Press release 30 September 2008
Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications

Government aims for infrastructure putting user needs first

Today the Government presents its Infrastructure Bill to the Riksdag. The Bill is entitled "Travel and transport in the future - infrastructure for sustainable growth."

The Bill is part of the long-term planning process for action on transport infrastructure. The process will lead to new transport infrastructure plans for the period from 2010 to 2021. The Swedish regions and traffic agencies will present proposals for action in autumn 2009 and the Government will decide on these proposals at the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010.

"Improved infrastructure paves the way for jobs and business everywhere in the country. By adopting an intermodal approach, the Government wants to create conditions for attractive and climate-efficient solutions for people and businesses," says Minister for Communications Åsa Torstensson.

In the Bill, the Government proposes a national planning framework of SEK 417 billion for 2010-2021. SEK 136 billion will be set aside for operation and maintenance of national roads, including bearing capacity, frost resistance and reconstruction, and co-financing of private roads. SEK 64 billion will be set aside for operation and maintenance of national railways. SEK 217 billion will be used for developing the transport system.

"We are now raising our ambitions substantially compared with previous infrastructure plans. The annual appropriations will be raised by SEK 3 800 million. This will enable us to make serious improvements and new investments in Swedish infrastructure," says Ms Torstensson.

The development funds will be used for investments in national roads and railways, co-financing of certain transport sites, sector responsibilities (the contribution of transport sectors towards transport policy and environmental objectives), and interest and amortisation expenses. The Government also proposes that funds from the planning framework be available for use in co-financing major and strategic action in fairways and locks and co-financing private roads. The operating grant to non-state airports will be included in the planning framework.

The national planning framework will be reinforced/supplemented by various forms of co-financing, such as user charges and congestion charges. Currently known co-financing for the period covered by the plan exceeds SEK 30 billion. Co-financing solutions will be actively sought during action planning.

Local and regional influence on and responsibility for the transport system is desirable and highly important. The development of the transport system must take account of the priorities raised regionally and in dialogue with industry. The priorities are to focus on users and proceed from an intermodal perspective. The regions are called upon to prioritise action in both regional and national networks.

The initiatives proposed in the Government Bill and those that the action planning is intended to lead to are expected to achieve the following improvements:

• The transport system will contribute to growth and to more people getting jobs in more and growing businesses everywhere in the country.
• Women and men will have access to larger labour market regions.
• Acute bottlenecks in the transport system will disappear.
• Climate-efficient travel and transport will be facilitated, which will contribute to achieving the climate policy objectives.
• Accessibility will be improved in the metropolitan regions.
• Infrastructure will be looked after with increased resources for maintenance.
• Infrastructure will be made secure to withstand climate change.
• It will become safer to travel on our roads.
• The whole travel chain and transport system will be better coordinated and better adapted to users' needs.
• The public benefit of resources put into infrastructure will increase.