Tram poles

Case Tampere tramway

Tehomet supplied almost 700 multipurpose poles to line the route of the Tampere tramway, which opened in August 2021. The first phase of the tramway is 15 kilometres long and lined by two types of pole:

  • Korkkiruuvi poles for effect lighting
  • decorative lattice poles.

Tehomet’s factory in Kangasniemi first produced some prototypes, with full-scale production only being launched after they were approved. The poles are used to support not only the overhead contact lines for the tramway, but also streetlights and Hämeenkatu’s event lighting.

 

Tampereen ratikka

Tampereen ratikka

There’s no need for tramway poles to be just a featureless element of the city’s infrastructure, an inconspicuous means of supporting lights and cables.

The Korkkiruuvi pole has a very complex lattice structure consisting of dozens of laser-cut elements of differing sizes. In order to weld the poles together, Tehomet’s Kangasniemi factory built a custom jig that enabled the massive pieces to be flexibly rotated during the process.

After galvanization, the multipurpose poles used in the Tampere tramway project were given a Plascoat coating at FSP’s paint shop. Tehomet’s neighbour, FSP, is used to dealing with long and heavy items.

The finished poles were transported to the construction site in small batches at a convenient time. The poles were loaded onto KS-Rahti’s vehicles on specially designed racks and delivered directly to the construction site. They were then lifted into place for electrical installations.

Case: Jokeri Light Rail

Raide-Jokeri havainnekuva
Havainnekuva: Raide-Jokeri

Jokeri Light Rail is a 25-kilometre light rail line that will run between Itäkeskus in Helsinki and Keilaniemi in Espoo. Construction work began in 2019, and the line is scheduled to open in June 2024.

Tehomet was chosen to supply the catenary, light and traffic light poles for this large-scale project. About 700 catenary poles will be installed along the route, and these multipurpose poles will provide both support for the overhead lines and lighting for the tramway in a single structure.

Jokeri Light Rail is a large-scale infrastructure project even by national standards, and it aims to promote the use of public transport. Traffic volumes are projected to reach 90,000 journeys per day by 2030.

It is also a large-scale project for Tehomet, and will employ not only Tehomet’s own personnel but also an extensive subcontractor network.

“Tehomet has solid references for implementing projects of this scale, the most recent being a tramway built in Tampere. Tehomet’s high-quality products and customer-oriented approach strongly advocated its selection for this project,”

says Joonas Riikonen from NRC Group Finland, who is in charge of procuring electric poles for the tramway.

Surface treatments create beauty and longevity

Tehomet’s tramway poles are hot-dip galvanized to guarantee a long service life. A hot-dip galvanized surface can also be painted or given a thermoplastic coating to create a look that will brighten up the cityscape and further extend the pole’s service life. Plascoat coatings use the same application method as powder coatings, but produce a thicker and extremely durable film. The surface is also thermoplastic.

Valmont’s powerful network at your disposal

Tehomet’s parent company, Valmont, also has units in Poland and France, and their profound expertise in tramway poles is also at your disposal. Through our network, we can offer extensive expertise and a very diverse range of custom products.

Below you will find some examples of the products made by the Valmont French and Polish units.

 

Read Valmont France and Poland’s tramway pole brochures.

  tramway puola