The government presented the new national infrastructure plan at a press conference on Tuesday morning, outlining how 1,171 billion kronor will be allocated for roads, railways, and other infrastructure over the next twelve years, according to multiple media reports. The plan includes building start decisions totaling over 50 billion kronor, the largest being Tvärförbindelse Södertörn, a 2-mile motorway link including 6 km of tunnel costing over 20 billion kronor. This road will connect E4/E20 at Kungens kurva to riksväg 73 at Jordbro via Flemingsberg and will include a separate cycle path, but it has faced strong criticism as it will pass through six nature reserves. Other building starts include E4/E20 Hallunda–Vårby, section Fittja–Vårby, which will get four lanes in each direction to avoid bottlenecks when Tvärförbindelse Södertörn and Förbifart Stockholm are completed; riksväg 26/47, section Mullsjö–Slättäng, which will become a 2+1 road with a median barrier costing about half a billion kronor; and E45 Säffle–Valnäs, section Hammar–Valnäs, which will also become a 2+1 road. In Skåne, building starts include E65 Svedala–Börringe (new motorway, wildlife fence, landscape bridge), Malmö C (two new platform tracks), Malmö godsbangård (new entry track), and Blekinge kustbana (new meeting track on Kristianstad–Karlskrona). The building start decision means Trafikverket can now begin procuring contractors, not that construction starts immediately.
The government has given the green light for the building start of Norrbotniabanan between Dåva and Skellefteå, a section of the planned 270 km railway between Umeå and Luleå. Skellefteå is Sweden's largest city without a rail connection, and the new line is expected to halve travel times and improve connections with Europe. Construction is expected to take ten years, placing completion around 2035, and 17.7 billion kronor has been allocated for the Dåva–Skellefteå section. Trafikverket sent a request for a start notice for this section to the government on August 23, 2024, and so far 160 hectares of forest have been cleared, corresponding to 40% of planned clearing in the first contract. On the Umeå–Dåva section, traffic start is approaching after a breakthrough in the Ersmarksberget tunnel occurred in October. Planning continues for the northern part of the line; a new station location has been decided in Norrfjärden, and in northern Skellefteå, a line that minimizes mass movement has been favored to keep costs down. Work on railway plans for the Skellefteå–Luleå section will continue in 2026. The government's decision also includes several extensions of meeting stations along Malmbanan, but more investment is needed for double track from Boden to Luleå hamn, according to multiple reports. Region Norrbotten welcomes the decision and calls for a financing solution for the Luleå–Skellefteå section in the next national plan, said Anders Öberg, regionstyrelsens ordförande i Region Norrbotten. Minister Andreas Carlson said the Norrbotniabanan is important for national preparedness and cooperation with Finland. Skellefteå municipality also welcomed the announcement, according to a press release.
The government's decision confirms that the investment is needed for the development of Värmland and Sweden.
The new national infrastructure plan includes a double-track railway between Karlstad and Kil, which Region Värmland confirmed will be implemented during the plan period 2026–2037. The Karlstad–Kil section is Sweden's busiest single-track railway, and in 2024, six out of ten trains were late, averaging 26 minutes delay, according to multiple media reports. The double-track is a key part of reducing travel time between Oslo and Stockholm, driven by the company Oslo-Sthlm 2.55, in which Region Värmland is a co-owner. Ministers Peter Kullgren (KD) and Andreas Carlson (KD) said the double track aims to reduce travel times between Oslo and Stockholm, improve punctuality, and is important for total defense. The government will actively seek co-financing from the EU for the Karlstad–Kil project, according to Andreas Carlson. Total investments in Värmland between 2026 and 2037 are estimated at about 1.6 billion SEK, according to multiple reports. There will also be capacity enhancements in the form of passing loops on the Värmland line between Kil and Charlottenberg, according to Region Värmland. Stina Höök (M), vice chair of the regional development committee, said the government's decision confirms that the investment is needed for the development of Värmland and Sweden. The full decision on the national plan will be presented shortly, with more details on costs, timelines, and other priorities for Värmland, according to Region Värmland.
Other railway projects in the plan include double track between Kubikenborg and Dingersjö south of Sundsvall and a new double track Gävle–Kringlan, albeit in a reduced version, according to multiple media reports. The decision on Ostkustbanan is a victory and a step towards removing a bottleneck, according to Sundsvalls Tidning. Additionally, 30 billion SEK of the total defense upgrade funds are earmarked for infrastructure, including upgrading Inlandsbanan, according to multiple reports. The exact total cost of the national infrastructure plan remains unclear, as some sources mention 1,200 billion kronor instead of 1,171 billion. The specific timeline and cost for the Karlstad–Kil double track project have not been disclosed, and it is unknown when construction will actually begin. Financing for the remaining Skellefteå–Luleå section of Norrbotniabanan also remains unresolved.