High-speed rail in Sweden
Encyclopedia
In Sweden
many trains run at 200 km/h. Train types which currently attain this speed include the X2
tilting trains for long distances, the Regina
widebody trains, the X40
double-decker regional trains, and the Arlanda Airport Express X3
. Since both the X2 and X3 are allowed to run at 205 km/h in case of delay, they can technically be considered as high-speed trains. The X2 runs between many cities in Sweden including Stockholm
, Gothenburg
, and Malmö
. The Arlanda Express
trains connect Stockholm and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
.
, and the trains themselves. A modified Regina
test train, called "the Green Train", has attained a maximum speed of 303 km/h, with regular service at 250 km/h planned.
There are plans for a 180 km section of the Stockholm-Malmö line to be upgraded to allow for 250 km/h. These plans have been delayed until further notice because a decision must be made whether to build a new parallel super-high-speed railway or not. Other railways that will eventually allow 250 km/h speeds (today 200 km/h) are long sections of Stockholm–Gothenburg
, Gothenburg–Malmö
, and Trollhättan–Gothenburg
, the latter under construction until 2012. A new line Kramfors
–Umeå
, Botniabanan
is ready for 250 km/h non-tilting trains since 2010. But train operators have not yet revealed plans for 250 km/h trains on Botniabanan, or on any other 250 km/h capable line. All these will be mixed passenger/freight railways.
The Swedish signalling system ATC
is not approved for higher speed than 200 km/h and current plans allow for higher speeds only with a future EU-based system, called ERTMS. Botniabanan has this system in operation since 2010, allowing 250 km/h. ERTMS will be introduced on certain other railways around 2015, possibly enabling more than 200 km/h on them.
SJ have ordered new trains (type X55
, delivered 2010) that are prepared of 250 km/h but limited to 200 km/h until a later date. SJ has revealed plans to order new 250 km/h trains at approximately 2013, with delivery around 2015.
–Linköping
–Jönköping
–Borås
–Gothenburg
("Götalandsbanan
") and Jönköping
–Helsingborg
–Copenhagen
("Europabanan" for the Swedish part), since the existing railways are relatively congested, with mixed 200 km/h passenger trains, slower regional trains and even slower cargo trains. The plans say that the new railways would be built similar to the French TGV
-lines with long curve radii and relatively steep inclines allowing for speeds between 300–320 km/h with non-tilting trains, dedicated for high-speed passenger trains.
The traffic administration (Trafikverket) has started detailed planning and is in the process of deciding the best route between Gothenburg
–Borås
and Linköping
–Södertälje
(Ostlänken
). However, no specific dates have been determined for the start of construction on these lines. An informal proposal by the Banverket is for operation by the year 2025. There is political and (primarily) regional pressure to build these railways as soon as possible. Cost estimates are about 10 bn SEK for Gothenburg-Borås and 24 bn SEK for Linköping-Södertälje.
A southern extension to these lines, through Jönköping–Helsingborg–Copenhagen is considered economically unfeasible for the time being. Danish politicians are not very enthusiastic either. The existing line through Linköping–Malmö–Copenhagen is however planned to be upgraded to 250 km/h.
Cost estimates are roughly 30 bn SEK Borås–Linköping and 30 bn SEK Jönköping–Helsingborg. The cost of the Helsingborg–Copenhagen line with a tunnel is hard to estimate, but 30 bn SEK is possible here too.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
many trains run at 200 km/h. Train types which currently attain this speed include the X2
X2 train
X2 is the Swedish high speed train system operated by the operator SJ under the X 2000 brand name. It has a top commercial speed of 200 km/h, but has reached 276 km/h in a test...
tilting trains for long distances, the Regina
Regina (train)
The Regina is a Swedish model of electric multiple unit passenger train, manufactured by Bombardier Transportation . It is used by the national passenger railway SJ along with numerous regional and private operators, in variants designated X50, X51, X52, X53, X54 and X55, and in two- and...
widebody trains, the X40
SJ X40
X40 is a series of electric multiple units operated by SJ of Sweden. They are in service from Stockholm to Linköping, Eskilstuna/Arboga, Västerås/Örebro and Gävle/Sandviken, and since 2010 to Gothenburg. The double decker trains are built by Alstom since 2004, with 43 units being delivered, either...
double-decker regional trains, and the Arlanda Airport Express X3
X3 (train)
X3 is an electric multiple unit train used by Arlanda Express on the airport rail link service between Stockholm Central Station and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden. Alstom built seven of these four-car units in Birmingham, which were delivered in 1998 and 1999...
. Since both the X2 and X3 are allowed to run at 205 km/h in case of delay, they can technically be considered as high-speed trains. The X2 runs between many cities in Sweden including Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, and Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
. The Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express is an airport rail link connecting Stockholm Central Station with Stockholm-Arlanda Airport outside Stockholm, Sweden. Operated by A-Train AB, the trip takes 20 minutes and runs four to six times per hour using seven X3 electric multiple units...
trains connect Stockholm and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport , is an international airport located in the Sigtuna Municipality of Sweden, near the town of Märsta, north of Stockholm and nearly , by road, south-east of Uppsala....
.
Plans for upgrades to 250 km/h
Hundreds of kilometers of track are ready for 250 km/h operation, with the exception of signaling systems, catenaryOverhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, and the trains themselves. A modified Regina
Regina (train)
The Regina is a Swedish model of electric multiple unit passenger train, manufactured by Bombardier Transportation . It is used by the national passenger railway SJ along with numerous regional and private operators, in variants designated X50, X51, X52, X53, X54 and X55, and in two- and...
test train, called "the Green Train", has attained a maximum speed of 303 km/h, with regular service at 250 km/h planned.
There are plans for a 180 km section of the Stockholm-Malmö line to be upgraded to allow for 250 km/h. These plans have been delayed until further notice because a decision must be made whether to build a new parallel super-high-speed railway or not. Other railways that will eventually allow 250 km/h speeds (today 200 km/h) are long sections of Stockholm–Gothenburg
Västra stambanan
The Western Main Line is the main railway line between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. The line is electrified and consists entirely of double track, except the four-track sections between Gothenburg Central Station and Olskroken , in Järna Station , and south of Stockholm, between...
, Gothenburg–Malmö
Västkustbanan
The West Coast Line is a railway line between Gothenburg and Lund, which runs along the West Coast of Sweden....
, and Trollhättan–Gothenburg
Norge/Vänerbanan
Norway/Vänern Line is a Y-shaped railway line in Sweden. The main section runs from Gothenburg Central Station to Kil Station, mostly along the west shore of Vänern. There is a branch from Erikstad to Kornsjø, which continues as the Østfold Line in Norway. The lengths of the line are from...
, the latter under construction until 2012. A new line Kramfors
Kramfors
Kramfors is a locality and the seat of Kramfors Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 6,235 inhabitants in 2005.Geographically the town is situated on the western shore of the Ångerman River. This river was the reason that Kramfors was founded, because in the 19th century it was a...
–Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
, Botniabanan
Botniabanan
The Bothnia Line is a high-speed railway line in northern Sweden. The long route, from Kramfors airport via Örnsköldsvik to Umeå, was opened in 2010 and will carry trains at speeds up to .-Introduction:...
is ready for 250 km/h non-tilting trains since 2010. But train operators have not yet revealed plans for 250 km/h trains on Botniabanan, or on any other 250 km/h capable line. All these will be mixed passenger/freight railways.
The Swedish signalling system ATC
Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...
is not approved for higher speed than 200 km/h and current plans allow for higher speeds only with a future EU-based system, called ERTMS. Botniabanan has this system in operation since 2010, allowing 250 km/h. ERTMS will be introduced on certain other railways around 2015, possibly enabling more than 200 km/h on them.
SJ have ordered new trains (type X55
Regina (train)
The Regina is a Swedish model of electric multiple unit passenger train, manufactured by Bombardier Transportation . It is used by the national passenger railway SJ along with numerous regional and private operators, in variants designated X50, X51, X52, X53, X54 and X55, and in two- and...
, delivered 2010) that are prepared of 250 km/h but limited to 200 km/h until a later date. SJ has revealed plans to order new 250 km/h trains at approximately 2013, with delivery around 2015.
Ongoing plans for true high-speed
There are plans for long completely new high-speed railways StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
–Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
–Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
–Borås
Borås
Borås is a locality and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 63,441 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them the railway between Gothenburg and Kalmar, and is often considered the Swedish city gaining the...
–Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
("Götalandsbanan
Götalandsbanan
Götalandsbanan is a planned high-speed railway planned to be built between Södertälje and Gothenburg in Sweden, past Linköping and Jönköping. The planned length is about 440 km...
") and Jönköping
Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
–Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
–Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
("Europabanan" for the Swedish part), since the existing railways are relatively congested, with mixed 200 km/h passenger trains, slower regional trains and even slower cargo trains. The plans say that the new railways would be built similar to the French TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
-lines with long curve radii and relatively steep inclines allowing for speeds between 300–320 km/h with non-tilting trains, dedicated for high-speed passenger trains.
The traffic administration (Trafikverket) has started detailed planning and is in the process of deciding the best route between Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
–Borås
Borås
Borås is a locality and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 63,441 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them the railway between Gothenburg and Kalmar, and is often considered the Swedish city gaining the...
and Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
–Södertälje
Södertälje
Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
(Ostlänken
Ostlänken
Ostlänken is a planned high-speed railway in Sweden, intended to run from Södertälje to Linköping, where the routes to Göteborg and Malmö/Copenhagen diverge....
). However, no specific dates have been determined for the start of construction on these lines. An informal proposal by the Banverket is for operation by the year 2025. There is political and (primarily) regional pressure to build these railways as soon as possible. Cost estimates are about 10 bn SEK for Gothenburg-Borås and 24 bn SEK for Linköping-Södertälje.
Long term plans not clear at present
The Borås–Linköping line will be built some years later than the first parts of Götalandsbanan. It has less potential for regional rail (still around 400,000 people live near this part of Götalandsbanan), but is of course needed for long-distance trains. Between Södertälje and Stockholm the existing railway with 250 km/h potential will be used.A southern extension to these lines, through Jönköping–Helsingborg–Copenhagen is considered economically unfeasible for the time being. Danish politicians are not very enthusiastic either. The existing line through Linköping–Malmö–Copenhagen is however planned to be upgraded to 250 km/h.
Cost estimates are roughly 30 bn SEK Borås–Linköping and 30 bn SEK Jönköping–Helsingborg. The cost of the Helsingborg–Copenhagen line with a tunnel is hard to estimate, but 30 bn SEK is possible here too.
Travel times
These are realistic travel times based on future plans and investigations.| Göteborg-Stockholm C | Malmö-Stockholm C | Copenhagen-Stockholm C | Kastrup-Arlanda | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trains, year 2009 | 3:05 | 4:25 | 5:15 | 5:45 |
| With improvements on present railways according to plans until 2020. City Tunnel City Tunnel, Malmö The City Tunnel is a 17-kilometre rail link in Malmö, Sweden, running between Malmö Central Station and the Öresund Line . The tunnel portion of the project extends for a length of six kilometres under the city centre... –10 min faster. 250 km/h–15 min faster to Malmö and to Göteborg. More tracks, higher capacity–10 min |
2:40 | 4:00 | 4:40 | 5:10 |
| Ostlänken Ostlänken Ostlänken is a planned high-speed railway in Sweden, intended to run from Södertälje to Linköping, where the routes to Göteborg and Malmö/Copenhagen diverge.... and Götalandsbanan Götalandsbanan Götalandsbanan is a planned high-speed railway planned to be built between Södertälje and Gothenburg in Sweden, past Linköping and Jönköping. The planned length is about 440 km... built Stockholm-Nässjö 45 min faster |
2:15 | 3:15 | 3:55 | 4:25 |
| Europabanan Europabanan Europabanan is a planned high-speed railway planned to be built between Jönköping and Helsingborg in Sweden, with a connection to Hässleholm. The speed is planned to be 320 km/h... built |
2:15 | 2:40 | 2:40 | 3:30 |
| Air, year 2009 incl. checkin | 2:30 | 2:30 | 2:45 | 1:40 |