Arlandabanan
Encyclopedia
The Arlanda Line is a 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) long railway line which allows trains on the East Coast Line to reach Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
in Sigtuna Municipality
, Sweden
. The Arlanda Line branches from the East Coast Line at Rosersberg and rejoins again at Myrbacken. It is built for speeds of 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph), is electrified
at and is double track
. The 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) section under the airport runs in a tunnel, and has three stations: Arlanda South Station
, Arlanda Central Station
and Arlanda North Station
.
The Arlanda Express
operates six hourly services to Stockholm Central Station
, the largest railway station in Sweden and in the Nordic
region. Operated by A-Train, the service uses seven X3
trains and calls at the north and south stations. The station is also served by 70 other regional and intercity trains daily, operated by SJ
, Tågkompaniet
and Upptåget. These all stop at Arlanda Central. In 1994, A-Train was awarded the right to build the line in a public–private partnership, where A-Train paid about half the 6 billion Swedish krona
(SEK) to build the line. The line opened in 1999 and A-Train holds the sole right right to operate to Stockholm, and collects a fee from other train operators using the line. The line itself is owned by Arlandabanan Infrastructure AB, which is owned by the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications
.
Upptåget operates a commuter train service towards Upplands Väsby
and Uppsala
, with onwards connections to Tierp
and Gävle
. This service operates every 30 minutes, and travel time to Uppsala is 20 minutes. At Upplands Väsby, located 8 minutes, allows transfer to the Stockholm Commuter Rail
. The station is also served by 70 daily long-distance trains operated by SJ
. SJ operates northbound X2000
trains from Stockholm, which may continue southwards to destinations in Southern Sweden. Tågkompaniet operates a weekend regional service from Gävle to Stockholm.
In 2007, the line transported 4 million people, of which 2.7 million were air passengers whoo the Arlanda Express, 0.6 million were employees at the airport, and 0.7 traveled with other train operators. Between 1,200 and 1,500 passengers board and disboard Upptåget trains at the airport each day.
The Rail Administration had proposed that the line was to be built as regular with the government agency as owner and with either SJ or private railway companies as train operators. However, the right-winged Cabinet of Carl Bildt
wanted to introduce private enterprise in the construction of the line. In 1993, the state invited to a public tender to build and operate the line. In 1994, Arlanda Link Consortium was chosen, consisting of the Nordic Construction Company
, SIAB, Vattenfall
, GEC Alsthom and Mowlem
. A-Banan Projekt AB was established as a limited company
in 1994 to take care of the state's interests in the project. The consortium established A-Train AB to be the property developer and then operate the Arlanda Express until 2040. The legal responsibility for the project was transferred from the consortium to A-Train in 1995. As part of the agreement, A-Train received 850 million Swedish krona
(SEK) in a grant and SEK 1 billion in a loan to help finance the project. The company was also allowed to operate a shuttle service from Stockholm C to Arlanda and charge a non-discriminating fee for all other trains using the line.
Total investment costs for the project were SEK 6 billion, of which SEK 2 billion was financed through state grants to the Swedish Rail Administration who built the quadruple track along the East Coast Line. The public–private partnership part of the project involved two new tracks at Stockholm C and the Arlanda Line, costing SEK 4.1 billion. Of this, SEK 2.4 billion was financed by the state. In addition, the state held a financial guarantee to Nordea
for the X3 trains, should A-Train fail to meets its financial obligations to the bank. A-Train was also granted an interest-free delay on payment of the fees at Stockholm&nbps;C and Arlanda, costing the state SEK 90 million. Of A-Train's capital loan for SEK 2.2 billion, SEK 1.8 billion were borrowed in three state-owned financial institutions: the Swedish National Debt Office
, the Swedish Export Credit Corporation and the Nordic Investment Bank
. In addition, 20% of the share capital was secured through Vattenfall's ownership in the company.
The line was taken into use on 25 November 1999. After the construction was completed, the ownership of the infrastructure was transferred to A-Banan Projekt. However, A-Train is responsible for paying for all maintenance and operating costs of the line. In 2004, A-Train was bought by Macquarie Group
, who paid SEK 70 million for the company, i addition to taking over debt worth SEK 330 million.
In 2004, the Swedish National Audit Office
criticized the process of building and financing the Arlanda Line, and stated that the state had taken more financial risk than the parliament had been informed about. It also criticized the government for giving additional financial support to A-Train in the form of guarantees without informing the parliament, and having an unclear management strategy. It also commented that the traffic prognoses during planning were incorrect. The original plans showed an economic benefit of SEK 4 billion. However, because A-Train is free to set its ticket prices as it wishes, the high prices result in too few passengers taking the Arlanda Line for it to be economical for society, and the line fails to maximum its economic impact through reduced road congestion and emissions.
In 2006, Upptåget started operating on the Arlanda Line. In 2008, A-Banan Projekt changed its name to Arlanda Infrastructure. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
stated in 2008 that they intended to use the line for a new branch of the Stockholm Commuter Rail
.
In a motion passed by the Parliament of Sweden
on the 7 October 2008, the Arlanda Line Agreement was unanimously criticized as characterized as the "worst possible agreement Arlanda could have". A-Train is free to set whatever fees its sees fit on the line, both regarding their own ticket prices on the Arlanda Express and what fees it charges other train operators. This framework has resulted in a heavy rise in ticket prices, and results in a low public transport use for ground transportation to the airport.
The Swedish state holds an option to purchase the traffic rights from A-Train in 2010, which would eliminate the fees and allow other operators to run directly from the airport to the city center. As of 2008, the train had a 9% market share for employees and a 25% market share for passengers traveling to the airport. Commentators and politicians have stated that the business model results in a low utilization of the line because of the high ticket prices, which has caused the airport to not reach its targeted emission goals.
The CEO of A-Train, Per Thorstensson, stated that it would be a waste of tax money to purchase the line in 2010, all the time the state would receive it free of charge in 2040. Originally A-Train was required to accumulate a capital of SEK 600 million before it could pay dividend
s, but this was changed to SEK 150 million in 2008, after an agreement was made with Arlandabanan Infrastructure.
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport , is an international airport located in the Sigtuna Municipality of Sweden, near the town of Märsta, north of Stockholm and nearly , by road, south-east of Uppsala....
in Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality
Sigtuna Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Märsta.The municipality is a part of Metropolitan Stockholm....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The Arlanda Line branches from the East Coast Line at Rosersberg and rejoins again at Myrbacken. It is built for speeds of 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph), is electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
at and is double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
. The 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) section under the airport runs in a tunnel, and has three stations: Arlanda South Station
Arlanda South Station
Arlanda South Station is a railway station on the Arlanda Line serving Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden. The station is one of two station at the airport to be served by the Arlanda Express, the other being Arlanda North Station. The station is located inside a tunnel below the airport and is...
, Arlanda Central Station
Arlanda Central Station
Arlanda Central Station or Arlanda C is a railway station on the Arlanda Line serving Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden, and is served by regional and intercity trains operated by SJ and Tågkompaniet, as well as the suburban train Upptåget, which can be used to reach Stockholm in 35...
and Arlanda North Station
Arlanda North Station
Arlanda North Station is a railway station on the Arlanda Line serving Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden. The station is one of two station at the airport to be served by the Arlanda Express, the other being Arlanda South Station. The station is located inside a tunnel below the airport and is...
.
The Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express is an airport rail link connecting Stockholm Central Station with Stockholm-Arlanda Airport outside Stockholm, Sweden. Operated by A-Train AB, the trip takes 20 minutes and runs four to six times per hour using seven X3 electric multiple units...
operates six hourly services to Stockholm Central Station
Stockholm Central Station
Stockholm Central Station is the largest railway station in Sweden. The station is situated in the district of Norrmalm at Vasagatan/Central Plan. Opened July 18, 1871, the station is the largest in Sweden, with over 200,000 visitors daily...
, the largest railway station in Sweden and in the Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
region. Operated by A-Train, the service uses seven X3
X3 (train)
X3 is an electric multiple unit train used by Arlanda Express on the airport rail link service between Stockholm Central Station and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport in Sweden. Alstom built seven of these four-car units in Birmingham, which were delivered in 1998 and 1999...
trains and calls at the north and south stations. The station is also served by 70 other regional and intercity trains daily, operated by SJ
SJ AB
SJ is a government-owned passenger train operator in Sweden. SJ was created in 2000, out of the public transport division of Statens Järnvägar, when the former government agency was divided into six separate government-owned limited companies.-Overview:SJ's operations fall broadly into subsidised...
, Tågkompaniet
Tågkompaniet
Tågkompaniet or Svenska Tågkompaniet AB is a Swedish railway company that operates franchises in Northern Sweden and Greater Stockholm. The company was founded in 1999 by three former railway employees in Statens Järnvägar and the investment company Småföretagsinvest/Fylkinvest...
and Upptåget. These all stop at Arlanda Central. In 1994, A-Train was awarded the right to build the line in a public–private partnership, where A-Train paid about half the 6 billion Swedish krona
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(SEK) to build the line. The line opened in 1999 and A-Train holds the sole right right to operate to Stockholm, and collects a fee from other train operators using the line. The line itself is owned by Arlandabanan Infrastructure AB, which is owned by the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications
Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications (Sweden)
The Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications is a ministry within the government of Sweden. Its areas of responsibility include business development and competition, electronic communications, energy, forestry, information technology , postal communications and cashier service, primary...
.
Service
The Arlanda Express is the main operator of the line and offers a direct service from Stockholm Central Station to Arlanda North Station and Arlanda South Station up to six times per hour. Travel time is 20 minutes using the company's seven X3 trains.Upptåget operates a commuter train service towards Upplands Väsby
Upplands Väsby
Upplands Väsby is a bimunicipal locality and the seat of Upplands Väsby Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 35,977 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:...
and Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, with onwards connections to Tierp
Tierp
Tierp is a locality and the seat of Tierp Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 5,377 inhabitants in 2005. There is a saying that in Tierp the birds fly upside down.-Communications:...
and Gävle
Gävle
Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 71,033 inhabitants in 12/31 2010. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland , having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.-History:It is believed that the name Gävle...
. This service operates every 30 minutes, and travel time to Uppsala is 20 minutes. At Upplands Väsby, located 8 minutes, allows transfer to the Stockholm Commuter Rail
Stockholm commuter rail
Stockholm Commuter Rail is the commuter rail system in Stockholm County, Sweden. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm, and is controlled by Stockholm Transport; the trains are operated under contract by Stockholmståg...
. The station is also served by 70 daily long-distance trains operated by SJ
SJ AB
SJ is a government-owned passenger train operator in Sweden. SJ was created in 2000, out of the public transport division of Statens Järnvägar, when the former government agency was divided into six separate government-owned limited companies.-Overview:SJ's operations fall broadly into subsidised...
. SJ operates northbound X2000
X2000
X2000 is a 1998 short film directed by François Ozon.-Plot:A naked man wakes up in a luxury loft, which is a residential building in an unidentified European city, after a particularly wild New Year's Eve party of the year 2000. He finds a naked woman in his bed, and obviously he does not...
trains from Stockholm, which may continue southwards to destinations in Southern Sweden. Tågkompaniet operates a weekend regional service from Gävle to Stockholm.
In 2007, the line transported 4 million people, of which 2.7 million were air passengers whoo the Arlanda Express, 0.6 million were employees at the airport, and 0.7 traveled with other train operators. Between 1,200 and 1,500 passengers board and disboard Upptåget trains at the airport each day.
History
Plans for an airport rail link from the central business district of Stockholm and the airport was launched in the early 1980s. The goal was to reduce road congestion and emissions while allowing Arlanda to keep increasing passenger numbers. The Swedish Rail Administration made a specific plan in the late 1980s which involved the construction of a branch from the existing East Coast Line. This resulted in a project plan which was launched in 1990, which specifically suggested Rosersberg and Odensala as the intersections with the existing line. The political decision to build the line was taken in 1993. Estimates at the time gave a ridership of 5.1 million passengers per year in 2005.The Rail Administration had proposed that the line was to be built as regular with the government agency as owner and with either SJ or private railway companies as train operators. However, the right-winged Cabinet of Carl Bildt
Cabinet of Carl Bildt
The cabinet of Carl Bildt was the cabinet of Sweden from 4 October 1991 to 7 October 1994 with Carl Bildt as the Prime Minister. It was a coalition government between the Moderate Party, the Centre Party, the Liberal People's Party and the Christian Democrats.- Ministers :-External links:*...
wanted to introduce private enterprise in the construction of the line. In 1993, the state invited to a public tender to build and operate the line. In 1994, Arlanda Link Consortium was chosen, consisting of the Nordic Construction Company
Nordic Construction Company
NCC AB is a Swedish construction company, the second largest in the Nordic region with annual revenues of 49 billion Swedish krona and about 17,000 employees.-History:...
, SIAB, Vattenfall
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a Swedish power company. The name Vattenfall is Swedish for waterfall, and is an abbreviation of its original name, Royal Waterfall Board...
, GEC Alsthom and Mowlem
Mowlem
Mowlem was one of the largest construction and civil engineering companies in the United Kingdom. Carillion bought the firm in 2006.-History:Founded by John Mowlem in 1822, the company was awarded a Royal Warrant in 1902 and went public on the London Stock Exchange in 1924. It acquired SGB Group in...
. A-Banan Projekt AB was established as a limited company
Aktiebolag
Aktiebolag is the Swedish term for "limited company" or "corporation". When used in company names, it is abbreviated "AB" or "Ab"...
in 1994 to take care of the state's interests in the project. The consortium established A-Train AB to be the property developer and then operate the Arlanda Express until 2040. The legal responsibility for the project was transferred from the consortium to A-Train in 1995. As part of the agreement, A-Train received 850 million Swedish krona
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(SEK) in a grant and SEK 1 billion in a loan to help finance the project. The company was also allowed to operate a shuttle service from Stockholm C to Arlanda and charge a non-discriminating fee for all other trains using the line.
Total investment costs for the project were SEK 6 billion, of which SEK 2 billion was financed through state grants to the Swedish Rail Administration who built the quadruple track along the East Coast Line. The public–private partnership part of the project involved two new tracks at Stockholm C and the Arlanda Line, costing SEK 4.1 billion. Of this, SEK 2.4 billion was financed by the state. In addition, the state held a financial guarantee to Nordea
Nordea
Nordea Bank AB is a Stockholm-based financial services group operating in Northern Europe. The bank is the result of the successive mergers and acquisitions of the Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian banks of Nordbanken, Merita Bank, Unibank and Kreditkassen that took place between 1997 and 2000...
for the X3 trains, should A-Train fail to meets its financial obligations to the bank. A-Train was also granted an interest-free delay on payment of the fees at Stockholm&nbps;C and Arlanda, costing the state SEK 90 million. Of A-Train's capital loan for SEK 2.2 billion, SEK 1.8 billion were borrowed in three state-owned financial institutions: the Swedish National Debt Office
Swedish National Debt Office
The Swedish National Debt Office founded by the Riksdag of the Estates in 1789, is a Government agency in Sweden. The first task of the Debt office was to finance the War against Russia started by King Gustav III....
, the Swedish Export Credit Corporation and the Nordic Investment Bank
Nordic Investment Bank
The Nordic Investment Bank is an international financial institution founded in the mid-1970s by the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In 2005, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became members of the Bank. NIB’s headquarters are located in Helsinki, Finland...
. In addition, 20% of the share capital was secured through Vattenfall's ownership in the company.
The line was taken into use on 25 November 1999. After the construction was completed, the ownership of the infrastructure was transferred to A-Banan Projekt. However, A-Train is responsible for paying for all maintenance and operating costs of the line. In 2004, A-Train was bought by Macquarie Group
Macquarie Group
Macquarie Group Limited is a global investment banking and diversified financial services group, providing banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services to institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world...
, who paid SEK 70 million for the company, i addition to taking over debt worth SEK 330 million.
In 2004, the Swedish National Audit Office
Swedish National Audit Office
The Swedish National Audit Office audits the activities of the Swedish government. All government agencies are required to submit copies of their annual accounts and reports to this office for review....
criticized the process of building and financing the Arlanda Line, and stated that the state had taken more financial risk than the parliament had been informed about. It also criticized the government for giving additional financial support to A-Train in the form of guarantees without informing the parliament, and having an unclear management strategy. It also commented that the traffic prognoses during planning were incorrect. The original plans showed an economic benefit of SEK 4 billion. However, because A-Train is free to set its ticket prices as it wishes, the high prices result in too few passengers taking the Arlanda Line for it to be economical for society, and the line fails to maximum its economic impact through reduced road congestion and emissions.
In 2006, Upptåget started operating on the Arlanda Line. In 2008, A-Banan Projekt changed its name to Arlanda Infrastructure. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
stated in 2008 that they intended to use the line for a new branch of the Stockholm Commuter Rail
Stockholm commuter rail
Stockholm Commuter Rail is the commuter rail system in Stockholm County, Sweden. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm, and is controlled by Stockholm Transport; the trains are operated under contract by Stockholmståg...
.
In a motion passed by the Parliament of Sweden
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
on the 7 October 2008, the Arlanda Line Agreement was unanimously criticized as characterized as the "worst possible agreement Arlanda could have". A-Train is free to set whatever fees its sees fit on the line, both regarding their own ticket prices on the Arlanda Express and what fees it charges other train operators. This framework has resulted in a heavy rise in ticket prices, and results in a low public transport use for ground transportation to the airport.
The Swedish state holds an option to purchase the traffic rights from A-Train in 2010, which would eliminate the fees and allow other operators to run directly from the airport to the city center. As of 2008, the train had a 9% market share for employees and a 25% market share for passengers traveling to the airport. Commentators and politicians have stated that the business model results in a low utilization of the line because of the high ticket prices, which has caused the airport to not reach its targeted emission goals.
The CEO of A-Train, Per Thorstensson, stated that it would be a waste of tax money to purchase the line in 2010, all the time the state would receive it free of charge in 2040. Originally A-Train was required to accumulate a capital of SEK 600 million before it could pay dividend
Dividend
Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholder members. It is the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, that money can be put to two uses: it can either be re-invested in the business , or it can be distributed to...
s, but this was changed to SEK 150 million in 2008, after an agreement was made with Arlandabanan Infrastructure.