SYSTRA continues its contribution to new mainline rail in Sweden

The Kolmården project is one of the new main lines in the Ostlänken project on the Stavsjo-Loddby route. In addition to land, works, access tunnels and dewatering, SYSTRA, together with longstanding partner COWI, will be responsible for designing 15km of double track railway, including 8km of tunnel, the second longest railway tunnel in the country.

We are looking forward to continuing our work on the Ostlänken project which will contribute to a sustainable future with increased regional travel in Sweden, connecting the country’s three main cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö.

Filippa Jansson, Project manager and bid responsible, HSL/MRT/LRT, SYSTRA Nordics

a long-term relationship

SYSTRA has been working on the Ostlänken project since 2015 for our client Trafikverket, Sweden’s transport administration. Public consultation is a key focus on this project and the Swedish authorities are keen to ensure its acceptance by the population.

As part of this process, SYSTRA and COWI collaborated to make 3D models used to produce a virtual reality film of the line, construction of which is scheduled to start in 2025.

The Ostlänken project enters a new phase of development

This success for SYSTRA and COWI comes on the biggest rail project currently underway in Sweden: Ostlänken. This is a high-speed network (250km/h) which will supplement the existing network between Järna and Linköping on which SYSTRA has been involved in feasibility studies since 2015, on the OLP-3 section linking Savjsö to Sillekrog via the town of Nyköping and Skavsta airport, the most complex and extensive of the entire network.

With this new contract, SYSTRA is to work on another section, the only one to be built using traditional construction methods and not Design & Build like the rest of the line. The ultimate aim of the Swedish authorities is to minimise the climatic impact of the project through technical solutions and a particular choice of construction materials. The target set by Trafikverket is to reduce CO₂ emissions by 62% compared with similar railway construction. The work will also have to be carried out with minimal impact on flora and fauna.

When it is brought into service by 2035, the Ostlänken network will contribute to the development of interregional links in the service of employment, the work/life balance of users, and the local economy.