for the Swedish
Railways
FUTURE PLAN FOR RAILWAYS
In February 2004, the Swedish Government reached a political agreement on road, rail investments and maintenance. A total of SEK 373.3 billion (€40.5 billion) was allo-cated, of which SEK 107.7 billion (€11.7 billion) was allocated for new investments in the railway network. Following this decision, the Govern-ment approved Banverket’s Future Plan for the Railways.
Work on the Future Plan started already in 1998. That year an initial study was made of the objectives, strategies and economic implications both for the road and railway sectors.
The outcome of this study was the Government Bill presented during autumn 2001;Infrastructure for a sus-tainable transport system in the long term.
The Bill set forth the direction for continued planning and the financial framework Banverket should plan for. The Government Bill was passed by Parliament in December 2001.
During spring 2002, Banverket was assigned by the Government to plan for the period 2004-2015.
Banverket started the planning process by examining the present state of Sweden’s railways and a market forecast for passenger and freight traffic. This formed the basis for identifying constraints in the rail system and proposing measures to address these constraints.
The draft version of the Future Plan was completed in January 2003. Following consultations with local authorities, train operators and rail customers suggestions for amend-ments were considered and Banverket presented its proposed
Future Plan for the Railwaysto the Government.
In December 2003, the Government reached a political agreement to bring forward three railway projects, initially by credit financing. The City Line project
through downtown Stockholm as well as the double track extension Göteborg-Trollhättan and Hallsberg-Mjölby can thus be initiated earlier than Banverket had proposed. The investment scope in the Future Plan, as decided by the Government, has thereby been increased from SEK 101.5 billion to SEK 107.7 billion, of which SEK 4.5 billion constitutes state grants for rolling stock in regional traffic.
The Government’s decision con-cerning the Future Plan also includes an allocation of SEK 38 billion for operations and maintenance over the period 2004-2015. An additional SEK 2 billion has been set aside for Banverket’s sector responsibilities.
The Future Plan outlines the projects that Banverket now will implement. The Government and Parliament then annually decide the yearly allocation to the agency each autumn.
The railways have experienced a very favourable development. Over the past years, passenger traf-fic volume has reached new records levels, each year. In six years, passenger traffic has increased by more than 30 percent. The railways continue to increase their share of passenger transporta-tion, benefiting travellers and especially the envi-ronment.
Freight transportation has also developed pos-itively with a high market share by international comparison. Banverket’s efforts to permit heavier, longer and wider freight trains have created opportunities for Swedish industry to benefit from more efficient rail transport.
However, the drawback of these positive developments is insufficient capacity in the rail system. Congestion is an increasing problem on our tracks. In order to maintain high quality, with equally high safety standards, we are unable to offer railway customers the full scope of traffic volume they wish. Continued expansion and modernisation of railways are needed.
It is therefore pleasing that, following govern-mental and parliamentary decisions, we can now present our Future Plan for railway development.
With the recent political agreement, the frame-work for investments has increased to SEK 107.7 billion (€11.7 million). The Future Plan will help us gradually alleviate the capacity and quality problems we currently are facing.
Unfortunately, the allocation does not allow us to operate and maintain lines to the extent we wish. Punctuality can therefore not be improved as much as we hope. The standard of low-fre-quency lines may be somewhat reduced. However, we will not infringe upon safety.
The Swedish Government has clearly indicated its commitment to railways as a means of trans-portation. Banverket has been provided with the resources to carry out the enhancement pro-gramme needed to fulfil the transport policy objectives. We will develop the railway system for better safety, lower environmental impact and positive regional developments.
Bo Bylund Director-General Banverket
FROM DECLINE TO SUCCESS
From the 1950’s, the rail sector experienced a declining market share both for passenger and freight traffic as well as a challenging economic situation. From the end of the 1980’s, the restructuring of the rail sector was initiated, thereby setting the stage for a more favourable development. These reforms, which included a clear division between infrastructure management and train operations, distribution of rail franchis-es, mandatory procurement of publicly-financed traffic and rail fees that stimulate competition, have contributed towards increasing rail traffic. Larger investments have also spurred a positive growth.
Over the past five years, passenger rail traffic has increased by 28 percent. SIKA, the Swedish Institute for Transport and Communications Analysis, has indicated that rail plans for traffic by 2010 were sur-passed already in 2002. With this increase in traffic, rail transportation has gained a larger share of the overall transportation market.
Freight transport is more affected by economic factors and business cycles. Sweden is among the EU countries with the highest share of freight transported by rail. The Swedish figure is 24 percent compared with the EU average of 8 percent.
Increasing traffic has led to high utilisa-tion of infrastructure and rolling stock. This, in turn, has resulted in major
prob-lems with on-time performance. High safe-ty standards have, however, been main-tained.
The railsector has undergone major structural changes. New train operators have entered the market and contributed with new ideas, new rolling stock and traf-fic. Increased competition on the market has reduced prices. Traffic has often been expanded, new trains introduced and serv-ices improved. Increased regional rail traffic has led to positive effects. Rail traffic has provided people with new employment opportunities as well as leisure and housing alternatives in a larger region.
Efficiency has also been enhanced. Compared with the 1950’s, more transport mileage are presently provided by one-fourth of the work force.
Assignment
In March 2002, Banverket was assigned by the Government to prepare a national railway infrastructure plan for the period 2004–2015. Banverket calls it the Future Plan for Railways. The basic planning considerations have been:
• That following a political agreement, the investment allocation was raised by SEK 6.2 billion to SEK 107.7 billion. This amount includes SEK 4.5 billion in Government grants for public transportation on rail-ways, subways and light rail transport.
• For the entire planning period, SEK 38 billion have been designated for opera-tions, maintenance and reinvestments. • A total of SEK 2 billion is to be used for
Banverket’s sectoral responsibilities.
Vision 2030
The Government’s vision for a sustainable transportation system 2030 has formed the basis for Banverket’s work with the Future Plan. The vision outlines the increased use of environmentally-sound and safe modes of transportation. It is expected that more people will make use of public transporta-tion when offered efficient, accessible and economical transport. Efficient freight corri-dors have been established. The transport infrastructure is well maintained and reli-able. A large share of vehicles is powered by renewable sources of energy. A coherent overall view and socio-economic efficiency are decisive considerations. The concern for human life and health, as well as the envi-ronment, is basic.
Transport goals
The Parliament’s transport policy objective to “ensure that citizens and business in all parts of the country are provided with transportation that is efficient in terms of the economy as a whole and sustainable in the long term” also forms the basis for the Future Plan for Railways.
this objective by enabling a larger trans-portation share to be carried out by rail. Six sub-goals outline the long-term objec-tives. Below are a few example of how the railways can contribution towards fulfilling each sub-goal.
An accessible transportation system
To undertake measures to reduce travel time for passengers, provide better access for disabled, develop freight lines and hubs, and improve punctuality.
High transport quality standards
To undertake measures such as developing freight lines, intermodal transportation as well as better capacity and punctuality.
Safe transport
To establish ATP systems, better safety at road-rail level crossings, better electrical safety at depots and more information in schools.
A good environment
Measures include strategies for recycling used material, decontaminating land, reduc-ing noise and vibration.
Favourable regional development
Among the measures in this area are creat-ing regional networks for passenger traffic, reducing travel time, increasing frequency, developing freight routes and hubs,
devel-oping intermodal transportation as well as new and improves tracks connecting to ports and industry.
A transportation system that is managed by and serves the interests of women and men equally
To provide a secure rail station environment and a network for passenger transportation that gives access to expanded labour market regions.
Demand and needs
There are many who – from varying per-spectives – require rail services. Punctuality is always a decisive factor, also for com-muters. The railways must also be accessible for disabled.
Businesses that make use of the rail-ways to transport freight have varying needs. Some require the transportation of a large concentrated load that fills an entire train whereas others only need to use one wagon per order. Rail transportation is commonly one element in a logistics sup-ply chain. Transportation is provided in collaboration with other transportation modes. Efficient interchange and cross-docking are therefore necessary. Short delivery time is not always crucial but rather that commodities can be reliably sent and delivered at stipulated times.
There is a great deal of expectation con-cerning the future expansion of railways.
In work with completing the Future Plan, and in consultations, investment requests total more than SEK 250 billion. Projects with a total value of slightly less than SEK 110 billion can now be addressed. Hence, major investments in the railway must be postponed.
Banverket’s sector responsibilities
Banverket has a sector responsibility for the entire railway sector, including the subways and light rail transport. This responsibility entails assuming a role as a coherent force, to support the sector and to drive its devel-opment. Banverket is also responsible towards the Government and Parliament for ensuring the overall development of railways.
The Future Plan for Railways,which is broadly outlined here, will also involve major changes in Banverket’s operations and the planning of these operations. Banverket has assumed responsibility for planning regional infrastructure invest-ments, which were previously included in regional plans. It also has planning respon-sibility for Government grants for certain regional public transportation systems. The Plan also includes Government grants to rolling stock for regional traffic.
Long-distance passenger traffic
There is a market for high-speed passen-ger trains exceeding 200 km/h. The new high-speed lines that have been evaluat-ed are Stockholm-Göteborg (Götaland Line) and Stockholm-Malmö/Copen-hagen (Europe Line). Both these high-speed railways are jointly called the European Corridor. The conclusions drawn from Banverket’s studies are that the Götaland Line was considered as a socio-economically sound investment. The effects, however, for the Europe Line are highly uncertain and the line is therefore at present not considered of interest.
By 2030, according to the expansion strategy, a high-speed line will join Stockholm and Göteborg via Norr-köping, LinNorr-köping, Jönköping and Borås. With maximum speeds of 250 km/h, the travel time Stockholm-Göteborg will be approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. Passenger traffic between Stockholm and Malmö/Copenhagen will make use of the Götaland Line to Tranås. South of Nässjö on the Southern Main Line major sections of the existing line will be upgraded to permit speeds of 250 km/h. The travel time Stockholm-Malmö is thereby estimated at 3 hours and 15 min-utes.
With a travel time of 2 hours between Göteborg and Malmö/Copenhagen, rail will be a quicker alternative to air travel. The travel time between Göteborg and Oslo will also be substantially reduced. Speeds exceeding 200 km/h are also of interest with regard to rail travel along the Norrland coast to Umeå. If the entire section Umeå-Luleå is completed by 2030, this route will also become of interest for trains with speeds over 200 km/h.
In order to reach speeds of 250 km/h, operators must continue to invest in coaches with tilting bodies. The expan-sion of high-speed rail must also be coordinated with the introduction of the new common European signalling sys-tem, European Railways Traffic Management System.
PASSENGER TRAFFIC
Passenger traffic network of speeds exceeding 200 km/h in 2030
Regional passenger traffic
Developing regional rail, subway and light rail services are crucially important in order to create a long-term sustainable transport system in Sweden. Capacity problems in road transportation systems in large cities must be solved through increased public rail transportation.
Continued expansion of regional rail-way transportation systems will reduce distances in time and expand geographic access even further. By substantially reducing travel times and increasing fre-quency, more people can commute over longer distances, thereby increasing
employment opportunities in large parts of the country. The major areas are Stockholm/Mälardalen, West Sweden and the Öresund Region. In the follow-ing, a selection of investments outlined in the Future Plan is presented.
The Nordic Triangle, including Stockholm-Göteborg
Since the mid-1990’s, high-speed X2000 trains constitute the core of the long-dis-tance passenger traffic system, largely
replacing both InterCity trains and night trains. The X2000 high-speed traffic has resulted in major reductions in travel times. However, traffic has not yet been fully developed on the routes Oslo-Stockholm and Oslo-Göteborg-Copenhagen.
Passenger travel on Göteborg-Stockholm and Malmö-Göteborg-Stockholm has increased as well as the railway’s market share. Between Göteborg and Malmö travel times have been substantially reduced but on this route the railways primarily compete with road transporta-tion where conditransporta-tions have improved.
In the Nordic Triangle, including Stockholm-Göteborg, there is a need for reduced travel time and higher capacity. Since capacity constraints are mostly a problem in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö areas, these have been given priority in the plan.
Stockholm has a particular priority with the construction of the City Line. Expanded capacity in the centre of Stockholm will enable the development by separation of commuter, regional and long-distance rail traffic.
In Malmö, capacity will increase through the construction of the City Tunnel as well as new tracks between Malmö and Flackarp (Lund). With bet-ter accessibility, more passengers
on high-speed trains are expected. Capacity will also be raised in Göteborg through, for example, recon-struction of the marshalling yards, dou-ble tracks on the route Göteborg-Öxnered as well as increased capacity on the section Floda-Aspen.
The Southern Main Line will be upgraded to permit speeds of 250 km/h between Nässjö and Hässleholm. Work on the Eastern Link between Järna and Linköping will start. This route will form part of the new Götaland Line.
Improvements on the line Oslo-Göteborg-Malmö/Copenhagen will reduce travel times by 40-45 minutes compared with the present schedule.
Skåne/Blekinge
The rail traffic system consists primarily of the Öresund Line and the regional
Pågatågen in Skåne. Many passengers have Malmö, Lund and Helsingborg as their destinations and with the expansion of traffic across the Öresund both Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) and Copenhagen have also become important destinations. The Malmö-Lund line is particularly strained with a substantial increase in traffic over the past few years.
The Coastal Line presently supple-ments the Öresund Line on the route Karlskrona-Copenhagen.
When the City Tunnel in Malmö, the tunnel through Hallandsås and electrifi-cation of the Blekinge coastal line are completed, the Öresund Line can oper-ate every 15 minutes terminating in Helsingborg, Göteborg, Karlskrona as well as Kalmar/Växjö.
With the City Tunnel in Malmö all passenger traffic that presently is chan-nelled on the Continental Line can take a shorter route and no longer need to change direction at Malmö Central.
In the Malmö area, four tracks between Malmö and Arlöv are to be built. Thereafter, Malmö Central will be rebuilt to coincide with the completion of the City Tunnel.
On the West Coast Line, construc-tion of double tracks Kävlinge-Lund will be concluded. When construction
of the tunnel through Hallandsås, dou-ble tracks Förslöv-Ängelholm and the first stage of Ängelholm-Maria are completed, Halmstad and Helsingborg can be integrated into the Öresund Line in a common employment region with travel times of 40-45 minutes.
Regional Pågatåg traffic can be established between Halmstad and Hässleholm, thereby better connecting northeastern Skåne and Blekinge with the West Coast region.
East Götaland
Passenger traffic in East Götaland is based on high-speed services on the Southern Main Line. A major problem in the region is the low standard of many tracks, primarily the unelectrified
tracks in Småland leading to long travel times.
Double tracks are being constructed on the routes Mjölby-Motala and Hallberg-Degerön. Upon comple-tion, the travel time will be reduced by 10 minutes.
During the planning period, con-struction of the East Link will start. When the entire line is completed, trav-el times between, for example, Nässjö and Stockholm will be reduced by 30 minutes.
West Sweden
Passenger rail travel in West Sweden has seen strong growth during the past years. This increased demand for rail travel has resulted in major capacity problems on all lines approaching Göteborg and at Göteborg Central.
Substantial improvements of impor-tant sections of the rail system in West Sweden are planned, particularly the completion of the West Coast Line,
construction of double tracks on the entire route Öxnered-Göteborg
as well as increased capacity by more tracks on the
Floda-Aspen section. On the Vänersborg/
Trollhättan-East Götaland
Göteborg route, the number of train can be doubled while travel times can be reduced by 20 minutes.
Towards the end of the planning period, construction of double tracks on the route Mölnlycke-Rävlanda will start. Since this new line will include a stop at Göteborg’s Landvetter Airport, a substantial increase in the number of passengers is expected.
Following works on the marshalling yards in Göteborg, the bottleneck effects there will ease and permit an additional two tracks. Commuter train frequency on the Western Main Line can thereby be raised from three to four trains per hour.
Mälardalen
The pressure on the traffic system in
the Stockholm area is severe and con-gestion problems have steadily grown during the 1990’s. The largest investment will be in increasing capacity through the centre of Stockholm. The measures undertaken on the southern approach to Stockholm Central will create four new train paths until the City Line is opened.
A double track between Södertälje Port and Södertälje Central will be built for commuter traffic. When the City Line is completed, it will be possible to operate with 10 minutes frequency on the route Märsta-Stockholm-Södertälje and with five minutes’ frequency dur-ing peak hours.
Towards the end of the planning period, capacity on the route Väster-haninge-Nynäshamn as well as
on the Mälar Line between Stockholm and Kallhäll will increase.
The extension of the light rail link in Stockholm from Hammarby Sjöstad to Slussen and from Alvik to Solna will improve peripheral transportation in Stockholm. The extension is financed in half through Government grants.
On the Western Main Line, a new regional train station in Gnesta is being built for the Sörmland Regional Line, which operates the route Hallsberg-Katrineholm-Stockholm.
Bergslagen
Relatively limited investments in the transportation system for passenger traf-fic are planned. The largest improve-ments will take place on the Bergslagen Line where the additional capacity will result in a reduction of travel time between Gävle and Örebro, via
Borlänge, of approximately five minutes.
Southern Norrland
The Bothnia Line, between Nyland (Kramfors) and Umeå via Örnsköldsvik, is the primary investment in this region. Completion of the Bothnia Line,
includ-ing new travel centres in Örnsköldsvik, Husum, Hörnefors, Nordmaling and Umeå, is estimated during 2010. Work on upgrading the Ådal Line, including new travel centres in Härnösand and
Kramfors, are expected to be finished at the same time.
The Bothnia Line and the upgraded Ådal Line provide the means for new passenger traffic between Sundsvall and Umeå. Compared with the present bus traffic, the number of departures will be doubled while travel time is reduced by one hour and 30 minutes. The savings in time on travel to Stockholm will be approximately two hours and the trans-fer between bus and train in Sundsvall no longer necessary. Between Örn-sköldsvik and Umeå, passengers will be able to travel on the Bothnia Line in around 40 minutes.
Unemployment is at present severe in the larger population centres along the Ådal Line. With the construction of the Bothnia Line, the accessible labour market for these towns will be expand-ed. Travellers from Kramfors will reach both Örnsköldsvik and Härnösand in approximately 30 minutes and from Sollefteå to Örnsköldsvik, which presently takes 1 hour and 30 minutes, travel time will be reduced by half.
On the East Coast Link, double tracks on Uppsala-Svartbäcken, Älvkarleö-Skurskär, Furuvik-Bomansberget will be completed, thus permitting increased traffic between Uppsala and Gävle.
Bergslagen
On the Northern Main Line between Östersund and Gävle adjust-ments for high-speed trains will be completed. Travel with high-speed trains between Stockholm and Öster-sund will result in a saving of one hour.
Upper Norrland
Freight transport and relatively limited passenger transportation characterises the rail system in this region. The Haparanda Line, the new line between Kalix and Haparanda, will be the largest investment. Although it is primarily built for freight, the new line will also create opportunities to develop
passen-ger transport in the region.
With the Bothnia Line, travel time will be reduced by 2-3 hours on the night trains from upper Norrland towards Stockholm. Passengers can thereby board the train at Luleå around 9 p.m. and reach Stockholm by around 8 a.m.
In 2010, construction of the first stage of the Norrbotnia Line between Umeå and Luleå will start. In a recom-mendation to the Government, Ban-verket has indicated that the first stage should be Skellefteå-Piteå. This stage, which cannot be completed before the end of the planning period, will prima-rily benefit freight transport.
Government grants for rolling stock
Regional public transportation is of great importance for people in enabling them to commute to work and schools. Public transportation is especially important for those without cars or driving licences.
Government grants amounting to SEK 4.5 billion for rolling stock used in regional passenger transportation on railways, subways and light rail trans-port have been allocated to Sweden’s regional public transportation authori-ties. The grant helps partially finance investments or leasing costs.
During the planning period, it is suggested that the largest share of these grants be given to the regional public transportation bodies in Stockholm (SL), western Sweden (Västtrafik) and Skåne (Skånetrafiken). The allocation is motivated by the fact that these regions have the most pas-sengers. Grants will also be given to other regional authorities that apply and are entitled to grants.
Together with all other parties in the railway sector, Banverket has identified strategic freight lines and hubs for devel-oping freight transport on railways. These lines should not only provide effi-cient domestic transportation but also contribute to connecting Sweden with the major European transport lines.
Increasing track and train capacity creates opportunities in handling sub-stantially greater transportation vol-umes on railways. The load limit (axle load and evenly distributed load, called load per metre) and the loading space (loading gauge) will be improved on the strategic freight lines. The long-term objective is to upgrade these strategic freight lines to permit 750 metre long trains.
Below are some of the major invest-ments for rail freight transport that are outlined in the Future Plan:
• On the Iron Ore Line, distances between meeting points for 750-metre trains will be reduced.
• New meeting points will be built north of Vännäs on the Main Line through Upper Norrland. South of Vännäs, capacity enhancing measures on the Ådal Line and the East Coast Line have been given priority since the Bothnia
Line-Söderhamn-Kilafors-Storvik will be the main alternative for long-distance freight transport to and from Norrland.
• Augmented power and centralised traffic control on the route Ställdalen-Hällefors as well as new meeting points on the Bergslagen Line are of vital importance for heavy goods transportation from Norrland and Bergslagen towards Göteborg. On the Bergslagen Line construction of double tracks between Falun and Borlänge will start. • The capacity-raising
meas-ures planned for the Stockholm area will also benefit freight transport. Additionally, capacity will be increased on the
Hallsberg-Järna route, which is of importance for freight transport.
• Double tracks will be built on the Hallsberg-Mjölby route, which is presently a bottleneck for freight trans-port.
• In the Göteborg area, capacity will increase through the new approach to the Sävenäs marshalling yards, a tri-angle track in Marieholm, electrifica-tion of the Port Line, the doubling of tracks on the route Göteborg-Öxnered and capacity enhancement between Floda and Aspen.
• In the Malmö area, double tracks and multitracks will be constructed on the Southern Main Line and the West Coast Line. The tunnel through Hallandsås will permit heavier traffic on the line. Additionally, the freight line through Skåne will be upgraded with, for example, new meeting points and higher power capacity. When the City Tunnel in Malmö is opened, the Continental Line will primarily be used for freight transport.
• The new coastal Haparanda Line between Haparanda and Karlsborgs bruk, as well as measures to upgrade the existing line Karlsborgs bruk-Morjärv-Boden, will be important for the future.
• The first stage of the Norrbotnia Line
will be opened after the planning peri-od. It will then provide better opportu-nities for freight transport in Upper Norrland.
Load limits and loading gauge
By raising the axle load to 25 tons, the net load in each car can be increased by approximately 15 percent. With the introduction of loading gauge C (in com-parison with loading gauge A, wich is presently most common), load volume per car will increase by 25 percent. This leads to lower costs for motive power, more efficient terminal operations and better line capacity since fewer trains are needed to transport a specific goods vol-ume. Transportation costs for business and industry can be reduced and the competitive strength of the railways improved.
Permitted load
The permitted load hauled is important for the competitive strength of railways in relation to other forms of transport. With higher permitted loads, more tons of goods can be hauled behind each locomotive, thereby creating better opportunities for a favourable transport economy.
Power supply and steep inclines are
two considerations when determining the load per car that is permissible on a line. The power requirements are deter-mined – in addition to the load hauled – by, for example, the number of trains on a particular route. Not only Banverket’s measures can create better opportunities for higher capacity freight trains. More powerful electric locomotives than those now in use also provide possibilities at add loads and raise permitted speeds. With gradients exceeding 0,1 percent, the permitted load weight is reduced. When the tunnel through Hallandsås is opened, the gradient restrictions on the West Coast Line will no longer be a problem. On the strategic freight lines, gradients will continue to impose restrictions on the Main Line through Upper Norrland as well as on the Storvik-Falun route. When the Bothnia Line and the Skellefteå-Piteå stage of the Norrbotnia Line are completed, remain-ing obstacles in Upper Norrland will be eliminated.
Marshalling yards
During the 1990’s the number of switched cars declined while operations were gradually centralised to a few large marshalling yards. From 1999, switching operations are only carried out at the yards in Borlänge, Hallsberg, Sävenäs (Göteborg) and Malmö. In the early stages of the planning period, major reconstruction works on the mar-shalling yards in Hallsberg will be com-pleted.
Length
Longer trainsets allow more goods to be transported behind each locomotive, thereby creating more efficient trans-port solutions and better transtrans-port economy. Certain iron ore transport in Norrland is presently carried out with 750 metre long trains. On other lines in Sweden, there are limited possibilities to operate such trains.
Since 750 metres is the stated objec-tive for all trains in Europe, Sweden should also adapt its rail system to this standard.
Freight train speeds
Over the past decade, transported freight has gradually shifted towards more processed goods, hauled over longer distances. By increasing speed, the competitiveness of railways can be strengthened.
Ports
Sweden has some 50 public ports and a number of loading areas adjacent to industries. Nine of the ten largest ports are connected by rail.
To improve efficiency to and from the port, the Port Line in Göteborg is to be electrified and a triangle track built in Marieholm. Additionally, double tracks will be built on the Göteborg-Öxnered route and multi-tracks on the Floda-Aspen route.
In Trelleborg, the yards are being rebuilt to develop rail ferry traffic. Capacity on the Freight Line through Skåne will be strengthened to and from Trelleborg through improved meeting points for opposing trains and aug-mented power supply. The City Tunnel and high capacity between Arlöv and Flackarp (Lund) will also contribute towards higher transport quality to and from Trelleborg port.
Combi terminals
There are presently 16 major inter-modal stations in 14 locations in Sweden. Several types of goods with growing markets are suitable for rail-to-road transport and traffic is developing favourably. Cost, transport time, punc-tuality and security are some of the fac-tors that must be improved in order for the railways to increase intermodal vol-umes.
It is unclear who holds actual responsibility for intermodal transport. In the Plan, SEK 1.1 billion have been set aside as partial financing of lines serving intermodal stations and indus-trial areas.
Rail freight campaign
In accordance with the Government’s directive, SEK 400 million will be allo-cated for a special effort to promote rail freight over the period 2006-2009.
Rail safety
Rail safety is one of the transportation policy goals and Banverket works towards the parliamentary decision on Vision Zero that no one shall be killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents. Safety involves most actors in the rail sector but primarily concerns rail oper-ators, infrastructure managers and all those who work on or near tracks.
Collisions between motor vehicles and trains at level crossings constitute the most frequent accidents. It is also the accident type that leads to the highest mortality and seriously injured.
There are approximately 8,600 level crossings in Sweden. The efforts over the latest years to improve safety have resulted in fewer level crossings and added safety at remaining crossings. In 1996, there were 50 accidents at level crossings, a figure that has decreased to 28 per year. The objective of not more than 25 annual accidents by 2007 will most probably be achieved, thereby reaching a 50-percent reduction in relation to 1996. A further reduction is expected after 2007.
Over the past decade, ten young persons have died as a result of climb-ing under overhead wire. With better facilities to easily disconnect electrical
power when tracks are not in use, risks will be reduced over coming years.
In Sweden, Automatic Train Control (ATP) signalling systems have been installed on approximately 70 percent of the railway system. It is primarily on freight lines, a few less frequented pas-senger traffic lines and some yards that lack ATP. Of the 25 yards that present-ly are not equipped with ATP, the sys-tem will be installed on half of these during the planning period. ATP will also be expanded to some of the less frequented lines.
Environment
The environment goal states that the transportation system shall be formed to comply with the requirement for a good and healthy environment for all. The natural and cultural environment shall be protected from harm. The sus-tainable use of land, energy and other natural resources should be promoted. Carbon dioxide emissions are one the greatest environmental problems in the transport sector. Efficient and competi-tive railways enable a larger share of transportation to be transferred to rail. Both from a national and global per-spective, this is beneficial in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and air pollu-tion.
The Future Plan includes several measures to increase rail capacity as well as quicker and more efficient rail transport which together will strengthen rail competitiveness. This will enable more goods and passengers to transfer to rail transportation. To achieve the long-term national objective for reduc-ing carbon dioxide emissions, increasreduc-ing rail transport should be a priority.
The measures outlined in the Future Plan will have both favourable and unfavourable effects on the environ-ment. Reduced emissions from
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portation should be weighed against barrier effects, land use, fragmentation, resource utilisation as well as the dis-ruptive effects of noise and vibration. Through environmental considerations, and research and development activi-ties, Banverket can minimise such effects in implementation.
Marketing activities and social planning
Developments in industry and evolving needs result in differing demands for transport. While these changes are diffi-cult to predict in long-term investment plans, it is important to meet new demands in order to strengthen rail competitiveness.
The SEK 700 million allocation for marketing activities and social planning provides greater flexibility in the plan-ning process and better opportunities to swiftly and efficiently meet invest-ment needs in new transport concepts.
The allocation may, for example, be used:
• To address customer needs that do not require a long planning process; • For separated road crossings; and • For studies concerning critical
proj-ects that have not been able to include in the Plan.
AND RENEWAL
In maintaining and safeguarding existing railways, Banverket is guided by five con-siderations: Safety, customer orientation, cost-efficiency, environmental concern and development.
In addition to the new investments outlined in the Future Plan, the Plan also describes necessary steps to manage and maintain the rail network over the period until 2015. The total framework for oper-ations, maintenance and renewal totals SEK 38 billion for the planning period. Banverket has the responsibility to maintain and safeguard existing tracks in accordance with the demands and expec-tations of the state and railway customers. One of its goals is to reduce infrastruc-ture-related delays by half. This goal requires an additional allocation of SEK 8
billion for operations and maintenance. Banverket cannot meet this goal within the allocated financial frame. Problems with on-time performance will persist and the average age of railway infrastructure will increase.
Banverket considers that increased traffic volume on the country’s railways necessitates a higher allocation for opera-tions and maintenance. Increased traffic primarily causes increased wear but also narrows the available time for track main-tenance.
INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK
There is a major potential in expanding rail traffic through increased cross-border opera-tions. Presently, traffic over the Swedish national border is prima-rily regional. The extensive regional passenger rail traffic over Öresund between Sweden and Denmark is ten times greater than long-distance travel. To a large extent, international long distance travel takes place within the Nordic Triangle between Stock-holm, Copenhagen and Oslo.
Cross-border freight traffic is extensive and consists of several goods such as iron ore, wood, paper, steel and food. In relation to passenger traffic, freight is generally transported over longer distances. International consign-ments often cross several nation-al borders.
Varying infrastructure and regulations between countries constitute a problem in cross-border traffic. Some examples are varying track gauge,
electrifi-cation, signalling systems and safety regulations. Traffic is also constrained by bottlenecks such as insufficient infrastructure capacity on the Copenhagen-Ringsted line and on routes around Hamburg, the poor stan-dard of the Storlien-Trondheim line, the low load limit over the Keil Canal and the absence of a permanent connection over the Fehmarn Belt.
There is a substantial
untapped potential in cross-bor-der traffic. Banverket therefore places a priority on international collaboration in improving rail transport and thereby strength-ening its competitiveness.
One of the most important measures outlined in the Future Plan to strengthen cross-border traffic is improving the Hap-aranda Line. This will create opportunities to develop traffic between Sweden and Finland as well as traffic in the Barent Region.
TEN (Trans European Network)
TEN, the Trans-European Network, are roads, railways, airports and ports designated of particular importance for cross-border passenger and freight transport by the European Union. Standards for the identified links and hubs have been set and EU funding is available for a minor share of investments. Early in 2004, a study of which railways should to be included in the Network was concluded.
both years. Only infrastructure development is considered, which means that the possible reduc-tions are underestimated.
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