Following severe floods that disrupted rail connections in Västernorrland, Sweden, traffic on the Ådalsbanan and Stambanan lines is set to resume with priority given to critical transports. The Swedish Transport Administration, in collaboration with MSB and industry, has established guidelines prioritizing life-saving and essential goods like food and medicine. Full normalcy may take weeks or months, with no current plans for compensation to affected businesses.
Traffic Resumes on Ådalsbanan After Railway Chaos on Botniabanan
Traffic Resumes on Ådalsbanan After Railway Chaos on Botniabanan
Tough prioritizations are necessary as train traffic on the Stambanan and Ådalsbanan in Västernorrland can begin to resume.
– It's about ensuring critical societal transports. People's lives and health come first, says the Swedish Transport Administration's Director General Roberto Maiorana.
A little over two weeks ago, heavy downpours hit Västernorrland, destroying roads and railways. Flooding on the Botniabanan and two derailed freight trains resulted in the severing of train connections between northern and southern Sweden.
– This is on par with the collapse on the E6 outside Stenungsund, which cut off a main connection between Sweden and Norway, says Roberto Maiorana.
After a week, traffic on the Botniabanan could resume, with some limitations, and the Swedish Transport Administration expects to open the Ådalsbanan on September 26 and the Stambanan through upper Norrland on October 6. The opening of the Ådalsbanan has been brought forward by a few days compared to previous forecasts.
However, traffic will be reduced, and therefore the most important transports must be prioritized.
Food and Medicine
The Swedish Transport Administration, together with MSB and the business sector, has developed principles for which trains should be given priority. Priority one is for transports that can save lives and health. There is no concrete list of affected trains, but Roberto Maiorana exemplifies:
– It could involve food and medicine. It can also involve equipment for hospitals and nursing homes.
The principle also states that transports necessary for the country's preparedness and important societal functions should be prioritized, as well as economic values. This is against the backdrop that the industry is highly dependent on the railway for transporting, among other things, steel, metal, and timber.
Weeks or Months
When asked if there is a risk of a scramble for space on the railway, Roberto Maiorana responds:
– Yes, but it is our role to make a prioritization. The principles are based on recognizing the seriousness of the situation, and we have had a very good dialogue with transporters and transport buyers.
How long it will take before traffic can return to normal is unknown today, but it is a matter of weeks or months. There is also no information on possible compensation for companies that must find other means of transport.
– This might be a question to return to, but this is a situation I would liken to force majeure, says Roberto Maiorana.