Response to interpellation 2024/25:420 on the start decision for double tracks on the Ostkustbanan
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 initial decision for double tracks on the Ostkustbanan. S argues that the Gävle–Härnösand section is a bottleneck and that double tracks would quadruple the capacity 1. S considers the project to be socio-economically profitable for growth, climate, and security 2, and that the government should accelerate the decision to avoid costly delays 1 3. S wants the government to fully finance the expansion so that municipalities and regions can rely on state agreements 4. S emphasizes that the entire section should be designated to enable efficient construction and EU funding 5. KD argues that the government must use construction start decisions for cost control 6. KD demands renewed underlying data to counter cost increases 7. KD welcomes the consensus regarding cost control 8. KD argues that they strive for more systemic vision and that maintenance is an important part of reclaiming neglected maintenance 9.
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! Peder Björk has asked me if I and the government intend to, as soon as Trafikverket returns with a renewed basis, make a decision on the start of construction for parts of the first double-track section Sundsvall–Dingersjö without awaiting decision bases for other railway projects that later in the mandate period are awaiting decisions on the start of construction. Peder Björk has also asked me how I am working to ensure that a fully completed double track on the Ostkustbanan section Gävle–Härnösand can be completed by 2035 at the latest.
Maintenance of roads and railways has for a long time been allocated too few resources, while cost control for new infrastructure projects has been lacking.
The government decision on construction starts that Peder Björk refers to should be seen against that background. The government has over time seen a worrying cost development in infrastructure projects, which the Swedish National Audit Office has also noted. It is important that projects do not grow in an unjustified way and that efforts are made at all levels to counteract and keep down cost increases.
The government has taken a number of measures to increase cost control. The process with construction start decisions is an important instrument here.
Infrastructure planning is ultimately about choosing which measures should be implemented within a limited budget. The construction start process needs to function as intended, that is, as a control station where changed conditions are managed.
In the government decision, Trafikverket was therefore tasked with producing renewed documentation for several projects. One of the projects that Trafikverket is to return to is Sundsvall–Dingersjö. Trafikverket submitted renewed documentation for this project on 25 February, and the matter is currently being prepared in the Government Offices.
The Riksdag has recently, on the government's proposal in the infrastructure bill, reached a decision on the economic framework for a new national plan for the transport infrastructure for the period 2026–2037.
The Government will now instruct Trafikverket to prepare a proposal for a new national plan for this period. It is only in this part of the process that concrete projects and measures are investigated and analyzed.
Peder Björk (S)
Mr. Speaker! The railway section Gävle–Härnösand is Sweden's longest bottleneck. Along the southern Norrland coast, it is precisely this section that is 27 miles of single track. Despite there being both a need for and a huge demand to run more trains on the section and along the entire Norrland coast, it is currently impossible to do so, simply because there is no room on the 27-mile-long single track.
With an expansion to a double track on the exact same stretch between Gävle and Härnösand, the capacity would be quadrupled and the travel times halved. Therefore, it is so incredibly important that the work continues to achieve a double track on the Ostkustbanan stretch Gävle–Härnösand.
Mr. Speaker! Since 2014, parts of the section have been included in the national plan, funded and designated. It is both bourgeois governments and Social Democratic governments that have seen the need for a double track on the section and prioritized the need in the national plan, by both designating the section and providing resources in the form of money.
Two of the parts included in the national plan concern the Sundsvall travel center and the section Sundsvall–Dingersjö. These are two relatively short sections in context, but so very important.
A few weeks ago, when the government chose to make decisions on the start of construction for a large number of projects around the country, they chose to say okay to the Sundsvall travel center but no to a part of the Sundsvall–Dingersjö stretch. The Minister accounted for the reasons for this previously, namely that they want cost control.
Now, two weeks later, Trafikverket has done an incredibly fast job and returned to the government with a new basis where they have also shown that the costs have been reduced. Right now, the part of the cost that exceeds the budget is 9 percent in 2021 price levels.
I submitted my interpellation precisely because Trafikverket has been so fast. Since there is a need to actually make decisions in the near term so as not to jeopardize the other parts that have been agreed to, I asked the Minister if the Minister can nevertheless see to it that the government is as fast as Trafikverket and prioritizes a quick decision on the issue. Do not sit and wait for a multitude of other reports from other projects around the country.
Mr. Speaker! I did not receive an answer from the Minister regarding this specific matter. I would therefore like to hear if the Minister can speed up the decision-making in the government now that Trafikverket has been so quick to report back on the government's assignment.
Linnéa Wickman (S)
Mr. Speaker! First, I would like to thank the Minister for the opening response.
There are few questions that are so important for my home constituency Gävleborg as that the double track on Ostkustbanan is completed. It is also why I, with some concern, take note of the infrastructure minister's response to Peder Björk's questions. I note the lack of information regarding what the minister and the government are doing to complete the double track by 2035 at the latest. It is a promise made by the country's prime minister and by the minister's party leader Ebba Busch.
Over time since 2014, governments of different political colors have consistently prioritized more resources for the Ostkustbanan. But it is urgent with a message and action that a fully built double track should be completed by 2035 at the latest. It is also fully possible for the government to issue a special assignment for this instead of waiting further.
There are many reasons why a double track on the Ostkustbanan should be prioritized. It is one of the country's most heavily loaded single tracks. There are acute capacity shortages, and it is a track that is a central link for passenger and freight traffic between northern and southern Sweden. The line is incredibly vulnerable to different types of traffic disruptions, which is also demonstrated time and again.
But Ostkustbanan is one of the most well-investigated and planning-mature larger railway projects in the country. The conditions are also good to speed up the double-track construction. We know that travel times would be halved, labor market regions would be significantly enlarged, and commuting on the line would be facilitated. We know that more people will be able to live in one place and work in another. We also know that the business sector's supply of skills would be significantly strengthened. The very question of double-track is among the most common side-notes I receive when I meet representatives from the business sector in my county.
Calculations also show that companies' costs for freight transport would be halved with a double track. It would also benefit growth, and it would benefit the climate.
There is also a security policy perspective here. Given the serious security policy situation and our NATO membership, we know that the infrastructure needs to be strengthened so that we can meet different types of military needs, such as movements and supply chains. In that respect, it therefore means that strengthening the Ostkustbanan is beneficial both from a civil perspective and from a military perspective.
The Minister described here in the debate his concern over the extensive cost increases that many infrastructure projects have incurred. We are, of course, in agreement in this chamber that it is a major problem. But it becomes a bit skewed in the debate regarding specifically the Ostkustbanan, because it is a socio-economically profitable project.
We know that an all-too slow expansion rather causes us to lose competitiveness and growth. We also know that the cost per mile of railway built on the Ostkustbanan is lower than in other comparable projects. And we know that without a fully expanded double track on the Ostkustbanan, the Norrbotniabanan does not reach its full potential either. The system is connected. With the Ostkustbanan, you simply get a lot of railway for the money when the double track is in place.
My question to the Minister is simple: When will the government make the decisive decision to ensure that the entire double track on the Ostkustbanan is completed? Will it be included in the national plan – yes or no?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I thank you very much for the commitment.
The needs in Swedish infrastructure are very large. Therefore, it is important to strengthen the work with cost control. I have no reason to disagree with Linnéa Wickman and Peder Björk regarding the need in this specific individual project. Problems can, however, arise if one reasons a bit like Linnéa Wickman did at the end when she said that cost control is important but that it becomes skewed in this particular case. One could say that we need to look at whether it is possible to push through a project even though it has exceeded the funding that was already decided, as Peder Björk said. In this case, it has exceeded by 13 percent.
It is precisely against the background of the great needs that the government and everyone else in the country see that we need to take a slightly stronger grip on the construction start decisions and use it as an important instrument in the work with cost control.
At the press conference, we provided information about the construction start decisions and the sections and objects where Trafikverket would produce more and more documentation and find cost savings. A very clear statement from me there was that we did not say no, so not as Peder Björk said.
We have not said no to any of these objects that were sent back. What we have said is that we expect them to be reviewed and that Trafikverket shall come back with renewed documentation by May 19 at the latest. We have also said that we are then ready to process them expeditiously. I have also in other contexts been clear that we will not wait for the collective documentation for every object but stand ready to act as soon as the documentation comes in.
That was also the message I gave in my response here. Trafikverket submitted renewed documentation for this object on February 25, and the matter is currently being prepared in the Government Offices. We do not, therefore, have it on a waiting list until May 19, when we wait for all other objects and documentation, but we have already started the preparation. It is underway.
I can state that Trafikverket was very fast. I see that as very positive. An important part of cost control is that one also has a high momentum in the work with infrastructure. They do not exclude each other.
Regarding the section Sundsvall–Dingersjö, Trafikverket has reported that the project's maturity level has increased. This leads to cost reductions of 30 million kronor. And the cost increases have, compared to the current national plan, as stated, decreased from 13 percent to 9 percent. It is very positive and a very positive piece of work.
It also highlights that it is important to use the construction start decisions as an important control point. Here, Trafikverket sees that there are cost reductions of 30 million kronor. That information is, of course, important, so that the government has updated data when we are then to make decisions.
We will not drag this out. I have no information on exactly when we will reach a decision. I hope the members have respect for this, as we received it only a few weeks ago, on February 25. But we are already preparing the matter. Thus, I have answered the first of the interpellant's questions.
Regarding the second question, I must refer to the fact that we have now reached a decision on an infrastructure bill with historically large investments. We will return to the individual items in the action planning.
Peder Björk (S)
Mr. Speaker! I will begin by doing something that is perhaps a bit unusual when one is in opposition. I will thank you for the answer and actually praise the Minister for it being clear and concrete. I really like to hear that. It is good for the dialogue and for the debate on the important investments in infrastructure that were so much needed in this country.
Just as the Minister points out, cost control is incredibly important. I think, as the Minister, that it is good that the government uses the construction start decisions to ensure that the costs for projects do not spiral out of control. It is very good.
To clarify for those listening, I can say that I took the initiative for the interpellation because the two projects that have now been up for discussion – Sundsvall's travel center and parts of the Sundsvall–Dingersjö stretch – are interconnected and are very closely linked.
The government has said yes to the Sundsvall travel center. But the fact is that if one does not say yes to the section Sundsvall–Dingersjö, Trafikverket has been very clear that they must postpone the implementation of the Sundsvall travel center. We are not talking about weeks or months here or there, but that it must be postponed this year. This, if at all, will increase the costs of the investments on the Ostkustbanan, which are so much needed. This, in turn, risks postponing other projects further into the future.
Trafikverket has also been clear that a decision from the government is needed already now in the beginning of March for this to be possible. This is not least about the fact that parts of the rail traffic need to be shut down when the project is to be carried out, and that is decided several years in advance. For that reason, from a cost control perspective, it is extremely important that the government, as I nevertheless perceive the Minister to be signaling now, is prepared to make a decision in the near future and quickly to ensure this.
It is clear that an overrun of the budget by 9 percent, according to the latest report from Trafikverket, is a lot of money. It is not good that one overruns. But there are many, many more projects in the country that overrun by significantly more, by 20, 30 or 40 percent.
The government actually needs to evaluate the projects in comparison with other projects. The absolute best cost control is to carry out the projects that are already underway for implementation, in order not to push them further ahead in time and cause delays that Trafikverket then cannot repair. Then it becomes significantly more expensive.
My contribution here and now is that I hope that the Minister holds onto this issue and that within the next week or two we simply get a decision from the government which means that even this part of the stretch, Sundsvall–Dingersjö, can actually begin to be built.
Linnéa Wickman (S)
Mr. Speaker! I must nevertheless say that I had hoped to receive a clearer statement from the Minister to dispel the doubts regarding whether the government will honor its election promises and fully fund the expansion of double tracks on the Ostkustbanan. I do not mean merely individual stages, but that the entire project is scheduled for implementation. The conditions are favorable, the social benefit is great, and there is a strong political consensus that this stretch is important.
But there is also more at stake in this. There are municipalities along this stretch that have entered into agreements with the state – Gävle is one example. The municipality's planning and commitments according to the urban environment agreement concluded in 2017 are dependent on the state doing its part regarding the financing of the relocation of the freight yard, which in turn is also connected to the issue of the railway connection to Gävle harbor.
At its core, this is about something that is simple and fundamentally important, namely that municipalities and regions should be able to rely on that an agreement with the state holds over time. I therefore assume that the agreement will be honored by the government and that the economic resources required for this will now be provided.
My appeal to the government is clear: Do not let the double-track expansion of the Ostkustbanan fall behind, but honor your election promises! Make the necessary decisions so that the entire section can be completed, and do it so that it is finished by 2035 at the latest! It is up to you now.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I want to begin by underlining that I view the consensus on cost control very positively. I truly welcome what Peder Björk says, that it is important to have this as a foundation for a trusting dialogue regarding important infrastructure investments.
I am fully aware that this type of announcement, where an object is sent back so that more information or more budget documents can be produced or co-financing increased to bring down the cost, creates concern and can raise questions. I am happy to answer those questions. I was also, Mr. Speaker, already very clear when this was communicated that it does not mean that the different objects are removed from the national plan, but rather that we now need to strengthen the work on cost control.
At the previous construction start decision, there were three objects that were subject to the additional control and thus were sent back to Trafikverket. They came back with all three parts, and they are now in the national plan and have also received construction start decisions.
In this round, there were six objects that were sent back for investigation of which cost-reducing measures can be taken. Several of them are over budget; two of them are over by 30 percent and one by around 20 percent. I therefore truly agree with Peder Björk that there are more projects beyond this individual one that have run away.
I am, also when I meet regional politicians and staff at Trafikverket, very clear that it is just as important to have a culture of cost control regardless of whether it concerns billions, millions, or even thousands of kronor. It is in this strained situation, when the needs in Swedish infrastructure are so great, very important that every krona is used so that it serves the best purpose. It is about more money for infrastructure, but it is also about more infrastructure for the money. I am glad for the consensus that exists here.
I have already stated that we will prepare this without waiting for the decision basis for the other railway projects. That preparation is already underway. In that, we are, of course, looking at a holistic assessment. It is relevant, just as Peder Björk is pointing out, to see what the alternative is. I said earlier that it is important with cost control but also to secure a high pace of progress. I am aware that one of the reasons that Trafikverket has handled this matter so quickly is that the track closures that need to be made are already scheduled. Therefore, Trafikverket is eager for a quick decision. This is something that we are now preparing, and I look forward to returning to it.
I will also return to the question regarding long-term infrastructure planning. That is the next step. The message at this stage is that we are now making a historically large investment with an emphasis on maintenance – to manage the common resources in the best possible way. There are also funds for new investments. But even here, resources are limited, and therefore I do not want to precede the process that we are currently in the middle of, where Trafikverket will soon be commissioned to produce the action planning. It will come, and it will be sent out for consultation to all regions in Sweden and also to other actors. After that, the government will return with a decision regarding the next national plan. That is how the planning horizon looks.
I understand that there can always be an interest in receiving information faster regarding individual objects. But if everyone were to receive it, we would not be able to have the coherent planning process that we agreed upon some time ago that we should have in Sweden. I believe the members respect this. But I really want to thank you for the commitment.
Peder Björk (S)
Mr. Speaker! I think it is very good when we can get clear messages here in the chamber – as I said earlier, it is appreciated.
I am also well aware that the Minister has a good grasp of the fact that railways and railway sections are parts of a system. The Government made a big point of the fact that construction start decisions were made for the Norrbotniabanan and the Luleå–Skellefteå section. But the full effect of the Norrbotniabanan or other parts along the Norrland coast will not be achieved until Sweden's longest bottleneck is built away: 27 miles of single-track railway between Gävle and Härnösand. Furthermore, double-track provides an immediate positive effect for every section where it is built.
That is why, when we discuss double-tracking on the Ostkustbanan, it is important to look at the bigger picture and not just look at these relatively short sections, even though they are very important. But the sections we have discussed today are very short in relation to the whole of 27 miles.
The government's representative in the form of the Prime Minister has, both before and after the election, promised that the double track on Ostkustbanan shall be completed by 2035. It may sound like a very long time, but in this context, it is a relatively short time – both I and the Minister know that. Decisions are therefore urgent.
To relate to what we have talked about several times, cost control – is it something that would create lower costs and cost control if the government dared to point out the entire stretch Gävle–Härnösand. Then one can achieve efficient construction and also opportunities for financing from the EU.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Just the systems perspective, moving from stages to more of corridors, is exactly what we point out in the infrastructure bill. I am therefore very pleased with the support for the government's clear focus. We clarify this in the infrastructure bill and are eager to move towards more of a systems view. We have seen, Mr. Speaker, in one of the assignments from the government that Trafikverket has worked on regarding punctuality in railway traffic, that an interruption at Borlänge station has an effect all the way from the Malmbanan down to Malmö.
It is very true that this is connected. It is important to see how we quickly get the maximum possible effect for the entire system. An important part is, of course, to maintain the facility in a better way so that basic maintenance reaches a level where the condition of the Swedish railway does not get worse year by year, but we begin to reclaim the deferred maintenance and pay off and amortize the maintenance debt.
Together with this, well-defined, prioritized sections are needed that strengthen entire corridors and the entire system. This is what Trafikverket will work with when preparing proposals for various measures in the assignment it will receive from the government. It will then be referred for consultation.
It is of course important that this happens as promptly as possible and that as much effect as possible is achieved – for reasons of preparedness, for the needs of industry, and so that people can trust that they can transport themselves in a reliable way in our country. That work is ongoing.
I thank you for the support and for the consensus and look forward to returning. Thank you very much for the debate!
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.