Asematunneli

Metro Rautatientori

Useful Information

photography — Asematunneli, Finland. Public Domain.

Location:	Stationsplatsen, 00100 Helsingfors. In the city center of Helsinki south of the railway station. Use (60.1707516, 24.9421239)
Open:	no restrictions. [2025]
Fee:	free. [2025]
Classification:	Underground City Underground Railway Secret Bunker
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:	Tiina Männistö-Funk (2023): The struggle over pedestrians: Defining the problems of walking in the 1960s and 1970s, The Journal of Transport History, 2023, Vol. 44(2), pp. 254–275. DOI (pdf)
Address:	Asematunneli, Tel: +358-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1966–1967	Asematunneli built.
1968	Traffic Policy Association Enemmistöry founded.
1971	study of pedestrian traffic in the inner city of Helsinki published by the City Planning Department.

Description

Asematunneli (Station Tunnel) is actually the general term for all kinds of underground tunnels for pedestrians in stations, typically railway stations or subway stations. The term is sometimes used as a name for the underground station below the main Helsinki railway station which is named Metro Rautatientori (Subway Railway Square). Again just a descriptive term. But inhabitants of Helsnki know exactly what you are talking about if you use one of those two terms. The reason is simple, the underground structure has numerous shops, it is a sort of shopping center, and at the same time it is the connection between public transport and shopping. On one side there is access to Helsinki Central railway station and the Rautatientori metro station. On the other side there are underground connections to the Forum shopping centre, the Stockmann and Sokos department stores, Kamppi Center, Makkarataloon, and the Helsinki City-Center. The shops in the underground are licensed to stay open longer than normal and on national holidays. As a result they are an important location for last minute and emergency shopping.

The first pedestrian tunnel in Helsinki was opened to the public in 1967. During the planning and construction phase, it was called the Kaivokadun jalankulkutunneliksi (Kaivokatu Pedestrian Tunnel), but later its name was established as the Asematunneli (Station Tunnel). It was designed by Viljo Revell and Heikki Castrén. The tunnel was a part of the construction of the subway which introduced modern transport solutions to the centre of Helsinki. One principle was a multi-level design to separate transport modes. The reason why it was necessary to build those structures was the massive increase in vehicles and as a result an explosive increase in traffic accidents. So the main idea was to separate vehicles on the surface from pedestrins underground. But also a lot of retail space was planned for the tunnel. When it was opened it contained two supermarkets, two banks, two flower shops, two cafés, two gold and watch shops, a shoe store, a textile and household goods store, a photography supplies store, and several kiosks. By creating this underground shopping mall, pedestrians accepted the tunnel immediately.

But the tunnel had been the subject of negative attention since its opening. It attracted young people and the homeless to spend time in the covered space. As a result there was disorderly behavior, which ranged from drunken brawling and shouting to stabbings and prostitution. In the early 70s up to 20,000 drunks were arrested here per year. The argument for the Asematunneli was increasing pedestrian safety, but the violence and crimes in the tunnel made it unnerving for many. But also the car-centric urban planning faced increasing criticism. This has changed, the modern tunnels work the other way round, below the city center there is a tunnel for delivery, lorries are not allowed in the pedestrian zone. One of the main problems were actually the entrance staircases. It made access for people with prams, with mobility impairments or the elderly quite difficult. This problem was finally solved, or at least minimized, with the introduction of escalators.

But this is only the surface of this location. While it is part of daily life, it is also a civil defence structure, a preparation on war with Russia. The underground structures of Helsinki have two main purposes: indoor space during hard winters and civil defence bunker for the next Russian invasion. Finland has a long history with Russia and does not believe that the Cold War is over. And the Russian border is only 200 km from Helsinki. As a result all underground structures can be transformed into bunkers in a few days. Subterranean Helsinki is probably one of the largest and most comprehensive underground city systems in the world. The Rescue Act is the law on which those structures are based and its goal is to make cities more resilient and less dependent on external supply chains. So transport, water, sewage, energy, and even underground food growth are included.

As we explained this tunnel covers the whole square in front of the railway station, and it has numerous entrances on all sides. So we cannot give the location of the entrance, because there are so many. We chose to give the location of the entrance which is depicted on the first picture, which has become some sort of meme. It is located at the southeastern corner of the train station.