OPTIO CBTC for Helsinki
posted on 28th Jan 2026 19:52
On 27 January 2026, it was announced that Metropolitan Area Transport, Helsinki City Transport, and Länsimetro, the entities that own, manage and operate the Helsinki metro, confirmed awarding a contract to CAF for the modernisation of the entire signalling infrastructure using the CBTC system developed by CAF, called OPTIO. As part of the contract, CAF will also supply the control centre and upgrade the existing fleet of M300 trains previously supplied by CAF. They will be retrofitted to install the on-board CBTC.
The contract is worth more than 60 million EUR and is a new milestone for CAF, as it reaffirms the company's commitment to the railway signalling segment. At the same time, it establishes a new CAF landmark in the field of automated metro driving, following the significant contract awarded for the Naples Metro at the end of 2025. In Helsinki the OPTIO will enable the metro network to operate in automatic mode (GoA2), with unattended automatic return operations (GoA3) possible at the ends of the lines.
Spanning circa 43 km, the Helsinki metro network connects the Finnish capital with the neighbouring city of Espoo via its two lines. Inaugurated in 1982, the network features 30 stations and serves over 78 million passengers per year. The main goals of the project, with various aspects and functionalities to be gradually implemented, include modernising the system to improve reliability and increasing operational automation. It also opens the possibility to increase the train frequency to meet the higher demand forecast for the coming years.
This contract also demonstrates the trust that a prestigious operator like Metro Helsinki places in CAF, further strengthening the ongoing collaboration between both companies, with CAF having previously supplied 25 metro units.