Trafikverket has recommended that the Swedish government approve construction starts for ten major infrastructure projects in 2027–2029, five of which the infrastructure manager says should begin earlier than previously planned. Four of the accelerated projects are rail schemes, and the package contains several measures aimed at squeezing more capacity out of heavily used mixed-traffic routes for freight operators.

The most immediate freight-relevant acceleration is the electrification of the Nässjö–Värnamo line in southern Sweden, roughly 150 km east of Gothenburg. The scheme forms part of the wider Värnamo–Jönköping/Nässjö upgrade. Trafikverket says the electrified line could carry diverted trains when the Southern Main Line is disrupted, while supporting further freight development around Jönköping.

Each year Trafikverket recommends which major projects in Sweden's national transport plan are ready to move towards construction over the following six years. The government then decides which can start within the first three years and which can be prepared for construction in the subsequent three-year period.

On Wednesday Trafikverket announced its latest recommendations, naming ten projects it wants approved for construction in 2027–29. None had previously been included in the government's construction-start decisions, while five are now proposed for an earlier start.

The five brought forward are:

• Luleå C in northern Sweden: reconstruction of the passenger yard, phase 2
• Sundsvall C–Dingersjö on the east coast: double-tracking of the Kubikenborg–Dingersjö section
• Ostkustbanan north of Stockholm: four-tracking of the Söder Bergsbrunna–Uppsala C section
• Nässjö–Värnamo in southern Sweden: electrification
• The Lilla Edet section of the Trollhätte Canal/Göta River on the Lake Vänern shipping route north of Gothenburg

The five projects recommended without acceleration cover rail and road: an extension of the Murjek passing station on the Malmbanan in northern Sweden; the E45 Vattnäs–Trunna road scheme in central Sweden; a new passing track at Högsjö Västra in south-central Sweden; National Road 50 Medevi–Brattebro including Nykyrka; and through lanes at the E4 Ljungarum interchange at Jönköping.

More room for freight

Much further north, the proposed Murjek extension tackles a different constraint on the Malmbanan in Norrbotten, the freight-heavy route running from Luleå through the mining centres around Gällivare and Kiruna and onward towards Narvik. Trafikverket would lengthen two tracks to around 1,100 m and 900 m, allowing 750-metre trains to pass each other. A roughly 200-metre siding would be provided for damaged wagons and engineering vehicles.

Capacity is also the rationale at Högsjö Västra, on the railway west of Stockholm towards Hallsberg, where Trafikverket wants to build two new passing tracks. The infrastructure manager says demand for additional passenger and freight trains currently cannot be met on the section, with slower trains frequently waiting for gaps to let faster services pass.

On the east coast, the accelerated Dingersjö–Kubikenborg project would add around 10 km of double track immediately south of Sundsvall. The new infrastructure is designed for 25-tonne axleloads and forms part of the longer-term ambition to double-track the East Coast Line between Gävle and Sundsvall.

Some of the more passenger-oriented projects also have a freight dimension. In the far north, the wider rebuild of Luleå C is being planned against an expected rise in freight traffic from around 20 to 43 trains per day by 2045, alongside separate work to add capacity at the Malmbangården freight yard.

At Uppsala, around 70 km north of Stockholm, the four-track programme is designed to separate traffic more effectively. Two of the four tracks are intended for freight and stopping passenger services, with the other two reserved for faster regional and long-distance trains.

Next steps

The proposals now go to the Swedish government, which will decide which projects receive formal approval to start construction in 2027–29 and which can be prepared for construction in 2030–32. Once a construction-start decision is granted, Trafikverket can sign contracts with contractors and move the project into the construction phase.

"By shortening lead times and finding new solutions, we have made it possible to bring forward the construction start of several major projects that are important for Sweden," said Trafikverket Director-General Roberto Maiorana. "An earlier construction start means that we can realise the benefits in the transport system more quickly. This benefits Swedish business and, in the longer term, strengthens Sweden's competitiveness."

The government's decisions on the 2027–29 construction starts will determine when freight operators on the Nässjö–Värnamo corridor and the Malmbanan see the capacity and diversion benefits Trafikverket has set out.