While faster trains are on the agenda in a number of countries, including France, Japan, Germany and Spain, Sweden's high-speed lines will be a bit less so this year, due to maintenance issues.
The problems, including cracked rails and failing switches, have led to new speed limits starting today on 69 rail lines, including parts of the high-speed lines that link Sweden's biggest cities, Stockholm, Goteborg and Malmo. In some cases, the restrictions are extreme: 130 km/h down from 200.
Transport Agency press officer Bengt Olsson told media that “It's just like you can't drive a couple of hundred kilometres an hour on a gravel road. You have to adapt your speed.”
The past year, with declining on-time rates and safety concerns, have focused attention on Sweden's rail infrastructure, where some tracks are as old as 150 years. The government has allocated new funds for urgent upgrades.
Sweden's high-speed lines have had the worst on-time record in Europe, and it's blamed mostly on maintenance issues. Now, with the lowered speed, perhaps they can at least make the timetable!
Photo: Henrik Sendelbach/Wikimedia
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