Response to interpellation 2023/24:722 on the Malmbanan
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD argues that the government has tasked Trafikverket with prioritizing capacity increases on the Malmbanan through extensions of passing loops 1 2. KD emphasizes that the government is acting with high speed by investigating axle load increases and coordinating with Norwegian authorities 2. S considers that the acute situation requires immediate and extensive improvements because the track's condition is poor and the capacity is fully utilized 3. S suggests that double tracks should be loan-financed or that LKAB should finance the construction 4 and wants to free up capacity on existing main lines 5. S argues that double tracks are crucial for industry, the economy, and defense capability 6.
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! Fredrik Lundh Sammeli has asked me what measures I and the government plan to take immediately to address the acute delivery problems on the Malmbanan and ensure that capacity is maintained. Fredrik Lundh Sammeli has further asked me what long-term strategies and measures I and the government have to ensure a stable and efficient railway infrastructure on the Malmbanan and in the region.
The transport infrastructure in northern Sweden is of crucial importance for both commuting and freight traffic in the region. The Government has therefore tasked Trafikverket with prioritizing measures in the current national plan concerning capacity increases on the Malmbanan. This concerns several extensions of passing loops: Harrträsk, Nourtikon, Näsberg, and Murjek. According to the assignment, Trafikverket shall work towards completing the relevant measures as early as possible and enable a more efficient implementation through coordination with other planned trimming and reinvestment measures on the stretch.
The needs within the Swedish transport infrastructure are great, and maintenance has been neglected. For many years, sufficient maintenance of roads and railways has not been carried out, which has contributed to the accumulated need that is now at hand. Therefore, in August last year, the government tasked Trafikverket to report on measures to strengthen the execution of railway maintenance and the robustness, reliability, and punctuality of railway traffic.
The Government has also initiated the work on a new national plan for the period 2026-2037. In January this year, Trafikverket presented the basis that will form the foundation for an infrastructure bill with new economic frameworks and direction for a new plan.
Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer.
Double track on the Malmbanan needs to be built now, and it is urgent.
Revenue losses of 100 million a day and a massive stockpiling of ore - that was the result of this winter's failure on the Malmbanan. LKAB has announced that they must reduce their production due to the railway's poor condition, and that limitation also has consequences for exports. The capacity of Malmbanan is already fully utilized, and there is therefore no room to roll out the already built-up stock. And the problems are growing.
The risk is imminent that LKAB will be forced to lay off hundreds of employees and that the state treasury will lose billions in revenue if rapid and extensive improvements of the railway's capacity are not carried out. It is from this serious situation that I submitted my interpellation to the Minister.
What measures does the government intend to take immediately to ensure capacity? What is the government's plan moving forward to ensure a stable and functioning Malmbanan, capable of meeting a growing need?
The answer I receive therefore feels a bit too much like a standard answer 1 A. The situation is so much more serious, Mr. Minister.
Maintenance is neglected - yes. Investments in projects that the previous government ensured in the plan are being accelerated - good. But the answer to this acute problem cannot be that the government has begun work on a national plan for the period 2026-2037. That is not enough. We are in a completely new situation. The 137-year-old Malmbanan is deteriorating rapidly. The green transition in northern Sweden is increasing the needs, and all of this is happening here and now.
Madam Speaker! At the beginning of last year, Europe's eyes were turned towards Kiruna. Sweden has a proud future as a mining nation, said Minister for Enterprise Ebba Busch, and in her hand she held the rare earth metals that the union needs for the green transition. If the government continues to be passive, it will be and remain empty words.
It is high time that the government acts so that the Malmbanan receives the double track required to secure the future as a mining nation. When the Minister, in his response to me, says that "the transport infrastructure in northern Sweden has a crucial importance for both commuting and freight traffic in the region," it is only half the truth.
Malmbanan is absolutely crucial for Sweden as a nation. It connects our entire country, and it is a prerequisite for a large part of our base industry. The export value it creates is also an important foundation of our welfare.
Malmbanan is a central part of our national infrastructure and important for Sweden's exports. Nearly 50 percent of all tonnage transported on Sweden's railways travels on a fragile single track between Luleå, Kiruna, and Narvik. The green transition of the industries in Norrbotten and northern Sweden also leads, here and now, to an increased need for transport.
What acute measures is the government taking here and now beyond what was already known before the winter's failure? What does the government's long-term plan look like?
More needs to be done than the answer the Minister gave initially, and I hope to be able to debate that.
Gunilla Svantorp (S)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the answer. I also felt that I wanted to share a conversation we had on Wednesday when Omtag Svensk Järnväg invited us to a breakfast meeting for the launch of the report Industrial Brake or Industrial Boost? There is a great deal of useful information in that report.
SSAB and Hitachi from Ludvika also participated in the conversation. They were two of the twenty companies that had been interviewed in the report and who described exactly what the previous speaker told about – how the industry is affected when the railway does not function.
As can be read in the report, the industry consists of 800,000 people who work there. It is 20 percent of the country's GDP. Still, we see that they have difficulty getting their goods out, partly due to disruptions that occur but also because there is actually too little capacity. When maintenance is performed on the tracks, it is stopped, and one cannot then travel as usual.
I would like to say that it is a very readable report that covers a lot. One example that is taken up is that transport times are increasing, which means there is an uncertainty from many companies about whether one should actually dare to hire the train. For example, the transport time between Hallsberg and the port of Gothenburg has increased by 35 percent over the last little over 20 years.
Since 1985, long-distance freight transport has doubled, but almost all of that increase has occurred by road with trucks. Given the need for a climate transition, one might think that transport should not have to take place by road because the railway has not met the requirements.
We know that a fully loaded freight train corresponds to 50 trucks or 70 long-haul trucks. 400 freight trains run per day in Sweden. It is clear that it is important that the railway works and that it works here and now.
The previous S-led government had a freight transport council that brought the industry together. It would be interesting if the Minister would like to say something about how this work is progressing and whether it has been updated. What happens when the Minister meets with the industry?
As the opposition, we are not involved, but if one has a council, there are minutes and so on. Today, there is nothing that the opposition can take part in, so it would be interesting to hear the Minister reason a little bit regarding freight transport strategy here and now.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I am happy to do so, Gunilla Svantorp, because freight transport and freight capacity are among the very clear priorities. One only has to ask the sector itself how close and frequent a dialogue I have with the freight carriers and companies that the member mentioned. I have had meetings with them at the Ministry.
It is of course the case that the transport infrastructure is either a bottleneck or an enabler for the large industrial investments that are now being made in our country. So it is also for the increased preparedness that needs to take place and which is taking place through the expansion of the defense as a result of our membership in Nato.
We are therefore working very closely, not only through meetings. Already at this stage, this is reflected in the decisions made at the start of the revision of the national plan, in order to prioritize the freight transport flows.
Fredrik Lundh Sammeli says that I gave a standard answer 1 A. That is correct if by this he means that a standard answer 1 A means that I point out measures that have been taken to increase the capacity on the Malmbanan as quickly as possible.
We have tasked Trafikverket with advancing the extensions of meeting stations, not at one location, not at two locations, not at three locations, but at four locations, in order to increase capacity in the short term. Urgent measures were needed given the large needs that exist.
If Fredrik Lundh Sammeli is serious about the fact that double tracks on the Malmbanan need to be built now – that is, today, Madam Speaker – then a great deal of responsibility falls back on the previous government. That is how it is with the planning of transport infrastructure. The member becomes personally liable. Why did the previous government not do what this government does, that is, prioritizes the Malmbanan, sees what we can do to get different measures in place faster, and ensures that the work to produce plans for the railway between Luleå and Boden gets started.
The work is already underway, Madam Speaker. Trafikverket has begun the work of preparing railway plans for double tracks on the Luleå-Boden section, despite the fact that financing decisions are not yet in place, thanks to the government being so clear that this is an interest not only for the north and not only for Sweden but also for the EU and our allies in Nato.
Trafikverket itself assesses that the intensification of the work to develop the railway plans can mean that the process of establishing a double track on the Luleå-Boden section can be shortened by two to three years. These are parts of standard answer 1 A from this government.
We are also acting to see what is possible regarding increasing the capacity for stax, that is, the axle load. If the capacity is increased from 30 to 32 ½ tons, the capacity on the Malmbanan can be increased by 10 percent.
I myself visited Narvik about a month ago together with my Nordic colleagues from Finland and Norway and then asked questions to the Norwegian Railway Directorate regarding how they view the work on the Norwegian side and how it can be expedited.
Trafikverket, Jernbanedirektoratet and Bane NOR are working together to get the stax increase in place. It is important for Kaunis Iron, it is important for LKAB, it is important for Sweden and it is important for the EU.
Do not come and say that the government is not acting with high speed! The question returns to the member, Madam Speaker: What was done, and why did you not act in the same way when you yourself had the chance?
Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)
Madam Speaker! Trafikverket has determined that the acute capacity shortage on the Luleå-Boden section will occur as early as 2030. I support the agency's proposal to debt-finance the construction of double tracks on this section outside the existing infrastructure plan. But it is not enough. In this situation, more things must be added.
We can debate for a long time about what has been done previously, but we know that the Malmbanan has been prioritized. It has been pointed out, and that is why things are happening here and now. It is not the case that the government took office and came to an empty table. Malmbanan has been in the plans and has been prioritized, but what is now happening in Norrbotten requires something more. The winter's failures show that the railway is in worse condition than everyone thought.
The green transition requires higher capacity than we thought five years ago. It is happening here and now, and we all know that you don't build a double track or another line just overnight. That is why the government now needs to be clear about what it intends regarding the development over the coming years.
Double track on the entire stretch is the only reasonable goal, and it is important that this work is started so that it becomes a reality in the years ahead. However, it is not enough to point out the Malmbanan as a prioritized object in the national plan; extra investments must also be added in the short term. Here, the government must ensure that all agencies work towards one and the same goal and do not get stuck in the regulations.
It is very good that we are now accelerating some of the things that have been planned. This in itself risks reducing capacity further, and here the government needs to step in to ensure that all actors cooperate and handle a situation that is acute. This may involve different and more expensive solutions, but the objective must be very clear: to minimize closures of the track and maximize the effect of what is now being done.
The importance of the Malmbanan for Sweden's GDP, industries, and climate transition cannot be overstated. The measures required to ensure the Malmbanan's capacity are unparalleled in comparison to other infrastructure projects. It may even be the case that the entire project must be handled outside the national infrastructure plan.
Raise the road tolls, and find a model to ensure double track on the Narvik-Luleå stretch! Finance the entire construction through loans, or waive the profit distribution from LKAB for a ten-year period and let the company finance the construction!
When it comes to the exact model, it is not for me to stand here and point out one, but there is no doubt that we must act here and now. If we act, the Malmbanan can be expanded and renovated in a way that not only benefits the mining industry but all of Sweden and all the communities and industries that depend on Malmbanan's transports.
If the government does nothing and does not take the lead and act, it will cost us all dearly. What new measures and efforts is the government making, and how does the minister intend to ensure that the capacity on the Malmbanan increases here and now and in the future? For that is what is required.
Gunilla Svantorp (S)
Madam Speaker! When it comes to bottlenecks or enablers, we in politics need to clarify what we actually want and identify bottlenecks in order to then do something about them. This was something that the previous S-government did when it was stated that we need to build new main lines because we have too little capacity. We need to free up capacity so that regional traffic can run on the main lines that already exist.
The deficiencies that the new main lines were intended to solve remain, and we have still not heard what the government intends to do about it more than that we are waiting for the national plan. In the 1800s, they could build a railway in seven years, Madam Speaker. Today, it takes seven to ten years just to plan, and infinitely many more years to then build the railway. I think that as a politician, one needs to reflect a bit on what it is that makes it take so long today, when we should have infinitely many more resources at our disposal than they had in the 1800s.
We have had many seminars in the Riksdag about the railway and the railway's importance. I believe it was in the autumn that the southern chambers of commerce were here and had brought the chamber of commerce in the north with them to clarify exactly what Fredrik Lundh Sammeli was touching upon, namely that the whole country is dependent on what happens up north. The north is also dependent on what will happen down in the south. I would like the Minister to reflect a little on this. How are we to get a country that hangs together and where the bottlenecks do not stop our industrial development?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by thanking the members for their commitment.
Fredrik Lundh Sammeli is correct that the Malmbanan is of very great importance not only for the north but for all of Sweden, and as I said in a previous post, it does not only apply within the country's borders but also outside them. It is of importance for the EU, Nato and our neighboring country Norway. This is, therefore, a very pressing issue.
It is, however, a relatively high tone considering that the government has now, in a short time, nevertheless done so much aimed at getting measures within the current national plan in place more quickly. The fact that the railway plan is now being prepared for double track Luleå-Boden means that the work is underway. There are no other steps that could accelerate that work beyond the steps that have already been taken.
The railway plan is presented by Trafikverket, and it is assessed that this shortens the process by two to three years. It is very urgent, not least against the background of the year that the member himself mentions, namely 2030. At that time, it will become even tougher with the capacity on an already heavily strained line, and that is why the government has taken and is taking measures.
Regarding the issue of alternative financing, the government has opened up for it. We have been clear that alternative financing of infrastructure may be needed, and we are actively testing it now. Work is ongoing. This is important for getting more money for infrastructure but also for getting more infrastructure for the money. From the government's side, however, we are not sitting and waiting for the national plan to subside after we have come to the Riksdag and locked the frameworks in the infrastructure bill, Madam Speaker, but we are acting already here and now.
What we hear from Fredrik Lundh Sammeli today is perhaps an example of someone who has prepared for a debate but then does not take in what is actually being said in the debate. We are extending meeting sessions. With Norway, we are looking at how one can speed up this with the track capacity so that we can increase the capacity on the Malmbanan by 10 percent by simply enabling heavier loads. We have, with a very clear direction, ensured that Trafikverket has already begun the railway planning work for Luleå-Boden.
So, work is currently underway, and it is also taking place in close dialogue with Trafikverket, Norway, and the industry that is very keen on expanding the capacity of the Malmbanan, as well as with the defense and Nato. I was myself at the Nato headquarters in Brussels last week and had conversations about precisely the Malmbanan and other important parts of the Swedish infrastructure that need to be upgraded to strengthen the capacity in the west-east direction, which our own defense preparedness has highlighted.
I do not think, therefore, that we are so far apart in terms of level of commitment. The difference is that we have taken measures within the current national plan to accelerate actions. At the same time, it is important that we include the measures required to increase capacity when we develop the next national plan.
When it comes to specifically new trunk lines for high-speed trains, it is a bit bold of Member of Parliament Gunilla Svantorp to bring it up in this debate. The decision to cancel that planning frees up 163 billion, according to the National Audit Office's calculations. The project had risked pushing out other very important and necessary measures in the system. That is the reason why we canceled that planning, precisely because we have so many other large needs in our country. We can certainly return to that - now my speaking time is over.
Fredrik Lundh Sammeli (S)
Madam Speaker! Double track on the Malmbanan is not only completely crucial for Sweden's industry and the country's economy and prosperity, but it is - as the Minister points out - also an important part in strengthening and expanding a defense and readiness capability in the entire Barents region from a NATO perspective. When I say that Malmbanan is a pulse artery, I truly mean it. It is Sweden's most heavily trafficked railway. It has bottlenecks that must be removed, otherwise we all become losers.
The construction of double tracks on the Malmbanan is necessary to increase capacity, improve safety, and increase availability for both freight transport and for passenger traffic. It is extremely serious that we now have a debate and a discussion about perhaps needing to close the entire line for passenger traffic in order to manage transporting the piles of ore that are now growing because the capacity is too low.
What the Minister says is good, but more is needed. I truly hope that the Minister understands everything that is currently happening in northern Sweden and the enormous need for infrastructure. If we do not meet that need, the entire country of Sweden will lose out on it. I therefore expect the Minister and the government to do everything they can, based on the plan already in place, to prioritize and accelerate—but also to take measures here and now to maximize the effect and ensure that we do not get less capacity when the measures are implemented. It is an enormously large challenge, but it is required if things are not to become crazy.
Furthermore: What we are to have a debate and a discussion about in the future, the government needs to launch here and now. Point out that a dual track is needed, and the work will also begin!
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I believe we have a very large consensus regarding the importance of strengthening Swedish infrastructure, not least the Malmbanan, as a result of given interests.
As we have touched upon, the interests are not only in Sweden but also in the EU, Nato and our neighboring countries. Finland and Norway were, of course, very keen on this when we were in Narvik a few weeks ago and followed the Nato exercise Immediate Response 24. It was the first time that host nation support and troop movements from Narvik via Sweden to an exercise in Finland were practiced. This therefore has central importance for the defense capability.
We have already taken measures. We have seen what we can do to speed things up - we gave that assignment to Trafikverket - because the situation is so urgent. But it is clear that this will be an important part when we now prepare the new national plan.
I do, however, dare to assert that it is a very unusual move for Trafikverket to begin preparing railway plans for something for which there are no financing decisions yet. This has been dared, if the expression is allowed, precisely because the government has been so clear. This in itself shortens the process by two or three years for the Luleå-Boden stretch. Then we see what we can do to get an extension of meeting stations and speed them up, as well as to increase capacity regarding axle load. This is done in close cooperation with Norway, because it doesn't matter if we do it on the Swedish side if it doesn't go all the way to Narvik on the Ofotbanan.
Work is indeed underway; I can assure the members of that. I want to thank you for the commitment. There is a great consensus within politics and the business community. However, it is clear that there are neglected needs that have now come to light. It is important to address them step by step to get measures in place as soon as it is possible. There is full focus on that.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.