipality has a population of and it covers an area of of which is inland water...
side of the station, continuing to the Kaleva Church
Kaleva Church
Kaleva Church is a church located in Kaleva, Tampere, Finland, and designed by Reima and Raili Pietilä. It was built in 1964–1966.- External links :*...
.
Situated in a central location, the station and its railway yard have served as divisors of the city's districts almost in the same way as Tammerkoski
Tammerkoski
Tammerkoski is a channel of rapids in Tampere, Finland. The city of Tampere is located between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. The difference in altitude between these two is 18 metres and the water flows from Näsijärvi to Pyhäjärvi through the Tammerkoski rapids.The banks of the Tammerkoski...
: Tamperean places are often located by saying which side of the station they are on.
For decades, there has been discussion of a unified travel centre in Tampere: currently, the long-distance bus terminal
Bus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
is quite far away from the railway station.
There are currently three platforms in the Tampere railway station, two of which have a roof. There are five tracks in total, but there are plans to add a fourth platform, making seven tracks in total.
About 120 trains arrive at and depart from the Tampere railway station every day. Annually, about 1.5 million passengers pass through the station. Most of the traffic is towards Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. Tampere also has railway connections northwards, and towards the cities of Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä is the capital of Central Finland and the largest city on the Finnish Lakeland, north-east of Tampere and north of Helsinki, on northern coast of lake Päijänne. The city has been continuously one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland since World War II. The city is surrounded...
, and Pori
Pori
Pori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
. Pendolino
Pendolino
Pendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
trains go from Tampere to Helsinki, Kuopio
Kuopio
Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of makes it the ninth biggest city in the country. The city has a total area of , of which is water and half forest...
via Jyväskylä, and Oulu
Oulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
via Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
.
The Tampere cargo station is located south from the passenger station. It includes one of the busiest railway organisation yards in Finland. The green building on the east side of the tracks, opposite the old passenger station is the old cargo station. A track leads from the cargo station, over the highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
to Helsinki, to the Nekala
Nekala
Nekala is a neighbourhood in the city of Tampere, Finland. The area has one of Finland's biggest allotment gardens.-External links:**...
district, which previously contained many private tracks servicing stock companies. Nowadays, some of the tracks have been disassembled and some are disused. The starting point of the track is used to store train carriages.
History
The first, wooden station building, predating the current station, was built in 1876 to service traffic in the recently completed track Turku-Tampere-HämeenlinnaHämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
. The old station was built into a 2nd class station according to specific plans contradicting the overall track design. Its designer is thought to have been Knut Nylander.
The station served its task well in its early days, because only a couple of trains arrived in Tampere per day. However, it soon became crowded, and the station had to be expanded several times. At that time, it was decided to build a new station in Tampere, and a design competition was held.
Connections between Tammela and the city centre were greatly improved when a tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
was built underneath the station yard, completed at the same time as the new station.
Only very few changes have been made to the Tampere railway station over the years. In contrast, the area around the station has changed. In 1983, a shopping and parking building was built on the south side of the station. In 1989, a 98-metre shopping tunnel, known as Asematunneli (station tunnel) was built throughout the station building, containing about twenty shops. At the same time, the station's ticket office moved to its new premises. A new storage area for luggage was built next to the ticket office in 1994.
The tracks were greatly renewed in the late 1990s, and the loading tracks of the old cargo station were disassembled and the locomotive garage houses were disuses. Many tracks leading to nearby storage buildings were also disassembled. In 2004, the track from the track yard to the Naistenlahti power station was cut from its northern end. The southern end is used to store and organise train carriages.