Construction of a high-speed rail line linking Stockholm with Gothenburg and Malmö could cost double initial estimates, Swedish infrastructure manager Trafikverket has said.
New cost estimates for the proposed high-speed railway, which would free up capacity on Sweden’s congested intercity network, are between SEK 190 and 320 billion (approximately €20.5 – 34.6 billion) at 2015 prices, significantly higher than the SEK 170 million (€18.4 billion) originally quoted.
Trafikverket said that the substantial increase was down to the project being at the very early stages of planning. Adding that even at the revised cost, it represents a good investment for the country.
The new line could open in 2035, reducing travel times between Stockholm and Gothenburg from three to two hours and Stockholm and Malmö from around 4 hours 20 minutes to two-and-a-half hours.
Trafikverket has presented two possible options for the construction of the new line. While both suggest building the Järna-Linköping and Molnlycke-Bollebygd sections first and the Jönköping-Hässleholm segment last, one option priorises the route to Malmö – between Linköping-Gripenberg-Hässleholm-Lund – and the other focuses on the Gothenburg-Borås route.
