"A long-awaited project"
Project Director Sara Distner sums up 2014 and looks forward to an exciting 2015.
In April, the government made the decision to draw up a new national plan for the transport system, and in this way gave the go-ahead for a new railway between Gothenburg and Borås. Included in the project is the planning and construction of the stretch of line between Mölnlycke and Bollebygd via Landvetter Airport and the performance of studies for the two sections of line from Almedal to Mölnlycke and from Bollebygd to Borås. Together with a co-financing agreement with Göteborgsregionens kommunalförbund, GR (an association of municipalities in the Gothenburg region) and the Municipality of Borås, the Swedish Transport Administration has been able to initiate and conduct investigations for these parts too.
Project Director Sara Distner sums up the past year:
2014 was all about starting up the project: about recruiting personnel, initiating a dialogue with neighbouring residents and business operators, and procuring consultants to design the high-speed railway. We are glad that the interest and involvement shown by the region and the municipalities along the line has been so great. This is really a long-awaited project!
A considerable amount of interest has been shown in submitting tenders for our procurements, and we have now decided to award contracts to three different consultancies: Cowi, Sweco and Ramböll. Next year, the planning and design work will really start in earnest! This will become apparent when we go out and start studying soil, rock and ground water along the stretch of line in question. Being involved in constructing Sweden's first high-speed railway is also attracting the attention of international companies, and I am pleased that our Swedish suppliers have joined forces with international companies with knowledge from similar projects in Europe and Japan.
Finally, I would like to wish you a Happy New Year, and at the same time present my list of wishes for 2015:
- At the end of the year to be able to present proposals for the routing of new lines on the sections Almedal-Mölnlycke and Bollebygd-Borås.
- To meet the general public and talk about the project.
- To meet the suppliers' market and obtain their thoughts on contract packaging, contract forms, forms of remuneration and time schedules.
- To have the chance to draw experience from other high-speed projects in Europe.
Sara Distner, Project Director