Response to interpellation 2023/24:587 on the Southeast Link in Blekinge and Kronoberg
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 S argues that the Southeast Link is a national matter that contributes to robustness, trade, and climate transition 1. S argues that the government's decision to review costs creates concern and sends bad signals 1 2, and S suggests that the government should increase the budget to invest more in railway and infrastructure 3. 4 5 6 7 KD argues that the Southeast Link is not being removed from the national plan, but rather that Trafikverket has been tasked with identifying cost-reducing measures to increase cost control 4 5 6 7. 4 5 6 KD argues that good cost control is necessary for infrastructure to be cost-effective since resources are limited 4 5 6. 7 KD argues that the answer to cost increases is to get more infrastructure for the money 7 and that cost-effective investments are important to meet needs throughout Sweden, including Blekinge 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)
Madam Speaker! Heléne Björklund has asked me whether I and the government intend to remove the Sydostlänken from the national plan for transport infrastructure, as well as what the continued work on the Sydostlänken looks like and what initiatives I intend to take.
Just as I explained in my written response to Heléne Björklund on a similar question as recently as in February this year, the cost for the project Sydostlänken has increased significantly since the government established the national transport infrastructure plan for the period 2022-2033 in June 2022. The government has therefore, in connection with Trafikverket proposing that the project be prepared for construction start, assessed that a review of the cost increases is needed. Trafikverket has therefore been tasked to identify and, if possible, take appropriate cost-reducing measures for the project. The assignment includes that Trafikverket shall present a new assessment of costs and any changes in benefits and goal fulfillment, as well as renewed proposals regarding an appropriate construction start period. Trafikverket shall present the assignment as soon as possible, but no later than April 26 this year.
Let me be clear that the government's mandate to Trafikverket does not mean that Sydostlänken is being removed from the national plan. The mandate to Trafikverket should instead be seen as a step in the work to increase the agency's cost control. The government considers, as I also stated in my response in February, that both good cost control and good progress are important, partly so that the infrastructure measures are cost-effective, and partly so that the benefits are realized by completing the measures and opening them for traffic as soon as possible. The government intends to promptly prepare the issue of proposals for the start of construction once renewed underlying data have been received by the Government Offices.
As a minister, I cannot comment on how an authority should decide in individual cases concerning the exercise of authority against an individual or against a municipality, or how laws should be interpreted and applied in individual cases. Therefore, I refrain from commenting further on how Trafikverket acts in the case in question.
Heléne Björklund (S)
Madam Speaker! About a year ago, we celebrated here in Blekinge. It was March 9th, and at the government meeting, a decision had been made regarding the start of construction for Sydostlänken. It was one of the projects that was included in the plan. We felt that many years of intensive work in total political unity had led to us being able to lift our small county and be seen in contexts where we could contribute both nationally and internationally to a positive climate transition, better robustness, and increased trade, which would benefit all of Sweden.
It is of great importance that the Sydostlänken is seen as a national matter and that the government ensures that the promised investments are implemented. Sydostlänken will contribute to increased flexibility and robustness in the transport system for both freight and passenger traffic. It will create larger labor market regions in southern Sweden, and it will become part of a climate-efficient transport corridor for export and import across the Baltic Sea to growing markets in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Through the Sydostlänken, the European transport corridor is also linked with the one in the Baltics, which provides the business sector with increased opportunities not only in Blekinge but in all of Sweden. An electrification of the railway to the port in Karlshamn also creates new opportunities for more efficient freight transport.
The Sydostlänken is therefore important not only for the business community in Blekinge. A year ago, as we said, we celebrated that things were going to start happening. But then came a press release from the government stating that the costs must be reviewed, that the benefits must be reviewed again, and that one must ensure that cost reductions are made. Furthermore, on March 7, almost exactly one year after the government's decision, a letter arrived to those who live in or are affected by the chosen corridor for the Sydostlänken. It was a very dull letter, stating that a new government mandate has been received to review the costs, and therefore the work on the new route has been paused.
It is therefore Trafikverket that has cancelled a procurement. A consultation that was supposed to take place this autumn has also been postponed indefinitely. This sends very bad signals. It creates concern for those who are affected and have properties in the corridor. They wonder what is happening – should they sell their properties or not? Hence my repeated questions to the government regarding this.
We must keep this issue together. I agree that we should have effective cost control in Sweden. But in these expensive times, things have become more expensive. Therefore, I repeat my question to the Minister: What happens to the Sydostlänken if the costs cannot be reduced?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Let me be clear once again that the assignment to Trafikverket does not mean that Sydostlänken is being removed from the national plan. What is being done now is an important part of the work to increase the agency's cost control.
The National Audit Office has audited the previous government's work with infrastructure planning. The National Audit Office stated: "The government has undermined the long-term infrastructure planning through its management of the Swedish Transport Administration. The Swedish Transport Administration's weak cost control has worsened the situation. The result is poorer transport opportunities and more deaths in traffic than would otherwise have been possible."
Furthermore, it is written in the report: "The purpose of having a national plan is to provide long-term conditions for infrastructure investments that require very long planning horizons to be implemented. The economic framework that the Riksdag decided on following the proposal in the infrastructure bill dimensions how much new infrastructure Trafikverket needs to plan for the next 12 years. This planning, however, is quickly undermined by extensive cost increases in Trafikverket's operations. As long as Trafikverket's cost control continues to be deficient, all long-term infrastructure planning will be associated with great uncertainty."
The new government, which I represent, has shifted gears for the railway infrastructure. Our focus is that the railway investments made shall be cost-effective. It is against that background that we have tasked Trafikverket to identify and, if possible, implement appropriate cost-reducing measures on the Sydostlänken project due to the increasing costs.
I would like to answer the member with a counter-question, Madam Speaker. If another project in some other part of the country had such significantly increased costs that other investments, for example Sydostlänken, were threatened – that is, if one in that project does not hold back and does everything possible to take measures for cost control – how would Heléne Björklund have viewed that? Would she have wanted the government in that situation to have given carte blanche and said that it is just a matter of pushing on, whatever the cost may be, or would she have thought it had been important that the government do everything possible to keep costs down, so that Sydostlänken would not be threatened? It is precisely this that this question is about.
We have very large needs throughout the country. The benefits and the urgency in many parts are great, but we have limited resources. Therefore, it is very important to address the lack of cost control, which the Swedish National Audit Office has criticized, and do what can be done to see which cost-reducing measures are available.
I have a question and an example. If a lack of cost control somewhere else in Sweden had threatened the Sydostlänken, what measures does Heléne Björklund think the government should have taken then?
Heléne Björklund (S)
Madam Speaker! I must begin by reminding who represents the government today. Unfortunately, it is not I, so it is I who ask the questions and the minister who must come to the Riksdag and answer. But thank you for the questions, Minister!
I want to reiterate that Trafikverket has cancelled the procurement of the design for the new railway line. This decision alone implies a delay of at least one year, regardless of when the procurement can be resumed, because it takes nine months to get started. What we understand is that it was only one award decision that was missing when the procurement was cancelled. I naturally understand that they must do so when they receive such an assignment from the government, but I hope that the minister and the government understand the concern this creates and the signals this sends.
It is not only the parts concerning the business sector that we want to highlight. We have Volvo, Ikea and the ports - large companies that are dependent on the investment being carried out - but we also have the new conditions resulting from the fact that we are now Nato allies. I am sure that the Minister for Infrastructure will hear repeatedly that this requires a more robust and better infrastructure.
Blekinge is also one of the designated locations in the DCA agreement, where the Ronneby squadron is located, which also requires that we have robust communications, where the Sydostlänken is one of the parts.
I want to repeat my questions regarding how the continued work on the Sydostlänken will now proceed if there are no conditions to reduce the costs. Of course, we should be cost-effective, but what will happen to the Sydostlänken if it is not possible?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I am fully aware of what is expected of a government minister during interpellation debates. Therefore, I was very careful to answer the questions.
The first question was answered with my clear statement that the assignment does not mean that the Sydostlänken is removed from the national plan. The second question concerned the continued work. Given that it is important to have a high momentum here, the assignment is short, and Trafikverket shall return with an account as soon as possible, but no later than April 26 this year.
With this, Madam Speaker, I answered the interpellant's questions in the interpellation, and I thought there was a point in asking a question back, namely how the member viewed an example where another project with lack of cost control and increased costs in another part of the country threatened the Sydostlänken.
I understand that Heléne Björklund does not want to answer the question, because it touches on the importance of having good cost control in every project and every measure, because otherwise, there is a risk of consequences elsewhere in our very strained infrastructure.
We have a great need to strengthen the infrastructure and its robustness. There are large and new demands on the infrastructure as a result of the security policy situation, as a result of our NATO membership, and as a result of the new industrialization occurring also in those parts of the country that Heléne Björklund represents.
It is not a question of any other part of the country here, but it is an important underlining that we have cost control in all parts to get as much infrastructure as possible for the money. That was why, Madam Speaker, I posed the question back – after having answered the member's questions, I want to emphasize. It points to the importance of cost control, which the Swedish National Audit Office has also been clear about and which the government will continue to monitor, so that we get more infrastructure for the money in the whole country.
Again: This does not mean that the Sydostlänken is removed from the national plan, but Trafikverket shall return as soon as possible with cost reductions, if possible, to ensure good progress in the project.
Heléne Björklund (S)
Madam Speaker! I want to introduce another perspective that the Minister also touched upon, and that is to keep Sweden together. This clearly concerns communications, where different parts of the country should not be pitted against each other. It also concerns keeping the population and the country together, where those types of questions naturally also become a part of it.
Now the interpellation is not about that, but we recently had a blunder and debacle with the state airport in Ronneby, which is also located in Blekinge. It was singled out and it was said that it would not remain in the state mandate. That question has been resolved, but it is such things that create concern, in this case in Blekinge.
It is important to keep the communications together in the whole country, and one tip for the government there is to expand the budget. I understand that it is more expensive now because we have high prices, but one can invest more in railways and infrastructure. It is a very good tip, I think.
Otherwise, I thank you for the answers. I look forward to the answers from Trafikverket on 26 April. I can promise the Minister that I will return to this issue thereafter.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I thank you for this promise. According to the wording of the mandate, Trafikverket shall respond as soon as possible, so it may happen that they respond before April 26.
I want to say in this context that the answer to cost increases is not just to pour more money into the budget. We will need to invest more in railway and road in the country. The basis for the direction describes that even the current national plan is heavily underfunded if we are to succeed in regaining deferred maintenance and succeed with the projects that are already planned, for example Norrbotniabanan, Lund-Hässleholm and Göteborg-Borås. In that case, 150 billion is required in addition to the national plan.
So, there is no doubt that the needs are great. We need to invest more in railway and road, but in parallel with this, we must continue with cost control and ensure that there is more money for infrastructure, but also that we get more infrastructure for the money. It is against this background that Trafikverket has received its assignment. I say it again: It is not about the Sydostlänken being removed from the national plan, but it is a cost control assignment.
When it comes to Ronneby airport, I was glad to be able to give the announcement that we will not proceed with the investigator's proposal to remove Ronneby from the national base supply. There are many good reasons for that, not least Blekinge's very strategic and important geographical location but also security policy and defense policy reasons.
I want to emphasize that there is a lot in Heléne Björklund's argumentation and reasoning. It is about the fact that we must achieve even more cost-effective infrastructure investments so that we can afford all the commitments and needs that exist in all of Sweden. This includes Blekinge, of course, I want to be clear. If there was any concern, I hope that this debate has cleared it away.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.