As plans for Sweden’s first high-speed railway enter the implementation stage, Sweco has been commissioned for another key stretch of track. This time it is a section of the Eastern Link, the eastern part of a planned new main high-speed line between Stockholm and Gothenburg. The customer is the Swedish Transport Administration and the assignment is worth approximately SEK 200 million.

“Within a short period of time, Sweco has been selected to design two key sections of what will be Sweden’s first high-speed railway. The new technology has truly arrived, and the result of this will be a future railway system that will shrink distances in Sweden while expanding our regional areas,” says Jan Thulin, CEO of Sweco Rail.

Under the contract, Sweco will plan and design over 40 kilometres of high-speed railway in Östergötland, including a track through central Norrköping.

”Sweco’s consultants will focus on identifying an overall solution for a high-speed railway that takes into consideration people, the environment and the landscape. The section running through Norrköping is particularly challenging, with several technically complex passages in an environment with high pedestrian traffic that is also classified as an area of national interest,” says Jan Thulin.

The entire Eastern Link comprises over 150 kilometres of new double-track high-speed railway between Järna and Linköpng. Passenger trains that can travel at speeds of over 300 kilometres per hour will create new opportunities for people and businesses alike. When the entire new main line between Stockholm and Gothenburg is completed, the travel time between Sweden’s two largest cities will be cut by one hour, to a total of two hours.

Sweco’s work will begin in January 2015 and continue through December 2017. Trains are scheduled to start running on the new line in 2028.