New trunk lines for high-speed trains

The plan wants to carry out massive infrastructure investments where railways are mentioned first and establishes that heavy transport should be directed to rail. Increased capacity in the rail system is a prerequisite for that transition. The plan does not explicitly mention high-speed rail, but its commitment to expanded railways and state responsibility for infrastructure leads to support for continuing the new trunk lines.

• massive railway investmentsdecisive»det kommer också skapa väldigt många nya jobb över hela landet genom infrastruktursatsningar på järnväg, vägar, energi, bostäder och välfärd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“it will also create very many new jobs throughout the country through infrastructure investments in railways, roads, energy, housing and welfare”
• goods to rail»Tunga transporter behöver styras till järnväg och hållbar sjöfart« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Heavy transport needs to be directed to rail and sustainable shipping”
• upgraded railways»Vägnätet och järnvägen behöver rustas upp i stora delar av Sverige, när industrierna nu expanderar på nya platser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The road network and railways need to be upgraded in large parts of Sweden, when industries are now expanding in new places”
• rail reduces emissions»förutsättningar för godstransporter på järnväg kan utsläppen minska« (party programme ↗)“preconditions for goods transport by rail, emissions can decrease”

The plan promises massive investments in both new and existing railway so that more people can travel climate-smart by train, and the party programme wants road transport to be replaced by railway transport. To complete new trunk lines is the new railway needed for capacity, and the climate framework should remain fixed. The plan does not name the high-speed railways, so the conclusion is derived.

• investments in new railwaydecisive»Genom massiva investeringar i både ny och befintlig järnväg kommer fler att kunna resa klimatsmart med tåg.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Through massive investments in both new and existing railway, more people will be able to travel climate-smart by train.”
• shift to railway»vägtransporter ersätts med järnvägstransporter och sjötrafik.« (party programme ↗)“road transport is replaced by railway transport and sea traffic.”
• infrastructure for regional growth»satsningar på utbyggd kollektivtrafik, vägar och järnvägar, både för att gynna utvecklingen« (party programme ↗)“investments in expanded public transport, roads and railways, both to promote development”
• the climate framework remains fixed»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework shall remain fixed.”

The plan explicitly promises to speed up construction of new main lines for high-speed rail and to upgrade the rail network across the country. Rail is the plan's main alternative for long-distance travel, which requires the capacity that new tracks provide. The counter-proposal's demand to complete the expansion is thus the plan's own line.

• new main lines fasterdecisive»skynda på bygget av nya stambanor för höghastighetståg« (2022 manifesto ↗)“speed up construction of new main lines for high-speed rail”
• rail as main alternative»För långväga persontransporter är järnvägen det« (party programme ↗)“For long-distance passenger transport, rail is the”
• upgraded rail network»bygga ut och rusta upp järnvägsnätet för snabba tåg i hela landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“build out and upgrade the rail network for fast trains across the country”
• maintenance beyond new construction»spåren underhållas och förseningar minimeras« (party programme ↗)“tracks are maintained and delays minimized”

The election manifesto explicitly requires that new main railway lines from north to south be built, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to accomplish. The plan links the investment to both climate and the countryside and wants new emission-free infrastructure to be put in place while the existing network is upgraded. The party programme makes the railway part of the public service that shall be accessible throughout the country.

• new main lines are builtdecisive»Vi vill rusta upp regionala järnvägar, bygga nya stambanor från norr till söder, höja standarden på det nationella stambanenätet i hela landet och storsatsa på morgondagens tågtrafik — för klimatets och landsbygdens bästa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to upgrade regional railways, build new main lines from north to south, raise the standard of the national main network throughout the country and invest heavily in tomorrow's train traffic—for climate's and the countryside's sake.”
• new emission-free infrastructure»Transporternas utsläpp ska bort och ny utsläppsfri infrastruktur ska komma på plats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Transport emissions shall be eliminated and new emission-free infrastructure shall be put in place.”
• the train over the car»Det ska dessutom vara smidigt att välja bort bilen till förmån för tåg, buss, båt och cykel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Moreover, it should be smooth to choose the train, bus, boat and bicycle over the car.”
• the railway as public service»Järnvägen till samhället, vägen till huset, bredbandet till skärmen och vägen till världens kunskap« (party programme ↗)“The railway to society, the road to the house, broadband to the screen and the path to the world's knowledge”

The plan takes explicit position against a high-speed railway and instead wants to remove bottlenecks and get trains running on time here and now, rather than spending hundreds of billions on a line that won't be ready for twenty years. The counter-proposal's requirement to complete the new trunk lines therefore runs directly against the plan. The plan accepts, however, continued major investments in the existing network.

• no to high-speed railwaydecisive»Vi vill bygga bort järnvägsnätets flaskhalsar och så att tågen går i tid här och nu i stället för att lägga hundratals miljarder på en höghastighetsjärnväg som inte är klar ens om 20 år.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to remove railway network bottlenecks and get trains running on time here and now rather than spending hundreds of billions on a high-speed railway that won't even be ready in 20 years.”
• upgrade of existing network»Sverige behöver fortsatt stora investeringar i infrastruktur.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden needs continued major investments in infrastructure.”

The election manifesto explicitly establishes a billion-kronor investment to upgrade neglected roads throughout the country instead of building expensive high-speed trains. The party programme's requirement that each mode of transport bear its own socio-economic costs points in the same direction. The plan therefore rejects the requirement to complete the new main lines, even though it wants to keep the infrastructure investment level high long-term.

• roads before high-speed trainsdecisive»Miljardsatsning för att rusta eftersatta vägar i hela landet - istället för att bygga dyra höghastighetståg.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Billion-kronor investment to upgrade neglected roads throughout the country - instead of building expensive high-speed trains.”
• transport modes bear own costs»Målet ska vara att respektive transportslag bär sina egna samhällsekonomiska kostnader.« (party programme ↗)“The goal shall be that each transport mode bears its own socio-economic costs.”
• high investment level»Staten har ansvar för att investeringsnivån i kommunikationssystemens infrastruktur såsom vägar, järnvägar och elektroniska kommunikationskanaler hålls på en långsiktigt hög nivå« (party programme ↗)“The state has responsibility for keeping the investment level in communication systems infrastructure such as roads, railways and electronic communication channels at a long-term high level”
• all Sweden should function»Hela Sverige ska fungera och det ska gå att bo och verka även utanför de stora städerna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All of Sweden should function and it should be possible to live and work even outside the major cities.”

The plan explicitly takes a position against high-speed rail and calls them expensive and unprofitable prestige projects that risk being obsolete before completion; the money should instead go to upgrading existing rail. New reforms must also fit within the surplus target. The counter-proposal's demand to complete the expansion is therefore directly rejected by the plan.

• nej till höghastighetsbanordecisive»Rusta upp dagens järnväg i stället för att satsa på höghastighetståg som riskerar att vara omoderna redan innan de är klara« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Upgrade today's rail instead of investing in high-speed trains that risk being obsolete before completion”
• underhåll före nybyggnad»I stället för dyra och olönsamma skrytbyggen som höghastighetståg kommer Moderaterna rusta upp den järnväg som redan finns, så att tågen kan gå i tid och du slipper stå och frysa på perrongen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Instead of expensive and unprofitable prestige projects like high-speed rail, the Moderate Party will upgrade the rail that already exists, so trains can run on time and you don't have to stand and freeze on the platform.”
• finansierade reformer»Alla nya löften och reformer – som till exempel våra inkomstskattesänkningar – behöver finansieras eller rymmas inom överskottsmålet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All new promises and reforms – such as our income tax cuts – must be financed or fit within the surplus target.”
• befintligt nät brister»Tågtrafiken präglas alltjämt av förseningar och flaskhalsar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Rail traffic is still characterized by delays and bottlenecks.”

The plan explicitly establishes that plans for expensive high-speed rail between major cities should be stopped and that funds should instead go to maintenance and upgrading of existing infrastructure. The counter-proposal's demand to complete the expansion of the new main lines therefore stands in direct conflict with the plan. The plan also expresses itself precisely on the committee's reasons regarding costs and prioritization of existing rail network.

• stop high-speed railsdecisive»Stoppa planerna på dyr höghastighetsjärnväg mellan storstäderna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop plans for expensive high-speed rail between major cities”
• money is needed in existing network»I ljuset av de stora behoven i befintlig infrastruktur är det enligt Sverigedemokraterna fel att lägga flera hundra miljarder kronor på att bygga nya banor för höghastighetståg mellan storstäderna Stockholm, Göteborg och Malmö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In light of the major needs in existing infrastructure, it is according to the Sweden Democrats wrong to spend several hundred billion kronor on building new lines for high-speed trains between the major cities Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.”
• redirect to maintenance»Sverigedemokraterna vill rikta om prestigesatsningar på höghastighetståg till snabbare och mer trängande behov av att rusta upp transportinfrastrukturen inom alla trafikslag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Sweden Democrats want to redirect prestige investments in high-speed trains to faster and more pressing needs to upgrade transport infrastructure in all modes of transport.”
• no to prestige projects»Satsa på välfärden istället för politiska prestigeprojekt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in welfare instead of political prestige projects”