HSL : Helsinki Regional Transportation Authority

Helsinki Regional Transportation Authority 

Helsinki Regional Transportation Authority is organisation which operates Helsinki areas public transportation systems. Finnish abbreviation for organisation is HSL, which we are going to use in this article. HSL operates Helsinki's bus-network, trams, meto-network, commuter train services and city bicycles. This article only deals with bus-network. There is going to be idependent articles on the metro system, commuter trains and trams at a later date.

HSL manages the organization and administration, where HKL (Helsinki City Transport) does manage infrastructure and public transport stock (trams, metro-trains). Because the train and bus fleet is the responsibility of third party operators (like VR and Nobina). HSL operates in these municipalities: Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Kerava, Kirkkonummi and Sipoo.

Helsinki bus-network is separated to three different styles of bus-lines. These are blue lines (which are basic lines), orange lines (which are "trunk lines", because these are more fundamental than blue ones) and last there is nearby buses (which only operate in small areas like in specific suburbs). Blue lines are operated in whole Helsinki metropolitan area, nearby buses are operated only in specific areas. Orange lines run only in a few places (main routes etc.). 

Also line-numbers are important aspect of HSL bus-network, because two number lines are Helsinki municipality area lines. Three number lines are lines which operate also in Espoo and Vantaa municipality areas. Nearby buses do not follow this logic that come to those line-numbers. It is possible that there is some letter after the number. Different letters have specific meaning. Main route means here basic line number without any letters.

A - longer than the main route

B - shorter than the main route

T/K - the route deviates or branches

N - night line

Z - faster route

X - metro or tram replacement and temporary

V - congestion line (not exactly same as main route)

These here are Helsinki "trunk lines" (main lines).

20: Eira to Kamppi and Munkkivuori

30: Eira to Kamppi and Munkkivuori, there to Myyrmäki

40: Elielinaukio to Haaga and Kannelmäki

200: Elielinaukio to Espoo city-center

500: Itäkeskus to Pasila and Munkkivuori

510: Herttoniemi to Pasila and Meilahti, there to Tapiola and Westendin station

550: Westendin station to Otaniemi and Leppävaara, there to Huopalahti and Maunula, there to Oulunkylä and Viikki, at last Itäkeskus

560: Rastila to Vuosaari ja Mellunmäki, there to  Kontula and Mali, at last Myyrmäki

570: Mellunmäki to Hakunila and Tikkurila, there to Aviapolis and at last Helsinki-Vantaa airport

 Main third party operators (which owns the buses and sells its s

ervices to the HSL organization) are these:

Nobina, Pohjolan Liikenne, Helsingin bussiliikenne, Taksikuljetus, Savonlinja, Tammelundin Liikenne, Åbergin Linja, Reissu Ruoti, Tilausliikenne Nikkanen and V-S Bussipalvelut. 

All buses are coloured according to HSL brand. There are several bus-models used. Most common ones are Lahti Scala-model buses, and Volvo 8700 LE and 8900 LE bus-models (like in Tampere and Turku). HSL bus-models are still more diverse than in other major finnish cities. For example there is also VDL Cite-buses quite much (which there is only few ones in Tampere for example). 

HSL tries to electrify buses because of the climate change. Nobina drives 706 BYD electric buses. There also is ten Linkker electric buses, which are made in Finland

Volvo 8900 LE-bus on line 72 heading to Tapanila.

Linkker electric bus starting to charge.