Sweden High-speed rail in Europe

swedish high-speed network

sweden today runs many trains @ 200 km/h (120 mph), including x2 tilting trains, widebody , double-decker regional trains, , arlanda airport express x3. since both x2 , x3 allowed run @ 205 km/h (127 mph) in case of delay, can technically considered high-speed trains. x2 runs between many cities in sweden including stockholm, gothenburg, malmö. arlanda express trains connect stockholm , stockholm-arlanda airport.

newly built lines such west coast line, svealand line , bothnia line of network can relatively upgraded 250 km/h (160 mph). requires new signalling system, new trains , perhaps other minor efforts. old main lines difficult upgrade due costs increasing bearing of track. bridges , long sections of main lines need rebuilt allow 250 km/h.

there investigations regarding high-speed trains in sweden, , evaluate if western , southern mainline should upgraded 250 km/h or if whole new network of high-speed railway 280–320 km/h (170–200 mph) should built between stockholm–linköping–jönköping–gothenburg , between jönköping–malmö–copenhagen. plan ease situation on existing railways relatively congested, combined better travel times between both largest 3 cities in sweden, fast regional trains between cities along routes (which today in many cases have no or slow railways).

an informal date suggestion banverket operation year 2030. 2 parts (södertälje–linköping , mölnlycke–bollebygd) detailed planning done, , expected have construction start around 2017 , in operation around 2025.

many of newly built railway lines in sweden adapted speeds 250 km/h, such botniabanan, grödingebanan, mälarbanan, svealandsbanan, västkustbanan, , vänernbanan. problem slowing down high-speed rail in sweden present signaling system (atc), not allow speeds on 200 km/h. can upgraded, not done since shall replaced european signaling system ertms level 2 on major lines in near future, allowing high speeds 250 km/h. ertms level 2 has been installed , being tried out on botniabanan, , railway allows 250 km/h, although no passenger train goes above 200 now. train set x55-regina has been delivered rail company sj max speed of 200 km/h option upgrade emu 250 km/h when possible. mix freight trains slow down practical speed.

there 4 major high-speed projects proposed in sweden speeds between 250 , 350 km/h (160–220 mph).

norrbotniabanan, umeå – luleå, future major rail project built 250 km/h mixed passenger , freight traffic in northern sweden, relieve highly congested , old single track main line through upper norrland increase freight traffic, , speed passenger traffic along coast.
ostlänken: järna – linköping, relieve congested , slow conventional main lines on stretch järna-linköping, södra stambanan.
götalandsbanan: gothenburg – borås – jönköping – linköping, connecting ostlänken. reduce travel time gothenburg-stockholm 3.05 h 2h, , improve regional travel times.
europabanan: jönköping – hässleholm , helsingborg. discussed extension helsingör (tunnel under oresund) , copenhagen, (2016) unlikely due danish resistance.

the 3 first listed, not europabanan, have been prospected trafikverket. in several cases detailed alignment have been decided.

the swedish conservative government 2006-2014 showed little interest in major railway projects. socialist/environmentalist government has 2014 started further negotiations on stations , other alignment. there plan start building gothenburg – borås , ostlänken in 2019. other railways expected built years after.