Response to interpellation 2022/23:319 on the Öresund Metro
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the Öresund Metro and the need for a new fixed transport link across the Öresund. S argues that the metro is crucial for growth, green transition, and an integrated labor market 1 2 3. S argues that the government should initiate a joint investigation with Denmark to avoid losing time, as Trafikverket is currently investigating the issue alone 1 2. KD responds that Trafikverket has been tasked with investigating capacity and redundancy, including the effects of the Fehmarn Bält link 4 5. KD assumes that Trafikverket includes all relevant data in its work and that the government will return to issues regarding long-term infrastructure planning 4 6 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Jamal El-Haj has asked me if I intend to take the initiative to, together with my Danish counterpart, proceed with a joint investigation of the Öresund Metro.
Transport across borders is of great importance for jobs and growth in the Nordic countries. This applies in particular to the Öresund region. Trafikverket has been tasked to investigate capacity and redundancy for transport across the Öresund, including the continued deepening of Helsingborg-Helsingör. The assignment, as it is formulated, is not restricted to referring only to one specific connection. I assume that Trafikverket, in its investigation, will include all underlying data that they deem relevant. I will closely follow their continued work on the issue.
I look forward to working together with all my Nordic colleagues and continuing the dialogue to develop our cross-border transport.
The Government intends to return to the long-term infrastructure planning during the mandate period.
Jamal El-Haj (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for the answer.
Despite a restless world with the war in Ukraine, skyrocketing electricity prices and inflation all around the world, we must look forward and make decisions that pave the way for a long-term positive development of jobs, growth, and green transition. One such measure is a new transport link across the Öresund. It would secure the Öresund region, which is a growth region of great importance for Sweden's entire economy.
The government has tasked Trafikverket with carrying out an investigation to review capacity and redundancy for transport across the Öresund, including the continued deepening of the connection between Helsingborg and Helsingør. This is positive in itself, but to obtain a holistic perspective, it is of the utmost importance that the government broadens the investigation so that it also takes into account the labor market and growth effects that the different alternatives create, as well as what conditions exist for carrying out the project together with Denmark.
The Öresund Metro, which is one of the alternatives on the table, would, among other things, contribute to increased capacity for both freight trains and long-distance trains as well as increased redundancy and capacity over the existing Öresund connection. It would also facilitate commuting and visitor traffic across the Öresund. By building a fast public transport connection between the major cities of Malmö and Copenhagen, conditions are created for increased employment, trade, and tourism in the entire region.
I noted with pleasure that the Minister of Justice in Sydsvenskan a few weeks ago, on March 13, expressed that the question of more fixed Öresund connections is urgent. Andreas Carlson's representative, Tomas Eneroth, has also commented in Sydsvenskan. On June 10 last year, Eneroth said that we should not lose momentum regarding the preparations in the form of a new fixed Öresund connection. He said: We shall appoint an inquiry with a clear mandate to, together with the Danes, look at redundancy and capacity.
The investigation was therefore to be carried out by Trafikverket together with its Danish counterpart. The investigation that Trafikverket is now conducting is being carried out on its own.
Mr. Speaker! My intention is not to criticize Trafikverket. But if a new fixed connection is to be realized, it must be investigated together with Denmark. There is now a clear momentum for the Öresund Metro; the City of Copenhagen is positive towards investigating a possible connection point to an Öresund Metro. Danish business also shows a clear interest in a stronger labor market integration.
Would it not be good if the government took the initiative to conduct a strategic analysis of the Öresund Metro together with Denmark, in order not to lose valuable time, especially considering that the Minister of Justice considers the issue of more fixed Öresund connections to be urgent?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, the member, for the commitment to the issue!
Redundancy and capacity are mentioned. It is also what lies within the Swedish Transport Administration's mandate to look at when it comes to connections and transport across the Öresund.
I do not want to anticipate the investigation that Trafikverket is already working on. But the new government has also tasked Trafikverket with investigating capacity-enhancing measures also as a result of the Fehmarn Bält connection between Denmark and Germany opening around 2029 and to consider the capacity-enhancing measures that need to be added by reason of that.
Trafikverket is currently working on the investigation, and they are working at a high pace. But one could divide it into different time aspects. When it comes to the Fehmarn Bält connection, it is very urgent to ensure that freight capacity exists for the increased demand that can be expected given the opening in 2029. Therefore, it is also part of Trafikverket's mandate, in addition to the existing mandate, to review further connections across the Öresund. One can also think in a longer perspective and in several steps, not least in a longer time perspective when the Öresund Bridge is no longer expected to suffice, but there is much to do even within the framework of current capacity to speed things up.
In the submission to the national plan last time – it is quite recently that the national plan was decided here in the Riksdag – the Swedish Transport Administration pointed out, for example, three different measures on the Swedish side that could give the capacity on the Öresund Bridge a very large percentage increase: from 8 trains per hour to 14 trains per hour within current capacity. It is important to keep in mind in the slightly shorter perspective. The Swedish Transport Administration has been tasked to review what needs to be done in the slightly longer perspective.
As I said in my opening response, I look forward to working together with my Nordic colleagues regarding transport across the borders.
Jamal El-Haj (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to continue to argue for the importance of this metro project, for the sake of the Minister, but also for the listeners.
The metro has a major effect on the common labor market in the Öresund region. With a travel time of approximately 23 minutes between Copenhagen and Malmö, the travel time is estimated to be almost halved, while the metro becomes the obvious climate-smart choice for many Öresund commuters. The Öresund metro also leads directly into Copenhagen's metro system, which makes it easy to continue onward.
With an Öresund metro, an additional 1 million people could reach the other side of the Sound in less than an hour. In the same way, an additional half a million jobs would become available within the same timeframe. This would broaden the labor market and create conditions for economic development. Skåne and Southern Sweden would get better accessibility to Copenhagen, and it would mean that approximately 45,000 people could use the metro every day to get to school, work, culture, and entertainment.
A fully integrated labor market across the Øresund can provide an annual profit of up to 2.9 billion Danish kroner for the Danish and Swedish economies. The Metro frees up space for more green freight trains over the Øresund Bridge, equivalent to 1,700 truck transports per day. This is absolutely crucial as the new Fehmarn Belt Tunnel between Germany and Denmark will increase traffic and demand for green transport, as the Minister has mentioned.
The metro has a possible financing model. Financing of the metro can take place through a combination of possible sources of funding, for example, future surpluses from the Öresund Bridge, ticket revenues and EU grants. This must, of course, be investigated further at an interstate level.
How Denmark stands regarding a new fixed transport link across the Öresund is crucial for the project's feasibility. Copenhagen and Malmö have investigated Öresundsmetron jointly over the last ten years, which has created co-ownership and consensus in the investments. It is still urgent to carry out this work. At the same time, it must be done jointly with Denmark. It does not help if Trafikverket clarifies the issue alone. If it is not done simultaneously with Denmark, a lot of time is lost.
I still wonder if the Minister intends to take the initiative to, together with his Danish counterpart, proceed with a joint investigation of the Öresund Metro. If it is not done together with Denmark, much time will be lost. The mistakes that were made with the Öresund Bridge should not be repeated 20 years later. It is my appeal to the Minister to do his utmost and call his counterpart minister in Denmark to try to settle the matter.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I want to agree with Jamal El-Haj that it is absolutely crucial how Denmark takes its position. I assume that Trafikverket, in its investigation, includes all the underlying data that they assess as relevant. Jamal El-Haj has also argued here in the chamber for various reasons and underlying data that I assume are on the table when working with this assignment.
I do not want to anticipate the work on the assignment. I do not want to short-circuit the Swedish Transport Administration's work. It is an assignment that Jamal El-Haj's party representative in the previous government gave to the Swedish Transport Administration quite recently, which I am following very closely, look forward to taking part in, and also to working on together with all my Nordic colleagues for cross-border transport. Otherwise, the government will return to issues regarding long-term infrastructure planning during the mandate period.
I thank you for the commitment and for the arguments and also see a need to strengthen redundancy and capacity. The railway investments that the government is making shall go towards work commuting and reinforced freight traffic that strengthens jobs and growth throughout the country. But let us see what Trafikverket is working on. They have a mandate that Jamal El-Haj's government gave them and which we are now ensuring is followed in good order to have a good basis for continued handling of the issue.
Jamal El-Haj (S)
Mr. Speaker! My main message is that the Öresund Metro is an important enabler for the continued development of the Nordic's largest labor market region and a project that can strengthen Sweden's growth and climate transition. The Metro can become the obvious green choice for approximately 45,000 daily commuters across the Sound while simultaneously enabling more green freight and passenger transport between Sweden and Europe.
Metron is not just Malmö's or Skåne's concern - it is all of Sweden's concern. It is not a local issue - it is a national issue. My hope is that Minister Andreas Carlson acts according to his statement in Sydsvenskan that more permanent Öresund connections are urgent. It truly is. It is urgent, and I hope that the Minister acts in this matter.
I argued during my few minutes regarding how important the Öresund Metro is when it comes to the labor market and that Trafikverket must broaden its investigation and look at the labor market as a whole. I look forward to the Minister acting on that issue. I will eventually hand over such a bag about the metro - there is a little material and actually even some candy in it - but first I let the Minister answer my final questions.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! The message from the interpellor has been conveyed. I thank you for the commitment. I actually believe I have received such a bag before. I have been in contact with representatives for Öresundsmetron and for the City of Malmö and have many contacts. There are many different requests and a great deal of commitment in the Öresund region. It shows what infrastructure can mean for binding together labor market regions and what the investments that have been made previously, in the Öresund Bridge, have entailed.
The handling is as it usually is. Trafikverket has a mandate that they are working on, and I assume that all relevant documentation is taken into account for that process. The Government must return within the framework of the revision of the national plan. That is how it has been, and it has served Sweden well. There is a high tempo in the work, and I appreciate the commitment and the question and thank you for this debate.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.