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Issue 5 2011 / 22 September 2011 /
Sweden is a vast country. The distance from Ystad in the south to Kiruna in the north is approximately 1,800km, yet Sweden only has 9.3 million inhabitants. The majority of Swedes live in the southern half of the country and the population has, for a long time, become increasingly concentrated in the metropolitan regions. Specialised industry in areas such as electronics and pharmaceuticals, and the service sector – which are located in big cities – are growing.
One traditional industry that is currently expanding is mining. New mining companies are being established in northern Sweden and old mines are also reopening. This requires new investments in railways.
Despite its size and low population density, Sweden has a relatively well-developed transport system, with approximately 100,000km of state-owned roads and around 12,000km of state-owned railways. To this can be added at least as many local authority-owned roads and privately owned roads that are open to general traffic. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 22 September 2011 /
When the tilting train X2000 was introduced 21 years ago, it dramatically changed the way of travel in Sweden. Travelling by rail took substantial market shares from airlines and road traffic. The key success factors were higher speed (200km/h on existing infrastructure), point-to-point travel, significantly reduced travel time, better comfort and a higher service level with a focus on the business traveller. Travelling with the X2000 became associated with a high ‘coolness’ factor and a certain status.
Market situation
The total market for rail traffic in Sweden and Scandinavia continues to increase whilst it is also moving into a new competitive context due to deregulation. Since October 2010, there is full open access for any operator to the Swedish market.
Now SJ’s ambition is to respond to market demands and future competition to find a successor to the X2000. A new high-speed train capable of travelling at 250km/h on existing tracks is needed. SJ’s vision is that the new trains should change the way of travelling in the same way that made the X2000 concept so successful when it was introduced in the 1990s. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 22 September 2011 /
The Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies (ASTOC) acts on behalf of Sweden’s train operators. It seeks to represent the interests of commercial rail traffic in its dealing with the Government and Parliament, authorities, business principals, the media and other bodies. ASTOC also assists in increasing the rail industry’s know-how and competitiveness by providing information, advice and services to members. During 2010–2011, several topics have attracted the interest and work of ASTOC, not least related to the latest developments of Swedish transport policy.
ASTOC has continued to grow in terms of the number of members. The association now has 26 members (up from 21 from the previous year) of train operating companies carrying either passengers or freight (see Figure 1). In addition to this, the number of associated members has increased from two to five. A major new member is Malmtrafik AB (MTAB), the train operating subsidiary to the mining and ore company giant LKAB, based in Kiruna in the very north of Sweden. It is a company with unique competence in heavy-load freight traffic, also used to face rather extreme weather conditions. In recent years, the booming demand for raw materials such as iron has implied a surge in volumes from the mining industry – to be transported by rail as well as by other modes. LKAB is currently struggling to keep up with demand. (more…)
Issue 5 2011 / 22 September 2011 /
Since the introduction of modern railways, the Swedish railway industry has been at the forefront of railway technology. Over the years, the Swedish rail industry has earned a worldwide reputation as a group of innovative and reliable suppliers. Industrial enterprises like ASEA, Ericsson and SKF were early to gain leading positions on the international railway market, with their technically advanced product lines such as locomotives, power transmission, signalling systems and ball bearings. Around these companies a cluster of other manufacturers of hightech products was established to support this growing industry.
Today, Swedish companies are well recognised in both the railway and metro sectors and are internationally renowned companies with a wide range of products and services with well known brand names. The climate in Sweden, with its harsh winters, has contributed to the development of products and systems which stand up to extreme conditions. Many of the SWERIG member companies have a long experience as suppliers to the marine and aviation sectors, both of which have their own demanding standards, which are similar to those of the railway sector. (more…)
Rail industry news / 26 April 2011 /
The European Union will contribute 10% of the costs to upgrade the so-called “Harapanda Line”, a 42 km section of railway in northern Sweden. The maximum EU co-financing of €2.96 million will contribute to increase capacity and speed on this section of the Swedish rail network by supporting the construction of passing stations, upgrading certain sections and laying down new tracks. (more…)
Issue 5 2010 / 20 September 2010 /
The hard winter of 2009/2010 led to major disruptions to train services in Sweden. In April 2010, the Swedish Transport Administration initiated an inquiry intended to show how great the delays were that affected passenger and goods services, how great a cost to society they entailed, what caused the delays, the factors that interacted to contribute to the situation that arose, and what the Swedish Transport Administration can do, principally from a macro-economic perspective. (more…)
Issue 5 2010 / 20 September 2010 /
Sweden is one of the European countries where railway has played an important role during the last two decades. Increasing railway traffic, more passengers and more freight transport is the result of improved quality and general awareness of the benefits of the railway. With more people commuting and more freight on the national rail system, the capacity has reached its limits. The ongoing discussion in Sweden is now not about the need for further investments in railway infrastructure, it is rather where, when and how. (more…)
Issue 5 2010 / 20 September 2010 /
It is difficult to pinpoint the event that was the most important in SJ’s 150-year history. Was it when the government took over all of the country’s private railways in 1939? Was it when the infrastructure maintenance division was spun off in 1988? Was it the introduction of the X2000 trains in the early 1990s or the start of online ticket sales in 1997? No one can really determine which event or which decade affected SJ most, but even the most recent one has been tumultuous for SJ. (more…)
Issue 5 2010 / 17 September 2010 /
Arlanda Express, the Swedish airport train between Arlanda Airport and central Stockholm, is rebuilding its trains to meet future requirements for environmentally friendly travel. It has been possible to increase the number of seats onboard by 20%, while at the same time providing even greater comfort than previously using modern Scandinavian design. For European Railway Review, Mr. Per Thorstenson, President of Arlanda Express and CEO of A-Train AB, explains the importance of this train renovation project. (more…)
Issue 5 2010 / 17 September 2010 /
The Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies (ASTOC) acts on behalf of Sweden’s train operators. It seeks to represent the interests of commercial rail traffic in its dealing with the Government and Parliament, authorities, business principals, the media and other bodies. ASTOC also assists in increasing the rail industry’s know-how and competitiveness by providing information, advice and services to members. During 2009-2010, a number of topics have attracted the interest and work of ASTOC, not least related to the latest developments of Swedish transport policy. (more…)
Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /
High-speed railways, major infrastructure projects, development and investment plans and market liberalisation were just some of the important topics highlighted and assessed during European Railway Review’s recent conference – Scandinavian Rail Development 2010.
Held in the stunning city of Stockholm, Sweden, at the Operakällaren, European Railway Review welcomed over 120 delegates and speakers to share and discuss knowledge of the Scandinavian railway marketplace – a region with many plans for investment and development to build and improve on its current rail infrastructure. (more…)
Issue 5 2009, Past issues / 26 September 2009 /
Arlanda Express, the Swedish high-speed train between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm City, reported its best financial results ever for 2008. The company is now investing in refurbishing its trains to increase capacity for seated passengers by at least 20%.
Arlanda Express plans to invest SEK 100 million in future trains between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm City. The trains will have new, modern interiors and the number of seats will increase by at least 20%. The upgrade is necessary since more people are choosing to travel by train to the airport. During the past year, Arlanda Express set a new passenger record with 3.2 million passengers.
Arlanda Express has seen an increase primarily among private passengers and foreign visitors. Increased environmental awareness is definitely a strong contributing factor and several customer surveys also indicate that passengers are very satisfied with the product.
(more…)
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