Response to interpellation 2025/26:378 on the Öresund Link

Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Eva Lindh has asked me what timetable applies today for new tracks between Linköping and Norrköping and when these tracks will be put into operation for full traffic. She has further asked me if I intend to take measures to enable a connection from the station location in Linköping south towards the Södra stambanan.

Trafikverket's planning process for Ostlänken is ongoing. Construction has begun for some parts of the route, while some parts are still under planning. During the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2027, continued work with consultation activities is planned where Trafikverket presents proposals for the railway's design and planned land claims. I cannot, however, anticipate the planning process and comment on what is an appropriate design of individual objects.

Trafikverket has had the government's mandate to develop a proposal for a new national transport-wide plan for the period 2026–2037 based on the new economic frameworks, which represent a historical investment and have increased by over 200 billion kronor compared to the previous planning period to 1,171 billion kronor. The proposal was presented on 30 September and has been subject to consultation.

It is a comprehensive assignment that Trafikverket has reported and which the government is now analyzing. The government intends to make decisions on what the national plan will look like during the spring of 2026.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Eva Lindh (S)

Madam Speaker! Linköping and Norrköping today constitute an interwoven labor market region. This means that thousands of people every day commute between the cities, for work, studies, and socially important functions.

But the capacity on the tracks has reached its limit. Commuters are left on platforms when trains are cancelled. Delays are part of everyday life. The uncertainty affects people's life puzzles, employers' planning, and the region's development. The cause is well-known: There are too few tracks, too low capacity, and too high a load. That is precisely why Ostlänken is so crucial.

Ostlänken is not about prestige. It is about exactly more tracks, higher capacity and a functioning everyday life for people in Östergötland. It is about jobs, climate, growth and a country that hangs together. But instead of progress, we now see delays. Trafikverket's new plan shows that Ostlänken is not even calculated to be finished by 2037.

Madam Speaker! This is about travelers. But it is also about municipalities and businesses that have planned housing, workplaces, and investments based on the state's promises regarding infrastructure. When the projects are now delayed, the legs are cut out from under planning and confidence in the future. It also undermines trust in the state and the promises that are given. If state promises cannot be relied upon – how then are municipalities to dare to plan long-term?

At the same time, we hear the government speak of historical infrastructure investments. We heard it just now here in the speaker's chair. But the truth is that the appropriations for railways have decreased and that important investments are being pushed into the future.

To this is added another serious problem: There is still no plan for how the Ostlänken shall connect south from Linköping to the Södra stambanan. For Linköping, this means major problems for urban development. For the region, it means poorer opportunities for commuting and regional expansion. It means, therefore, that the plan currently only concerns into Linköping and not out of Linköping.

There is a broad regional consensus on this, also between the different political parties. One cannot build four tracks into Linköping and then pretend that the capacity problem to the south disappears by itself. Continued planning was needed, political decisions were needed, and responsibility was needed.

Even though this government does not currently intend to plan the work from the middle of Linköping down towards Jönköping and further south, one day it will also be necessary to make reinforcements there because the stretch between Linköping and Mjölby is also so heavily loaded, but also because the needs to the south, north, and in between will increase.

I therefore wonder what the Minister for Infrastructure's message is to all those who are standing on the platform and waiting right now.

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Clara Aranda (SD)

Madam Speaker! There is much that can be said about the Öresund Link. Today, I intend to focus on what consequences and direct risks the construction will entail for the part affecting Norrköping Municipality in Östergötland, which, for understandable reasons, I am more familiar with as a resident of Norrköping.

To be more specific, I want to place particular focus on the approximately eight-kilometer-long tunnel that is to be built through Kolmården, an extensive project that will continue for many years to come. The construction will involve heavy transport, noise, and vibrations over a very long period of time.

Blasting, logging, excavation, rock crushing, production of concrete and so on are a number of examples of things that can contribute to increased risks for both people and the environment. In addition to that, we have consequences such as increased exhaust emissions, turbidity of watercourses, dust and dirt, and also traffic congestion where the E4 through the area becomes heavily burdened.

The municipal water source in Kolmården, which supplies water to approximately 6,000 people and additionally to Kolmården's zoo, risks being affected by any contamination of the drinking water, which would be very serious.

Madam Speaker! Many surely know about the much-publicized landslide at the E6 in Stenungsund on September 23, 2023. Experts warn that the occurrence of landslides may increase in different parts of the country.

In Sweden, several serious accidents have occurred in connection with landslides. The most serious of its kind in our country was a landslide outside Norrköping in 1918, which caused a railway accident where 42 people lost their lives. The risk of landslides in the Kolmård area outside Norrköping, where trains pass at regular intervals, remains imminent.

We also cannot ignore the fact that the ground's stability is affected when loading excavation masses. Even heavy and constantly recurring transports of crushed stone will increase the risk of landslides.

We also know that the slopes in the area mean that the ground is not stable due to gravity. Prolonged rainy weather in combination with heavy rainfall could be sufficient to trigger a landslide with fearsome consequences as a result.

Despite the fact that the construction of Ostlänken may increase the risk in an already vulnerable area, a risk analysis regarding landslides is missing in Trafikverket's plan description for Ostlänken for this specific area.

Madam Speaker! I stand here today because many residents of Norrköping, and particularly those living in the Kolmård area, are deeply concerned and want answers. They deserve a clear answer.

Trafikverket, as the responsible authority, has an important role in living up to its responsibility and taking the conceivable measures that are required. I would therefore appreciate it if the Minister could say something more specific about how the government is working to ensure a full readiness to be able to handle the conceivable and serious consequences that I have raised in my speech, which may affect both people and the environment during the construction of Ostlänken.

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Åsa Karlsson (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to Member Lindh for the opportunity to debate this issue in the chamber today!

Linköping and Norrköping are, just as Member Lindh said in his speech, a common labor market region. Every day, thousands of people commute between these two locations to participate in studies or travel to their work and contribute to growth. We know, however, that the tracks have long been full and that the trains are as well. The capacity has long been reached. This must be addressed.

That is why it is so important that the Ostlänken is built and completed. It is a necessary investment, not just for Östergötland but for all of Sweden – for an Östergötland that holds together and for a Sweden that holds together.

Madam Speaker! The East Link is largely about jobs for people and a functioning labor market region. But it is also about the climate transition, about being able to take the train instead of taking the car. We know that the size of labor market regions is not measured in miles but in time.

Ostlänken is, as said, about connecting Östergötland but also about connecting our country. It is about giving people opportunities to live and reside in a growing region. It is about a Sweden that shall function, not just in our very largest cities but in the whole country.

Now we unfortunately see delays in the construction. Trafikverket's announcement that Ostlänken is further delayed and is not even expected to be completed by 2037 is unfortunate. It means that the capacity increase that is needed is pushed into the future. We do not have time to wait for that. This is also happening at the same time as municipalities and the business sector have already planned investments based on the state's previous promises.

Madam Speaker! The Government often speaks of historical infrastructure investments, but we do not see them in reality. In practice, the appropriations have decreased, just as Member Lindh said.

We are now seeing several decisive projects being pushed into the future across the country. We must ensure that these projects are not actually individual projects but parts of corridors. We must have this corridor perspective for the infrastructure in Sweden to function.

Then my question comes: What does the timeline look like today? When will Ostlänken be in place, and when will the tracks be in full operation?

(Applause)

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Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I answered the members' questions in my opening statement. I cannot anticipate the planning process. I must not and cannot comment on what is the appropriate design of individual objects.

However, it is important that infrastructure is put in place faster and that we challenge different ways of thinking and working. That is what the government has done. What we see now is largely a consequence of previous planning and how work has been carried out. Of course, it is important, now that we are opening up for alternative forms of implementation according to the proposal that an investigator has presented about creating institutional competition for Trafikverket and finding new ways to plan, build, and then also operate infrastructure, i.e., manage its operation.

There is much to learn from other countries. I do not exclude the possibility that there is much to learn also from the examples that the members bring up.

I would, however, like to dwell on what the members are saying. The truth is that the appropriations for railways have decreased, says member Lindh. That is, in that case, a very flexible way of looking at the truth. I would like Eva Lindh to elaborate on what she means.

Åsa Karlsson says that we do not see the historical investments in practice. I would like to ask Åsa Karlsson to open her eyes and start looking at what is happening. We are carrying out more maintenance than ever in the Swedish railway network. We are getting more maintenance on Swedish roads than ever before.

Åsa Karlsson also says that the appropriations have decreased in practice. That is also a very flexible way of looking at things.

The initiative is historically large. It is not a lie, but a truth – and it can be verified by facts. But it does not seem that the members want to stick to the facts in the debate, and therefore I want to provide a piece of factual information. Of approximately 1,200 billion kronor, an increase in fixed prices of 200 billion, and thus, if one calculates in the same way, an increase of approximately 27 percent compared to the current plan, the government allocates approximately half to maintenance.

This is telling. Eva Lindh speaks about the causes of train delays, but she does not mention the word maintenance. It is the deficiencies in the infrastructure that are part of why punctuality has been worse. When last year's statistics were finalized, we saw in Sweden that punctuality was better. What we could point to was that maintenance had increased.

Last year we completed 1,700 major maintenance works in the Swedish railway network. It was a record year – now I wait until the members listen – and this year we will complete 1,800 maintenance measures. It seems that it has passed the members by, but now we see the historical investment in practice.

We have already tasked Trafikverket to ramp up, that is, to strengthen the maintenance work so that one can rely on the railway in our elongated country. This is something that should have been done a long time ago, and I am the first to admit it. During the last four years, i.e., when Åsa Karlsson's and Eva Lindh's party held the post of Swedish Minister for Infrastructure, the maintenance debt on the railway increased by almost 40 billion in four years. This year was the first year that the maintenance debt did not continue to increase.

Talk is often warm about railway infrastructure, but when you lay the cards on the table and see what you have actually accomplished, it becomes empty. That is why I am clear that this infrastructure investment is historic. It is already becoming visible, but much work remains.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Madam Speaker! I listened carefully to what the Minister for Infrastructure said – the entire answer.

I thank you for the answer, even though I do not feel that I have become any wiser now than from Andreas Carlsson's previous answer; he cannot precede, he cannot say anything, but it will come.

But this is not a reassuring message for either me or those who are in this situation. We have waited for too long – that is what we agree on. Construction began, and then hope grew. That is good. We were all happy when the groundbreaking took place for the first parts of Ostlänken. It is fantastic! We have worked for a long time for this.

I, as a municipal politician and municipal council member in Linköping, have followed the process for many years. But when decisions are pushed into the future, a great frustration grows among the population in Östergötland. People have lost faith that the construction will happen because it is constantly being pushed forward.

There are needs, and not just of doing the important things that we actually still talk about. I mentioned in my first part the stretch up to Linköping. Those hopes have been pushed into the future. But what is not seen at all is the extension out of Linköping, further west and then south. There are great needs. There, the Minister for Infrastructure gives no answers. I have full respect for the fact that planning is underway, but what the Minister can say today is whether he sees the need, whether he sees how it affects not only travelers but also the opportunities for planning for the business sector, the municipalities, and the regions.

Madam Speaker! Since a Member of Parliament cannot so often pose questions to the Sweden Democrats, I would like to take the opportunity while Member Aranda is present in the debate.

There are some rumors – it might be hearsay – that Sverigedemokrater are traveling around the country and saying that a station layout in Linköping or an east link further down through Östergötland is not an important investment. Now that Member of Parliament Aranda is entering the debate, it might be appropriate not just to talk about things I cannot answer, but about the questions that have been asked to the Minister for Infrastructure regarding planning and concerns about what might happen. What the Sverigedemokrater's spokesperson in the debate can answer is how Sverigedemokrater see this. Is there a need for an east link, or do they not care about future railway investments for Sweden's sake? I would very much like to have an answer to that from Clara Aranda in the debate.

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Clara Aranda (SD)

Madam Speaker! I thought I would start by trying to answer Eva Lindh.

First and foremost, one should not believe rumors. Regarding Ostlänken, we do not oppose the construction. We stand behind it, and we have voted for Ostlänken. The members should be aware of that.

I wanted to return to what I want to talk about today. For many people in Norrköping, it is important to have it confirmed that there is a full readiness in place with the construction. The concerns that I raise regarding Kolmården are examples of something that could develop into something serious if one does not have the right readiness. I truly hope that the minister can provide some kind of answer to my questions to calm worried residents of Norrköping and Kolmården. That would be valuable.

I also want to highlight the fact that at Bråviken's coast, the national interest provisions apply – that which is called highly exploited coast according to chapter 4 of the Environmental Code. Within that area, in addition to the rule that natural and cultural values may not be significantly damaged, special rules also apply for recreational buildings and certain types of industrial facilities that are subject to the government's permit review according to chapter 7 of the Environmental Code.

Just outside the permitted corridor, there is an additional national interest for outdoor recreation in the Kolmården strövområde as well as a national interest for cultural heritage conservation in Krokek. In addition to this, there is Lake Skiren, a deep and nutrient-poor clear-water lake with the highest nature value. Its surface, including the catchment area, constitutes a national interest.

There are also several nature value objects here, which constitute core values for, among other things, Scots pine and deciduous forest environments. I would therefore like to finally also ask whether the Minister and the Government intend to work to ensure that our national interests in the area are subjected to minimal impact and are protected during the construction.

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Åsa Karlsson (S)

Madam Speaker! We Social Democrats believe that Sweden needs a long-term and reliable infrastructure policy, where we know what to expect and where municipalities and regions can plan based on what is to come. The policy cannot swing back and forth depending on the government.

We know that the railway is crucial for the climate and competitiveness. Therefore, it is so deeply unfortunate that central projects such as Ostlänken are delayed without clear announcements regarding schedules and measures. Municipalities and regions need announcements for such large constructions in order to be able to carry out their economic planning, planning of the relevant objects, and other societal planning.

Furthermore, Sweden needs more railway. A large part of the railway we have today is over 100 years old. Therefore, Sweden cannot afford more lost years in the railway expansion. We need decisions, we need tempo, and we need a government that takes responsibility for the country's infrastructure.

In conclusion, I want to be clear that this is not about a single project in Östergötland. It is about which direction Sweden should take. Shall we build the country together? Ostlänken is an investment in the future. But every year of delay is a year of lost jobs, lost growth, and lost climate gains. Therefore, political decisiveness is needed here and now.

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Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Then I can congratulate Åsa Karlsson. Sweden needs a government that takes responsibility for Swedish infrastructure, and that is what Sweden has received.

The Swedish National Audit Office reviewed the previous government's plan, and the subtitle of the National Audit Office's review was: promises more than it can deliver. Unlike then, we now have a government that is tackling the problems that previous governments have turned a blind eye to.

Eva Lindh asks me if I see the need. The answer is crystal clear: Yes, I see the need. The Government sees the need. I believe that for the most part, every single person in our elongated country sees the need for investments in Swedish infrastructure.

The problem, Madam Speaker, is that the Social Democrats have turned a blind eye to maintenance. A maintenance debt has accumulated that is so large that it corresponds to 90 billion kronor when it comes to the railway network and 35 billion kronor when it comes to the road network. Instead of tackling it, they have promised more than they could keep when they themselves had the chance.

The needs are great in our elongated country. That is why one needs to prioritize. We begin by prioritizing that which has been most neglected: the maintenance of the Swedish railway and the Swedish road network. The funds are 1,200 billion kronor, and half of that, barely 600 billion, goes to maintenance.

It is clear that we would have been in a different position and could have discussed the issue in a different way if one had made different decisions 30 years ago, 20 years ago, and 10 years ago, so that we would not have a maintenance debt of 90 billion kronor. But that was not done. And now we and our government need to take responsibility for the situation that others have created. That is exactly what we are doing. Now Sweden has a government that takes responsibility for Swedish infrastructure.

Before I conclude, I want to answer Clara Arandas' question about the important interests that exist around Kolmården. All infrastructure investments that are made will, of course, affect as little as possible. But it does affect building infrastructure. It is Trafikverket, as the responsible authority, that is responsible for making the trade-offs that are required. I assume that Trafikverket also does so in this case.

Madam Speaker! I asked a counter-question, just to check what actually underlies Eva Lindh's claim. She said that the truth is that the appropriations for the railway have decreased. I said that is not correct. Eva Lindh now has the opportunity to correct her statement so that we stick to the facts in such an important debate in the chamber of the Swedish Riksdag.

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Eva Lindh (S)

Madam Speaker! I begin, even though it feels a bit immoral since Member Clara Aranda cannot answer this, by telling Clara Aranda that I have received several messages that it is not just allegations that Sverigedemokratiska members are going around and saying that the Östlänken can be skipped in favor of other projects. Even though the Sverigedemokrater have previously voted for it, they are therefore saying something else now. That is why it raises questions. I just want to clarify that.

Thank you for the answer, Minister! That is good. It still feels good for me as an Östgöte, as a commuter, and as a resident of Linköping to know that the Minister for Infrastructure at least sees the needs. It sounds silly, but it feels important that we at least see the same basic needs. We see that people are actually standing there and waiting on the platform and that the region and the municipality must pause the development of the city center and of the entire region – I am, after all, a resident of Linköping.

But it is also about all the overcrowded trains and about the fact that our own local transport cannot plan for and schedule more departures to meet the great need that exists because it is full on the tracks. In that case, it is good that we at least see the same basic need.

What needs to be done? I agree that we should have done more. I agree with that. But it does not comfort those who are now standing and waiting. That is why the government and the Minister for Infrastructure must now take responsibility for their decisions and their plans. Now it is postponed, and we regret that. That is why I have asked the questions.

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Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! The government is also taking responsibility. Last year, we completed 1,700 major maintenance projects in the Swedish railway network. It was a record year. Never before has so much maintenance work been carried out in Swedish infrastructure. But that record year is trumped by the year 2026. This year, 1,800 maintenance measures are planned. We are, therefore, getting maintenance.

We are ramping up for the investments that are to be made in the coming years. For the first time, there is a target year, which Trafikverket has proposed in close cooperation with the railway industry, to build away the entire maintenance debt that previous governments must take responsibility for.

I actually conclude that I called the Social Democrats' bluff in this debate. Two members blurted out that the truth is that the appropriations for the railway have decreased. I have twice asked the members back what the false claim is based on; because it is not true. But I get no answer, Madam Speaker. I appeal to the members in the Riksdag and in the chamber to stick to the facts, so that we have substantive discussions when we discuss such important matters as Swedish infrastructure.

The truth is that we are investing a record amount in Swedish infrastructure. The budget that we have proposed and that the Riksdag has decided on, after the infrastructure debates that led to the infrastructure bill being passed, locks the frameworks at approximately 1,200 billion kronor. Half of that goes to maintenance. That is an increase in fixed prices of 200 billion kronor, which is an increase compared to the current plan, if calculated in the same way, of 27 percent. It is a historically large investment in both the road network and the railway network.

We are also investing in Swedish shipping, and we are strengthening aviation. We do not pit modes of transport against each other when we say that we will deliver, and also deliver, more money for infrastructure, but also that we will get more infrastructure for the money.

Thank you for this debate!

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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