Swedish government greenlights higher-speed railway line north to Luleå
The North Bothnia Line will connect Umeå and Luleå along the coast of north-eastern Sweden.
In total, the railway entails 270 kilometers. On Thursday, the Government announced it has given the Swedish Transport Administration a final go to build the last half of the line, from Skellefteå to Luleå.
“Construction should start within the National Plan for Infrastructure 2022-2033,” Sweden’s Minister of Infrastructure, Tomas Eneroth, said in an online press conference.
The minister said financing is secured.
In 2018, construction of the first leg, a 12-kilometers line from Umeå to Dåva industrial area started, while the prolongation further north to Skellefteå is under advanced planning. In 2015, the European Union granted 100 million Swedish kroner (about €9,5 million) for the planning the railway north of Umeå.
Prolongation of the Bothnia Line
Skellefteå is halfway between Umeå and Luleå.
North Botnia Line is a prolongation of the Bothnia Line that opened in 2010 between Örnsköldsvik and Umeå.
The coastal region is the most populated part of northern Sweden with several new large-scale investments in the green industry bringing thousands of new jobs in the course of the next few years.
With a speed of up to 250 km/h, estimated travel time from Umeå to Luleå will be 90 minutes, opening for more commuting between the cities.
Related stories from around the North:
Finland: Lapland Regional Council in Finland rejects Arctic railway, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Moscow wants new connection to Arctic coast, revives plans for a railway to Sabetta, The Independent Barents Observer
