Green Party in Sweden prioritizes upgrading railway infrastructure over high-speed trains

The Green Party in Sweden emphasizes the need for upgrading and expanding the existing railway infrastructure rather than investing in new high-speed trains. In a recent statement related to their summer tour along the Inlandsbanan, party spokespeople Daniel Helldén and Amanda Lind highlighted the importance of new trunk lines that are not focused on high-speed travel.

Helldén remarked that while high-speed trains connecting major cities like Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö, previously a key issue for the Green Party, are being set aside in favor of broader infrastructure improvements. He noted that the party leadership now acknowledges the impracticality of pursuing high-speed projects in the same way as before.

Lind reinforced the Green Party’s commitment to addressing the nation’s outdated railway system, advocating for double tracks along the Norrland coast, upgrades throughout the country, and the construction of new trunk lines. She expressed satisfaction at the unity within the opposition regarding this approach.

According to an investigation by the Swedish Transport Administration, the cost of implementing high-speed trains could reach 295 billion kronor. The plans faced criticism from the National Audit Office as early as 2019, when the Social Democrats decided to step back from the initiative.

The emphasis now appears to be on prioritizing the development of the existing railway system rather than pursuing potentially costly high-speed alternatives.