Trafikverket 2026–2037 plan: a 25-year journey to repair Sweden’s railways
The Swedish transport agency Trafikverket has unveiled a national plan for 2026–2037 that it calls a historically large investment in infrastructure. Infrastructure and housing minister Andreas Carlson (KD) frames the package as crucial to catching up on decades of maintenance backlog in the country’s rail system. With a total price tag of 1,171 billion kronor, the plan acknowledges a long road ahead: it will take roughly 25 years to reach a stable footing on railway upkeep.
As the government positions itself to extract more value from infrastructure spending, the plan emphasizes not just bigger budgets but smarter spending. The minister at a press briefing stressed the objective of delivering more infrastructure for the money and ensuring that the public investments translate into real, reliable improvements on the ground.
Budget and structure: maintenance vs. development
About half of the nearly 1.2 trillion kronor is slated for maintenance, with the other half directed toward development projects. Trafikverket notes that 20 billion kronor have been freed for 27 projects that, according to the agency, offer greater utility. In other words, a portion of the funding is being reallocated toward interventions with the best expected return for safety, reliability, and overall transport efficiency.
The plan thus seeks to balance immediate upkeep with longer-term upgrades, a structure intended to stabilize railway reliability while also laying groundwork for future growth in freight and passenger services.
Regional focus: Värmland’s prioritized rail improvements
Several regionally significant elements stand out in the Värmland area. Notably, Trafikverket has placed a meeting or passing track (mötesspår) on the Värmlandsbanan route between Kil and Charlottenberg on its prioritized list. The plan also includes a passing track on the Norge-Vänerbanan between Kil and Skälebol, reflecting a targeted effort to improve rail capacity where lines intersect and services converge.
These moves illustrate a broader strategy to relieve bottlenecks and improve timetable reliability in western Sweden, balancing the need to maintain aging assets with the demand for higher-capacity routes that can support both regional travel and longer-distance services.
What’s out, what’s in: adjustments from previous plans
Nine investments that appeared in earlier plans have been removed, and two others are being adjusted to free up funds for other priorities. Specifically for Värmland, two projects have been cut: E45 between Säffle and Valnäs (the Säffle–Hammar segment) and E18 between Valnäs and the national border (the Töcksfors–Bäckevarv stretch). These changes reflect a shift in the plan’s composition as Trafikverket rebalances resources toward rail maintenance and higher-priority rail development projects.
The alterations underscore a difficult trade-off in long-term planning: while some highway projects are scaled back, the rail system is rearticulated to emphasize reliability and capacity, with significant attention given to railway corridors that intersect or run parallel to freight routes.
Next steps: government approval and implementation timeline
The Trafikverket plan for 2026–2037 remains subject to formal approval by the government, with a decision expected in the coming spring. Once approved, the timetable for awarded tenders, procurement, and project execution will begin in earnest. Given the 25-year horizon, the plan aims to create a stable framework that can weather political turnover and deliver on a long-run national objective: meaningful, measurable improvements to Sweden’s rail network.
Implications for travelers, businesses, and the climate goals
For travellers and freight operators, the plan promises enhanced reliability and capacity as the upgrades come online. In the medium term, affected corridors may experience construction-related disruptions, while the long-term payoff should include shorter travel times, fewer delays, and a more resilient rail system. From an economic perspective, the fusion of maintenance and development efforts seeks to maximize the value of public spending, supporting productivity gains, regional development, and potentially reduced emissions as modal shifts from road to rail are encouraged.
Conclusion: a landmark, long-horizon plan
The Trafikverket 2026–2037 plan signals an unprecedented scale of investment in Sweden’s rail infrastructure. By prioritizing maintenance backlog clearance while advancing targeted capacity projects, the government aims to deliver a more reliable rail network over a 25-year horizon. The coming spring decision will set the strategic direction and unlock the operational cadence that will guide the country’s rail modernization for years to come.
