Link: Längre och snabbare godståg ökar järnvägens kapacitet - www.trafikverket.se

Original article in Swedish

Longer and faster freight trains increase railway capacity

The Swedish Transport Administration is introducing new rules that allow longer freight trains, at higher speeds. The change creates more space on the tracks for freight and passenger trains, and also new opportunities for freight trains from the continent via the Öresund Bridge.

On June 1, new braking percentage tables will be introduced on the railways in Sweden, showing how fast a train can travel based on its braking ability on a certain distance. This will enable longer freight trains that can travel at higher speeds, freeing up space and creating more capacity in the railway system.

The change means that freight trains can run at 100 km/h and up to 120 km/h on certain routes, compared to previous speeds of 80–90 km/h. It also creates new opportunities for freight trains up to 850 meters long to enter from the continent via the Öresund Bridge – an increase of over 100 meters compared to today's 730 meters.

– This is an important step in being able to transport more efficiently. The railway is crowded, there are a record number of trains running at the same time as we are equipping it more than ever. Longer and faster freight trains have a great effect at a relatively small cost. More freight transport and passengers need to be able to fit on the tracks and arrive on time, says Ann-Sofie Atterbrand, Head of Department for Railway Planning, Swedish Transport Administration.

The railway attracts more people than ever and needs to be equipped and developed to be able to handle all travel and transport. In a year, one million passenger trains run on the railway and on a typical day, 500 freight trains run a distance equivalent to three laps around the world. In addition to longer and faster trains, the Swedish Transport Administration is working on many different measures to create more space on the tracks.

– To increase capacity, we are, among other things, expanding the railway, introducing the new ERTMS signaling system and new digital solutions. It is also about planning the timetables and finding the right balance between all traffic and the track work. We are working closely with the railway companies to find the best solutions for freight and passengers, concludes Ann-Sofie Atterbrand.

The new rules for longer freight trains also create the conditions for moving freight from road to rail and increase the competitiveness of the industry. Longer trains are already permitted in several countries, for example in Finland, Denmark, Germany, France and Switzerland. The EU has also decided that trains at least 740 metres long will be allowed to operate on the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) by 2030.