Sweden: Siltanews – News Desk
“The Iron Ore Line, the entire stretch from port to port, is an important part of the Swedish infrastructure. Sweden’s competitiveness and industries’ need for export and import should not depend on a fragile railway line. Considering Sweden’s current situation, not least as a NATO member, the Iron Ore Line’s functions will become even more important. This is work I would like to contribute to.”
The statement comes from the former Swedish Minister of Infrastructure and now CEO of Byggföretagen, Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd. In a new cooperation with Region Norrbotten, she will mediate and find necessary compromises regarding the sought-after Iron Ore Line.
The Iron Ore Line, or the Ofoten Line, as it is called on the Norwegian side, is a railway that runs from Narvik in northern Norway to Luleå in northern Sweden. The railway line is essential for transporting consumer goods, mail, seafood, and passenger traffic. For mining companies in northern Sweden, such as LKAB, it is crucial for the continuous transport of iron ore products.
The railway line continues to be characterized by low capacity and increasing pressure from several actors. Thus, it is described as a bottleneck for the green shift in Northern Sweden and Sweden’s economy. Double tracks on the railway have long been called for, but it is ultimately a question of costs.