The Public Transport Committee decided on October 1 at its meeting on upcoming route changes. The changes aim to improve efficiency within the available funding.
Funding planned for public transport will be cut by 4.8 million euros over the next three years. According to the budget proposal, however, public transport expenses would increase by around two million euros annually over the next three years compared to 2025.
Long-term changes in funding, as well as increases in overall cost levels and future transport procurements, make good route planning crucial for maintaining service levels and increasing passenger numbers.
Service levels will be maintained by prioritizing areas with high customer potential, reducing travel time through route changes, and by timing services appropriately. Through timing adjustments, lines traveling along the same route will not run immediately one after the other. Sections of routes that are discontinued will be replaced with connecting services.
When will the changes take effect?
Most of the changes will come into effect when the new transport agreements begin in June 2027.
Main changes to the bus line network
Trunk lines
Although the intervals for trunk lines 1, 2, 3, and 5 are being reduced from 15 minutes to 20 minutes, a new line offering fast connections, 2X, will also be added to the trunk line network. The 2X line runs from Ritaharju, Metsokangas, and Kaakkuri to the city center every 20 minutes.
Line 8
Line 8 will in the future operate in Oulunsalo via Kauppiaantie and, at the northern end, via Toppilansalmi. Alakyläntie and the university will be removed from the route. Weekend service for the line will end.
Lines 9 and 9K
The terminus for line 9 at Heikinharju will be moved to Korvenkylä, and the route will change. In the future, Line 9 will travel via Kiulukangas, Haapalehdontie, and Myllyoja. Additionally, a new Line 9K will start operating between Korvenkylä and Niemenranta with 60-minute intervals.
Line 10
Travel time on line 10 will be reduced thanks to the route change. In the future, the line will go via Parkkisenkangas, and all depatures will end at Ruskonselkä.
Line 11
Both termini of line 11 will change. In the future, the city center terminus will be Elokuvakeskus. On the eastern side, the route will end at Vaskikangas.
Line 18
In the future, line 18 will run through Toppilansalmi via Koskelantie. On weekdays, the frequency will increase from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, and the line will also operate on weekends with a 30-minute interval. The new Line 18K will operate only on weekdays during peak hours, and its route deviates from line 18 in Toppilansaari, where it travels along Pitkänmöljäntie and Satamatie.
Line 19
The new northern terminus of Line 19 will be Teknologiakylä instead of Herukka. In the south, the route is extended from Vaskikangas to Kivikkokangas, replacing the shortening of line 11’s route.
Line 20
The frequency of line 20 will be reduced on weekdays from 20 minutes to 30 minutes and on Saturdays from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. The reduced service will be compensated by lines 18 and 23.
Line 21
During the quietest periods on weekdays, the frequency of line 21 will be reduced from 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
Lines 22, 22A, 25, and 58
The route of line 22 will be extended, continuing from Kaukovainio via Hiironen to Kaakkuri and the Kempele border. The frequency will be increased from every 60 minutes to every 30 minutes. The new line 22A will operate between Jokela and OSAO. Thanks to the route and timetable changes of lines 22 and 22A, lines 58 (Teknologiakylä – Metsokangas) and 25 (Jokela – OSAO) can be discontinued.
Lines 23 and 27
The travel time of line 23 will be reduced, and the route will be changed. In the future, the line will travel via the highway between the Haukipudas and Isko junctions, and in Haukipudas via Haukiväylä. The removed route section at Linnanmaa will be replaced with a transfer connection. In the southern part, the route will continue via Raksila and OYS to Svaaninselkä. Frequency on weekdays will be 30 minutes and 60 minutes on weekends. Thanks to the changes to line 23, the frequency of line 20 can be reduced, and line 27 (Ii–Oulu) can be discontinued.
Line 28
The direct fast connection between Ii and Oulu will continue on line 28. The new line 28K will operate in the future from Alaranta-Haukipudas to OSAO-Oulu, providing a fast connection for Haukipudas OSAO students and reducing the need for additional buses on other lines heading to Asemakylä.
Lines 40 and 41
In the future, line 41 will operate on the north side of the river, and line 40 on the south side. The routes of the lines will change at the Oulu end: Line 40 will continue via Kainuuntie to Oulu city center. Line 41 will go via Erkkola Bridge, OYS, Kontinkangas, and Raksila to Oulu city center.
Line 48
The route of line 48 will change. After Teknologiakylä, the University, and Alakyläntie, the line will travel along Pohjantie to Kontinkangas, Maikkula, Kaakkuri, ending in Oulunsalo.
Lines 50, 15, and 18
The route of line 50, which operates between Kempele and Oulu, will be extended to Nallikari in Oulu. In the future, only line 50 will operate to Nallikari, and line 18 will go to Mäntylä. In the future, line 15 will only operate in the summer as a supplementary line to the existing network.
Line 52
The route of line 52, running between Liminka and Teknologiakylä, will in the future terminate at Kuvernööri in Oulu.
Line 58
The line 58 operating between Teknologiakylä and Metsokangas will be discontinued. Line 22 will partially replace the discontinued connection.
Line 63
Line 63 Niemenranta-Maikkula-center will be discontinued. Line 9K will serve Niemenranta, and the direct connection between Oulunsalo and Kaakkuri will be maintained by line 48.
If Hailuoto joins the OSL area
If Hailuoto joins the OSL area, line number 59 will be discontinued. In that case, line 65 would run the Oulu-Hailuoto route six times on weekdays and four times on weekends.
Impact of the changes
With the start of the new route network, OSL’s annual operating costs are estimated to decrease by approximately half a million. Operating revenues are expected to increase by just over half a million euros as passenger numbers grow by about 400,000 trips per year compared to the current route network.