21.5.2024
Linkki’s summer services launch on 3 June 2024 with big changes
Public transport in Jyväskylä, Laukaa and Muurame was last subject to significant changes 10 years ago, in the summer of 2014, when Linkki local transport was launched as a joint service between the municipalities.
Almost as extensive a reform will take place on 3 June 2024, when the Linkki summer service will be launched. Changes will be made to the route, the area of operation, the charging zones and some ticket prices.
- Linkki's services have remained at the same level for a long time, despite a sharp increase in travel. At times, there is no room in the buses for the increased number of passengers, so there is a clear need to improve the level of service. For the most popular lines, more frequent services have been requested. The route reform aims to meet these needs," says Kari Ström, Service Manager at the City of Jyväskylä, who manages Linkki services.
The reform is one of the measures in the Linkki tulevaisuuteen 2030 development programme, which aims to improve public transport services and increase the popularity of Linkki travel.
Area extension takes shape on 3.6.
At the beginning of the year, the scope of Linkki public transport was extended to seven municipalities. The four municipalities of the region, Hankasalmi, Petäjävesi, Toivakka and Äänekoski, merged at the beginning of 2024 to form the Linkki public transport authority area. Linkki now provides public transport services to a total of around 205 000 inhabitants.
The route reform will enter into force on 3 June
The new timetable will bring more traffic on the most frequented routes, new lines and route changes. At the same time, some old lines will be discontinued. Some of the green buses become Super-Linkki, operating on routes with the best service levels.
However, the whole fleet will not be transformed and revolutionised: most of the lines, numbering and routes will remain unchanged. Still, you should be careful to hit the right Link and get where you need to go. It's important to check your route information in advance, for example in a route guide.
The summer service will always be more limited than the winter service. The service offer will be much more extensive and there will be more routes available when the winter service starts on 8 August 2024.
In Laukaa, the measures for the route reform will not be implemented at this stage, as there are contracts for the operation of this route until 2028.
New lines
- 9, Vaajakoski – Viherlandia – Kuokkala – Keskusta – Nova – Laajavuori - Savulahti
- 9K, Vaajakoski – Viherlandia – Kekkola – Ainola – Keskusta – Nova – Laajavuori – Savulahti
- 45, Vaajakoski/ Panda – Seppälä/Seppä– Palokan terveysasema (in summer only Sat and Sun)
- 46, Viherlandia – Kuokkala – Keljon marketit – Nova (in summer only Sat and Sun)
Changing line numbers
- S1 (former 1), Haapaniemi – Vaajakoski – Keskusta – Nova - Köhniö – Kortemäki
- S2 (former 2), Kaunisharju – Vaajakoski – Keskusta – Vanha keskusairaala - Kyllö - Köhniö - Kortemäki
- S3 (former 18), Kortepohja – Keskusta – Ristikivi
- S4 (former 18K), Kortepohja – Keskusta – Nenäinniemi
- S5 (former 25), Kaakkolampi – Kangaslampi – Keskusta – Laajavuori – Palokka
- S6 (former 27), Lehtoniemi th – Palokka – Keskusta – Nova - Keltinmäki – Mustalampi
Changing routes
- 14 new route Muurame centre - Keljonkangas - Nova - Jyväskylä centre - Kangas - Kangaslampi. No longer operates to Verkkoniemi.
- 20 new route Pupuhuhta - Jyväskylä city centre - Kauramäki. No longer operates to Kuokkala.
- 8 new route Kuokkala - Ainola - Kekkola - Ristonmaa - Keskusta - Viitaniemi. No longer operates to Nenäinniemi.
- 22: The terminus of the line is Vanha keskussairaala for all services. No longer operates to Kuokkala and Kekkola.
Lines to be discontinued
- 4, 19 and 19L: Kuokkala to Nova will be served by lines 9 and 9K
- 12T: Services to the Kankaan area will be provided by lines 14 and 20
New 100-series line numbers for regional services
- 113 (ex 13M) Jyväskylä city centre - Muurame - Niittyaho (Teollisuuskylä) - Korpilahti
- 140 Jyväskylä - Äänekoski - Suolahti
- 141 Äänekoski - Suolahti - Laukaa-Jyväskylä
- 143 (ex 43) Jyväskylä city centre - Halssila - Vaajakoski - Leppälahti - Kelkkamäki - Lievestuore - Niemisjärvi - Hankasalmi as. - Hankasalmi
Ticket zone reform
As a result of the extension of the area, the payment zones for tickets in the region had to be redefined to allow residents to travel with Linkki’s Waltti tickets on public transport in all seven municipalities from 3 June.
From 3 June 2024, the Linkki public transport charging zones will be reduced to three, and the new zones will cover seven municipalities instead of three. The former Linkki A charging zone will remain unchanged, but B and C will be merged into a new B zone. The new C zone will consist of Link's former D zone and the former E zone of the ELY Centre.
The new charging zones are named A, B and C and extend from the centre of Jyväskylä towards the edges of the domain. For the most part, the new zones follow the boundaries of municipalities. The exception is Jyväskylä, where all three charging zones are located:
- Jyväskylä A, B, C
- Laukaa B
- Muurame B
- Äänekoski C
- Hankasalmi C
- Toivakka C
- Petäjävesi C
In some areas the charging zone changes, and this affects ticket prices.
When travelling, the principle is that the ticket must be valid in all zones through which the journey passes. A ticket for one zone is the cheapest, a ticket for three zones the most expensive.
You can check the zones sterting from 3.6. in the route guide.
Season ticket price changes 3.6.
You can travel on the whole of the new Linkki area with a season ticket and a value ticket that can be loaded onto a Waltti travel card. A mobile ticket purchased from the Waltti Mobile and Linkki apps will also be valid for local and regional transport throughout the entire Linkki area.
Season ticket prices (30 days, 90 days, 180 days or one year) will be increased in connection with the zone change, please check the new ticket prices.
30-day season ticket prices from 3.6.2024
- 1 zone: adult €58 (previously €57), youth/student/senior €41 (previously €40), child €30 (previously €29)
- Zone 2: adult €75 (previously €73), young/student/senior €53 (previously €51), child €39 (previously €37)
- Zone 3: adult €95 (before €83), young/student/senior €68 (before €58), child €48 (before €42)
The prices for value and single tickets will remain in line with the price list in force from 1.2.2024. However, a change of zone may change the price of value and single tickets in areas where the charging zone changes.
Nevertheless, in many areas the service offer will be better than last summer. Compared to summer 2023, there will be around 20 more cars on weekday services and 25 % more kilometres travelled.