Mälaren Line Project
The Mälaren Line Project will expand the railway between Tomteboda and Kallhäll northwest of Stockholm from two tracks to four. This will increase the track capacity and trains will be able to run more frequently and punctually.
Today one in four Swedes lives in the Mälardalen region and the population is growing. The need for convenient and environmentally friendly travel and transport is already great and constantly increasing. Delays and congestion in rail traffic are common nuisances for passengers who travel and commute on the Mälaren Line – the railway north of Lake Mälaren between Stockholm and Örebro, via Västerås. At present, all rail traffic – commuter trains, regional trains, long distance services and goods trains – are operated on only two tracks.
When the expansion is complete commuter trains will run on their own tracks in the middle and long-distance trains and other trains on the outer tracks. Taking the train will be more convenient; there will be more departures to choose from and it will be easier to arrive on time.
Long-distance trains are queuing behing commuter trains
Along the stretch of the Mälaren Line, which leads in to Stockholm between Kallhäll and Tomteboda, tracks are currently at maximum capacity. All trains must share the two tracks on the 20 kilometre stretch. This means long-distance trains and regional trains have to queue behind local commuter trains which stop at every station. This also leads to the commuter trains having to queue.
Four new stations
The project also includes building four new commuter train stations in Kallhäll, Barkarby, Sundbyberg and Huvudsta. They will be well-lit and safe and have smoother interchanges to bus routes and metro lines. We are also building bridges for cars, bikes and pedestrians.
The Mälaren Line Project and the Stockholm City Line make room for more trains
At Tomteboda, the Mälaren Line and the Stockholm City Line connect to each other. Commuter trains from the Mälaren Line (Bålsta branch) and also from the Märsta branch will be routed through the Stockholm City Line's new commuter train tunnel to central Stockholm. Other trains will continue to operate on the existing tracks to Stockholm Central Station. This frees up space on the existing tracks through Stockholm, and the number of trains passing through the city can be doubled.