Green light for new railway Gothenburg-Borås
On 8 April, the Swedish Government decided to adopt a national plan for the transport system from 2014 to 2025, giving the green light for a new railway line between Gothenburg and Borås.
The decision means that the Swedish Transport Administration can now continue studying where the new railway line is to run, as work was put on hold in June 2010. A new railway line between Gothenburg and Borås in western Sweden will enhance communications, link the region's two largest cities more closely together, improve communications to Landvetter airport and is a link in a new main line for Stockholm-Gothenburg via Jönköping.
The major needs for improved rail links between both Gothenburg-Borås and Gothenburg-Stockholm cannot be met by the existing infrastructure. Gothenburg-Borås is one of the busiest commuter routes and today's single-track railway is not a competitive alternative to road transport. With double track, built for speeds up to 320 km/hour, journey times between Gothenburg and Borås will halved and the number of trains will grow. Better transport links that make it easier to get to work and study will generate a platform for regional development.
A new main line for Stockholm-Gothenburg via Jönköping also means faster journeys between metropolitan regions and the capability to alleviate the traffic burden from the overstretched Western Main Line. The environment benefits by more traffic being moved from road to rail. Safety is enhanced by building a new railway with the highest focus on safety along the track and at the stations.
The national plan includes planning and building for the Mölnlycke-Bollebygd section past Landvetter airport. It also includes funds for advanced studies on the Almedal-Mölnlycke and Bollebygd-Borås sections. Thanks to a co-funding agreement with Gothenburg Region Association of Local Authorities (GR) and the City of Borås for a total of SEK 40 million, the Swedish Transport Administration can now go ahead and investigate these sections as well.
Project assignment
Prepare a localisation study for Almedal-Mölnlycke. This means identifying a corridor – the area that the railway is to run through – within the study area that was determined following the feasibility study in 2010.Develop a railway plan for Mölnlycke-Bollebygd. This means pinpointing exactly where the new railway will run and how it is to be designed within the corridor that was determined in the railway study from 2007.Prepare a localisation study for Bollebygd-Borås. This means identifying the corridor that the railway is to run through within the study area that was determined following the feasibility study in 2007.Conduct an action-choice study on what is to happen with the existing railway.Conduct a traffic study on the future services on the route.Consultation with the general public, organisations and other government agencies to gain feedback and knowledge will feature continuously throughout the entire planning process.