Public transport on Independence Day 6 December and Monday 5 December

On Independence Day 6 December, HSL’s transport services will operate a Sunday service. There will be diversions to tram and bus services in Helsinki city center due to students’ torchlight procession and the President’s Independence Day Reception.

On Monday 5 December, a Friday service will operate. In addition, the Metro will run two hours longer than usual and some bus routes that depart from the city center will have additional services. Some bus services to/from Sipoo will not run because the schools in Sipoo have a day off.

Public transport on Independence Day 6 December

A Sunday service will operate. There will be diversions to tram and bus routes in Helsinki city center due to parades and the President’s Independence Day Reception.

Students’ torchlight procession

The procession will start at 5pm from Hietamiemenkatu and proceed along Hietaniemenkatu, Arkadiankatu, Mannerheimintie and Pohjoisesplanadi to the Presidential Palace, from where it will continue along Mariankatu and Aleksanterinkatu to the Senate Square.

The tram 2 will run in both directions along Mannerheimintie 4.50pm-5.30pm. The tram will not serve Runeberginkatu and Kamppi. Delays are expected to other tram routes.

Bus 24:
The 4.45pm and 5.05pm services from Merikatu will run along Pietarinkatu, Kapteeninkatu, Tehtaankatu, Laivurinkatu, Fredrikinkatu, Pohjoinen Rautatienkatu and Mechelininkatu. The bus will not serve Korkeavuorenkatu, Mannerheimintie, Arkadiankatu and Pohjoinen Rautatienkatu.

The 4.45pm and 5.05 services from Seurasaari will run along Mechelininkatu, Hietalahdenranta, Bulevardi and Yrjönkatu. The bus will not serve Hietaniemi, Pohjoinen and Eteläinen Rautatienkatu, Arkadiankatu and Mannerheimintie.

The buses will stop at all bus stops along the diversion route.

Map showing the diversion route of bus 24 

In addition, the procession may cause delays to routes 14, 18, 21V, 37, 39, 41, 42 and 69.

President’s Independence Day Reception

Tram routes 2, 3, 4, 7A and 7B will be diverted from 5.30pm to 9.30pm. Tram 5 will not operate. Buses will replace tram services in Eira and Katajanokka.

Map showing tram routes and the routes of replacement buses

The trams 2 and 3 will run to the terminus of tram 1A on Pursimiehenkatu.

Bus 3X will serve the section of the route not served by the trams. The bus will run from Eteläranta along Laivasillankatu, Tehtaankatu, Laivurinkatu, Fredrikinkatu, Bulevardi, Albertinkatu and Pursimiehenkatu to Viiskulma. The termini will be ‘Viiskulma’ (1174) on Pursimiehenkatu and ‘Eteläranta’ (0433) tram stop. 

The tram 4 will run to Kolmikulma.

Bus 4X will replace the tram between Lasipalatsi and Katajanokka. The bus will leave from the Postitalo bus stop (2038) and run along Postikatu, Kaivokatu, Kaisaniemenkatu, Liisankatu, Pohjoisranta, Kanavakatu, Satamakatu, Kruunuvuorenranta and Linnankatu to Merikasarminkatu.

Tram 5 will be replaced by bus 5X. The bus will run the same route as bus 4X until Kruunuvuorenkatu, from where it will continue to the terminal.

The trams 7A and 7B will run via the Central Railway Station. The trams will not serve Aleksanterinkatu, Snellmaninkatu and Liisankatu.

Other alterations

There will be a number of protest marches on Independence Day that may cause diversions to public transport routes.

On U line 280, the SS services will not operate.

Public transport on Monday 5 December

A Friday service will operate on most routes. In addition, night buses and the additional pre-Christmas services will run, i.e. the Metro will run two hours longer than usual (additional Metro services) and some bus routes that depart from the Helsinki city center will have additional services (additional bus services).

However, some U line buses will operate a normal Monday service.

Bus services to/from Sipoo marked in the timetables with a plus (+) will not run because the schools in Sipoo have a day off. Routes 984, 992, 993 and 994 will not operate at all.

On route 989, the 8.15am(A) service and 3.35pm(V) service from Monninkylä will run, as well as the 7.20am(A) service from Järvenpää, 2.20pm service from Järvenpää vocational schoola and 4.35pm(HJ) service from Järvenpää.

Detailed timetables from the Journey Planner

Detailed timetables are available in the Journey Planner (www.reittiopas.fi). Timetables of U line services are available in the Matkahuolto timetable search (http://matkahuolto.info).