Helsinki ranks among Europe’s top cities for public transport satisfaction

By admin On Apr 4, 2025

Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) maintained its fourth-place ranking in the international BEST survey for public transport satisfaction in 2024. The survey compares urban transport systems across European cities based on resident feedback.

HSL outperformed other Nordic capitals in most quality categories.

According to the results, 75 percent of respondents were satisfied with public transport in the HSL area, up from 72 percent the previous year. Turku, Geneva and Tampere placed ahead of Helsinki. Turku and Tampere, which joined the survey in 2020, were evaluated only by their core cities, whereas HSL’s figures cover the broader metropolitan region.

Since 2021, HSL’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) has remained the third highest among participating cities, behind Tampere and Turku. Only these three cities and Geneva had a positive NPS score. In all other cities, the indicator remained negative.

“Helsinki residents clearly see value in their local transport. The results speak for themselves. Especially given the scale and diversity of our operating area, this continued recognition is significant,” said Marko Vihervuori, research manager at HSL.

Long-term improvements in comfort, communication and coverage

The survey showed growing satisfaction across multiple long-term indicators. Compared to 2010, satisfaction with vehicle cleanliness increased by 34 percentage points. Passenger comfort, ease of transfers and suitability of public transport for areas outside the city centre also improved.

Information provision received notable praise. Satisfaction with general information services rose by 22 percentage points since 2010, and satisfaction with communication during service disruptions rose by 35 percentage points.

Investments in station signage, timetable displays, and in-vehicle announcements beyond trains and the metro contributed to these results. HSL also improved its mobile application and added notification features.

Although satisfaction with service reliability dropped slightly by three percentage points to 75 percent, satisfaction with other categories remained stable or increased.

From 2010 to 2024, satisfaction with short transfer waiting times increased by 18 percentage points, and satisfaction with ease of transfers rose by 16 points. The suitability of public transport for travel outside the Helsinki city centre saw a 14-point increase.

HSL’s NPS score rose to 13 in 2024, up from 7 the previous year.

Vihervuori emphasised that the figures show consistent progress despite recent disruptions.

“In summer 2024, we saw many route changes. That makes the positive feedback on communication and reliability even more valuable,” he said.

The BEST survey, which collects data across Europe, provides comparative insight into public transport performance. HSL’s continued strong results reflect steady investment and coordination across the Helsinki region.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi