Response to interpellation 2022/23:368 on the railway's capacity needs
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD intends to take a position on means in a national plan and argues that well-thought-out priorities and an orderly process are necessary 1. KD argues that S could have influenced how bottlenecks were quickly built away 2 and that the allocated funds for planning measures will be addressed collectively 2. S considers that the government lacks leadership and wants to request guarantees for investments that relieve the Scanian road network. S argues that visions are necessary and requests the minister's visions for future railway transport 3. KD argues that the government prioritizes repairing the broken infrastructure 4 and that the most important vision is that the system should function 5.
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! Carina Ödebrink has asked me if I intend to return to the Riksdag when it concerns the removal of funds allocated in the national plan for continued planning.
Carina Ödebrink has further asked me what measures I intend to take to increase capacity on the railway on the Swedish side in connection with the Fehmarn Belt link being put into operation in 2029.
Regarding the first question, the government will take a position on funds in a national plan in connection with the upcoming infrastructure planning. The government is about to initiate a new infrastructure planning process and intends to return to questions regarding the long-term infrastructure planning.
The needs within the infrastructure are great, and it is necessary to make thoughtful prioritizations between different measures. It is important to have an orderly process with sufficient underlying data where the need for capacity-increasing measures is an important part.
Regarding the second question, I would like to remind that at the end of 2022, the government commissioned Trafikverket to investigate capacity-increasing measures in the railway system in Skåne. In that assignment, Trafikverket shall take into account the effects of the Fehmarn Bält connection opening around the year 2029.
Carina Ödebrink (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by thanking the Minister for the answers to my questions.
Infrastructure and transport systems have no intrinsic value but are means for us to achieve other goals as individuals and as a society. It is about the companies' possibilities to transport raw materials and goods and recruit personnel. It is also about people's possibilities to get to work, studies, and leisure activities. Regardless of whether it concerns transport by sea, road, railway, or in the air, the different modes of transport need to be interconnected for us to achieve the goal of efficient transport systems.
Regarding the answers to my questions, I am wondering about the first one. In the current national plan, there are or were 3 billion kronor for continued planning of the stretch between Linköping and Borås, where Jönköping lies in between. Those funds were removed. The answer was that it is intended to return in the upcoming national plan. But my question was about here and now, and therefore I feel that I have not received any answer.
I also asked how the government intends to solve the issue of the major capacity shortage that exists today on the railway, against the background that it has been decided to scrap the construction of new main lines. In the interpellation debate that I had with the Minister earlier this year, the Minister explicitly stated that the infrastructure is not only to be upgraded and maintained, but that the decisions that have been given do not exclude new conventional tracks.
The Minister further said that when the Fehmarn Bält connection opens, there will be more pressure on the capacity in our own infrastructure and railway network. In my opinion, this is something that obliges. The Government should account for what measures it intends to take to address the capacity shortage both here and now and in a longer perspective. It is not enough to refer to investigations.
There are investigations, knowledge, and experience sufficient to demonstrate political will and direction, not least against the background of the decisions and commitments that Sweden has bound itself to as a member of the EU. There, goals have been set that by 2050, rail traffic shall be expanded where it is or can become competitive.
Sweden needs a new railway that connects with the European systems. The EU ministers met in Brussels in December and addressed the issue of the European transnational networks. We are part of a larger system, not only in politics but actually also in practical reality. Therefore, I would like to ask a question to the Minister: Which new conventional tracks does the Minister believe should be built to increase capacity?
The Riksdag will probably make decisions on a new infrastructure plan in 2026. At that point, there will be three years left until the connection across the Fehmarn Belt opens. What does the government have planned to meet the increased need? And should the funds allocated today in the national plan and the 3 billion moved for continued planning not have been subject to a decision in the Riksdag?
Arwin Sohrabi (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thanks to the Minister and especially to the member asking the question!
As early as 2029, the fixed link under the Fehmarn Belt will be completed. It will eliminate the need for a 160-kilometer detour through Denmark for freight trains, reduce transport time by approximately two and a half hours for trains and approximately one hour for road transport, and contribute to efficient logistics between Scandinavia and the European continent. Expectations are also high for what it will achieve, not least within green transport, with more freight transport on railways and fewer trucks on the roads.
Mr. Speaker! I would like to refer to a report that the Greater Copenhagen partnership has produced, which recently presented that Sweden is lagging behind in the expansion of track and railway infrastructure. If necessary investments are not made, road transport can increase by up to 120 percent. The Scanian European roads will then experience a sharply increased flow of heavy goods vehicles during the coming years.
Already today, Skåne has the country's heaviest truck traffic, which the Minister is surely aware of. The addition risks affecting the climate transition, the road network, and the competitiveness of freight trains. The railway infrastructure must therefore be expanded. Otherwise, there is a risk that the Fehmarn Bält connection cannot be used to its full extent to generate its many advantages.
Supporting freight transport on railways in a similar way as is done in other European countries to shift freight traffic from road to rail could contribute to increasing the availability on already very heavily burdened road sections, including the E6 through Skåne. It is one of the country's most heavily trafficked motorways and an important artery nationally and internationally, which the government minister is certainly aware of.
According to the Swedish Transport Administration's statistics, approximately 50,000 vehicles pass E6 daily at the height of Löddeköpinge. More than every fifth of these vehicles is a truck. I want to draw the Minister's attention to the fact that this is a proportion that is increasing. The development is, therefore, going in the wrong direction.
The government explains that the reason they are not acting is that they are awaiting an investigation of the capacity-enhancing measures. We are all, of course, awaiting the result of the investigation, but the truth is that the government has already acted to some extent. Very quickly, they scrapped the expansion of new main lines. Already on December 23 last year, the government delivered a death blow to Swedish growth and the possibilities of future-proofing sustainable transport by cancelling the long-standing plans for new main lines in Sweden and stopping the expansion of the Lund-Hässleholm section.
An expansion of the main lines has, as is well known, been planned for very many years by governments of different colors. The reason is that the existing main lines, which were otherwise built as early as the 1800s, lack sufficient capacity for all the freight trains, passenger trains, and regional trains that travel on these railway tracks.
This applies in particular to the very heavily trafficked Södra stambanan, which connects Stockholm, where we are now, with Malmö, where I live, and then leads further to the continent. If nothing is done, the capacity shortage on Södra stambanan will increase further after the fixed link across Fehmarn Bält is completed in 2029. It will have serious consequences for the Swedish climate transition and growth.
Given the government's actions, I wonder: Is the government willing to provide the necessary funds required to ensure that the railway infrastructure is expanded in such a way that the Scanian road network is relieved after the completion of the Fehmarn Bält connection?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I welcome the commitment to increase capacity as a result of the opening of the Fehmarn Belt link around 2029. If I could wish for one thing, I would have wished that the Social Democratic Party had shown the same commitment when there was an opportunity to influence how quickly bottlenecks could be built away to account for the opening of the Fehmarn Belt link around 2029.
This was no news when the national plan was submitted. It was also no news that there were four measures on the Malmö side of the Öresund Bridge in Trafikverket's referral to the national plan that would have increased the capacity over the Öresund Bridge from 8 to 14 trains per hour.
It is strange that it was not taken into consideration. It concerns investments on the order of 1 billion kronor in the monetary value that was then. This was not included in the national plan, but it would have increased the capacity over the Öresund Bridge quickly.
The new government must now take responsibility for this. It is within Trafikverket's mandate for Skåne to develop proposals for capacity-increasing measures. We also point out the opening of the Fehmarn Bält connection as a circumstance that Trafikverket shall particularly take into account. The government is therefore taking responsibility for the resulting situation, but we would not have had to be here if these measures had already been included in the national plan.
I cannot answer why the previous government did not take responsibility for this. Perhaps the members can account for that in the continued debate.
What new conventional tracks could it be about? In the assignments we have given to Trafikverket, the Lund-Hässleholm section is specifically pointed out. The Göteborg-Borås section shall continue without traffic being affected.
The 3 billion for planning measures, which will now not be used to plan new trunk lines for high-speed trains, we will return to collectively. We also see a significant cost increase for large parts of infrastructure investments. I believe the members of Parliament are well aware of that.
At the moment, we have no preparation to point out unilaterally outside of the plan what the money could be used for. We are in the starting stages of preparing a directional assignment for Trafikverket ahead of the next planning period. It aligns with the existing one, so this will happen in a natural way. It concerns funds that can be used for many pressing measures. But above all, the project as a whole risks displacing other important capacity-enhancing measures, including maintenance measures, which I explained in the previous interpellation debate.
The members of the Government ask whether this should not have been submitted to the Riksdag for a decision. The frameworks established by the Riksdag continue to apply, and it is within them that the Government plans and decides on infrastructure measures.
Carina Ödebrink (S)
Mr. Speaker! Let me give a brief comment on the Minister's description of what is intended to be done regarding conventional tracks. It is of course incredibly important with Lund-Hässleholm, Göteborg-Borås and Ostlänken in Östergötland. The sections have been included since before, but now a new effort is being made.
The problem, Mr. Speaker, is when one does not see the whole and the entire system. The traffic that will increase over the Fehmarn Belt and into Sweden will for the most part continue even beyond Hässleholm or up to Gothenburg. It is therefore a matter of seeing the whole.
I want to take a brief look back. The question of a fixed connection across the Öresund was preceded by decades of work and investigation. Let me quote from the government's bill from 1991: "In order for industry in Sweden to maintain its competitiveness against the rest of the world, it is of the utmost importance that the transport systems can be improved and rationalized. This applies to both transport within the country as well as to and from the continent."
In the proposition, it is further stated that "a fixed link across the Öresund is a first step in a common Nordic transport solution that increases the conditions for good transport solutions to our markets. A completion with a fixed link across the Fehmarn Belt will furthermore further connect the same Norden with the continent."
When we look back at the development of the railway over the last decades, we see that there has been an extensive expansion of infrastructure. There has been a strong increase in the publicly purchased regional rail traffic. The railway's competitiveness and attractiveness have increased significantly. It is a positive development, but it brings other challenges, including capacity problems and poorer punctuality.
According to calculations from KTH regarding what can be achieved with small or minor new investments in the railway, it appears that there will continue to be punctuality problems. Large investments are required to rectify this and to increase attractiveness. KTH specifically points out the Fehmarn Bält connection.
We have a reality outside this chamber that clearly shows what needs to be done. Lack of capacity on the railways leads to trains with goods that could be on the rails instead traveling on rubber wheels on trucks. It is not only bad for the climate but also involves increased wear and tear on the roads.
When the infrastructural conditions are limited, the business sector risks refraining from seeking capacity due to the deficiencies and disruptions that exist. Instead, they turn to other modes of transport, which are not always optimal. This is not acceptable. The Government focuses on patching and repairing and less on thinking in systems, corridors, and the whole. I want to ask the Minister what views and feedback he has received from the companies regarding the need for increased capacity on the railway.
Arwin Sohrabi (S)
Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.
I truly hope that the government understands that this is not solely a regional challenge and that waiting and a lack of action can have enormous consequences. What risks becoming the result is a traffic infarction that paralyzes not only Scanian infrastructure but also critical national infrastructure, which would have major consequences, not least for Swedish industry. In that case, we are talking about the entire country.
The year 2029 is estimated as the connection will be finished. It is not so far away. The only thing we know today is that this government demonstrably does not want trunk lines. The fact that the government is unable to show the necessary leadership in a tough time unfortunately creates a highly unwelcome uncertainty. It would therefore have been very helpful if the Minister today could at least have been able to guarantee that one is willing to make the necessary investments to ensure that the railway infrastructure is built out in such a way that the Scanian road network will be relieved after the completion of the Fehmarn Bält connection.
Speaking of the whole, as the interpellator Carina Ödebrink pointed out, I would otherwise like to add that there are things that can be done in parallel to remedy the upcoming capacity challenges, not least talking with one's Danish counterpart about how to proceed with an Öresund metro. The former Minister for Infrastructure has, as is known, said that it takes two to dance the tango. It remains to be seen whether the Minister is willing to invite them to dance.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Let me first note that I do not receive any answer to the question of why the measures that were in Trafikverket's referral were not included in the national plan. Then we would have been in a significantly better position regarding the capacity on the Öresund Bridge, especially on the Scania side, in Malmö. It is something that Trafikverket now has to look at specifically in the rapid assignment they have.
We will, of course, return to how the government takes the issue further. But we have pointed out that the Fehmarn Bält connection is an important circumstance that will affect the Swedish transport system and how we need to plan. Even the national plan we have now would have needed to be affected. That did not happen to a sufficient extent. I will not bring up that issue again, but for the Social Democrats, it is easy to think that the current Minister for Infrastructure should solve things in eight months that the previous own Minister for Infrastructure did not manage to solve in eight years. The government's prioritization concerns work commuting and freight traffic.
I received the question from Carina Ödebrink regarding what the input from the business sector is concerning capacity. It naturally looks a bit different depending on where in the country one is located. What is common to all parts is that the capacity needs to be increased. That is why capacity-increasing measures are included in the assignments we have given. It must be done faster and more accurately to build away bottlenecks, but without the displacement effects that new main lines for high-speed trains would have provided at hand.
Another part, which I believe has been raised in all the conversations I have had, is that the situation for maintenance affects the business sector negatively. It is part of the explanation for why maintenance is so prioritized by the government. And it does not only affect the business sector. It also affects families with children in their everyday lives, when they do not know if the train runs or not. Families with children are affected in their everyday lives when they have to drive to practices, pick up after work, or visit a sick relative and are dependent on the car, but the maintenance of the roads is so poor that there is a risk of impact on traffic safety.
I will give Carina Ödebrink 50 percent credit. She describes the government's work as "patching and repairing." "Repairing" is entirely correct. We will prioritize repairing the Swedish infrastructure, because it is certainly broken. We have a maintenance debt that has been allowed to grow for a very long time. In that work, it is important to see in the corridors which measures need to be taken to increase capacity. In that context, we need to meet the investment needs with the starting point that commuting and freight traffic are prioritized, and we shall facilitate that traffic so that all of Sweden can function.
Carina Ödebrink (S)
Mr. Speaker! Yes, we need to patch and repair all the time. But one must also have a vision, a will, and a thought. How do we want it to look in our country in 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years? That is just as important.
I bring with me a greeting from the municipalities and the region at home, in Jönköping County, where, similar to what we have heard earlier during other interpellation debates, a dialogue with the Minister is requested, not least after the announcement that the construction of new trunk lines is being scrapped. I know that the same desire for the Minister's presence also exists in other parts of the country. The business community is also very eager. Unfortunately, at least at home for me, it has not always been the case that the Minister has been able to visit the county to the extent that was desired. Perhaps it is due to the lack of capacity, Mr. Speaker, that it has not been possible – I do not know.
Almost exactly 166 years ago, Minister of Finance Johan August Gripenstedt stood in the Riksdag and argued for the need for new main lines to be built quickly. He argued so well that his speech came to be called "the flower paintings" because people thought he was exaggerating. But it turned out that reality exceeded his descriptions. The visions and the faith in the future that preceded Sweden's large infrastructure investments – when the railways were built, when the Öresund Bridge was built, and when now the Fehmarn Bält connection is being built – are a prerequisite for these large projects. I wonder therefore: Where are the Minister's visions and faith in the future when it comes to equipping Sweden for the railway transport of the future? I do not see them, for.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I am happy to talk about the great visions and the long-term plans. But let us come down to earth and ask the one who travels on a road where the maintenance is lacking what the great vision is. Yes, it is that the road should hold. Ask the one who is trying to book a train ticket what the great vision is! Yes, it is that one should be able to get the ticket, so that one can travel on the train. What is the great vision for the business sector, which is dependent on functioning freight transport, when there are deficiencies in capacity and the train planning system? Yes, it is that it should work and that the expression "to go like the train" should not be an expression for arriving late but for punctuality, as it once was.
I may return with visions, but the most important thing in my work now is that we begin to chip away at the maintenance debt and that we have sufficient resources for it, so that roads do not crack and traffic safety does not deteriorate. We shall have a transport system that functions and hangs together and where every part is equally important. We shall transition quickly to meet the challenges that we all face in the transition.
We can have visions, and we do. It is that it must work. It has been neglected for far too long. Therefore, it will be the most important task to have sufficient resources for the most basic thing, which is the maintenance.
The measures decided in investments are about building away bottlenecks and increasing capacity. This can be done in a more efficient and sustainable way than the previous government planned for.
When it comes to the dialogue, I thank you for the joint submission. We had the Chamber of Commerce Jönköpings län at the department a few weeks ago. I welcome dialogue with as many as possible. It is only time that is a factor. I see that it is also the case in this interpellation debate, Mr. Speaker.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.