the depot was used for more demanding maintenance. Workers were required year-round to keep the track in shape. In winter, snow was removed from the tracks and in the summertime, the sleepers were changed and workers ensured that the track was sound enough for trains to run on it. The livelihood of the State Railways staff was stable, which encouraged an ever increasing number of professionals in other sectors to move to Haapamäki. The village continued to grow despite the fact that it had no industry to speak of and business was not very profitable. One of the major barriers to developing business was the free tickets that railway workers received and that they used to go to town to do business and shop. A significant step in the development of Haapamäki railway station was the construction of the Haapamäki–Pori line in the beginning of the 1930s. Due to increased traffic, additional tracks were built on the west side of the railway yard. At the same time, the level crossing north of the station was removed and a flyover was built for the road. Thanks to the Pori line, it was possible for trains to head in four different directions from Haapamäki, which was rare in Finland at that point in time. Thus the number of staff grew and more construction was needed. The depot was enlarged and the wood yard expanded. The Finnish State Railway had a four-story brick building built near the station with 24 apartments for railroad workers. At the same time, a large number of single-family houses were built around the station and 40 single-family houses were built in the Kumpulampi section of the village. Thanks to the new line, the station rose in the ranks, which also affected the increases in the wages that staff received. Soon after the Pori line was built, plans were laid to build a line between Haapamäki and Saarijärvi. The Finnish Defence Forces and Members of Parliament from Central Finland stood behind the project because they felt that it was important and it would shorten the trip south of the Haapamäki-Jyväskylä line by 100 km, which would also make it possible to reach Tampere via Haapamäki without having to go through Jyväskylä first. The project was pushed by MP Taavi Vilhula and the proposal was quickly passed in Parliament. The line was marked out in the terrain at the end