{"id":82583,"date":"2024-07-08T20:37:26","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T10:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=54195"},"modified":"2024-07-08T20:37:26","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T10:37:26","slug":"sweden-follows-through-with-major-projects-after-appeal-for-rail-freight-investments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=82583","title":{"rendered":"Sweden follows through with major projects after appeal for rail freight investments"},"content":{"rendered":"

In May, Swedish Railways made a serious appeal for additional investments in rail freight. A quarter of the country\u2019s industry is affected by rail disruptions, and money is necessary to prevent more companies from taking losses. Now, the Swedish government approved two major projects for rail freight: a new line in the southeast and upgrades along another.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The Swedish government has given the green light to two infrastructure projects that are significant for rail freight. It plans to start construction works on both in 2027.<\/p>\n

Firstly, Sweden will expand its network with a new line in the country\u2019s southeast, the so-called Sydostl\u00e4nken. It is a 17-kilometre extension of an already existing line towards the coast in the region of Blekinge. As part of the project, the soon-to-be extended line will also gain overhead lines and thus be electrified.<\/p>\n

Secondly, the line in Bergslagen between Mj\u00f6lby, north of Stockholm, and Storvik in central Sweden will get a capacity upgrade. While also used for passenger trains, it is an important route for freight traffic.<\/p>\n

The southeast link<\/h2>\n

The Sydostl\u00e4nken in southern Sweden runs from \u00c4lmhult to Olofstr\u00f6m, and from there a new track will be built towards the coastal town of Karlshamn. The existing section will be upgraded and electrified. Moreover, it will be enriched with two new freight rail yards.<\/p>\n

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The port of Karlshamn. Image: Shutterstock. \u00a9 Lars-Goran Heden.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Swedish freight operator Green Cargo operates on the existing part of the route and welcomes the new development. Its communication chief, Stephan Ray, explains: \u201cToday Green Cargo operates the non-electrified route between \u00c4lmhult and Olofstr\u00f6m for customers in the automotive industry and we hope that this decision means that the authorities will speed up the process of upgrading that infrastructure as a first phase\u201d, he says. The Swedish transport administration also explicitly cites<\/a> the connectivity of the automotive industry to the Karlshamn port as a benefit of the Sydostl\u00e4nken’s extension.<\/p>\n

Ray explains that there are more benefits to Sweden’s plans. \u201cIt will add a much-welcomed time saving route between \u00c4lmhult and the freight ports in Blekinge\u201d, he says. \u201cIt will also mean a capacity increase in the connecting routes to Blekinge when present freight trains can use Sydostl\u00e4nken instead. Sydostl\u00e4nken will also function as a redundancy option for rerouting traffic in the case of infrastructure failure between H\u00e4ssleholm and \u00c4lmhult.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sydostl\u00e4nken, with the section to be electrified in red and the extension in yellow south of Olofstr\u00f6m. Image: \u00a9 Trafikverket.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Bergslagen upgrade<\/h2>\n

The freight route through Bergslagen will get a capacity upgrade in the form of double tracks. \u201cThe double track will increase punctuality, improve traffic safety and enable more trains and sustainable transport both within Sweden and further out into Europe\u201d, the traffic administration comments.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Swedish Railways published a report<\/a> on the effect of disruptions, delays and capacity restrictions on the country\u2019s industry. It concluded that presently a quarter of all industrial companies experience problems due to the rail network\u2019s shortcomings. In the long term, the sector\u2019s competitiveness could take a hit in the absence of investments.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, extra money has the potential to boost Sweden\u2019s economic growth. With proper investments, increased production would be made possible as maintenance and capacity on the network would improve. By 2050, this could add three per cent to Sweden\u2019s GDP, according to Swedish Railways.<\/p>\n

Besides the investments in Blekinge and Bergslagen, Sweden plans to upgrade the economically and militarily vital Iron Ore Line<\/a>. The transport administration also recommended upgrades to rail infrastructure across the \u00d6resund Strait<\/a>. There is currently only one line connecting Denmark and Sweden, and both countries desire redundancy desirable for security reasons.<\/p>\n

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