Overview
Banverket's strategy starts out from the vision that the basic industry still is the foundation of the prosperity of a country. Commuting to the cities should be largely by train. Climate change puts new demands on planning, construction and maintenance of the railway and the vehicles. To be able to reach the vision Banverket has divided the goal in to five separate areas that form the foundation of the research and innovation strategy.
- Public transport that makes life easier
- Efficient cargo transport for the industrial sector
- The railway – an important part of a sustainable society
- Better value for the taxpayer
- A sound and viable railway sector
The Swedish Rail Agency was incorporated into the newly formed Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) in 2009. The agency was then merged with the Swedish Road Administration (Vägverket) on 1 April 2010 to form the new Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket).
Key objectives from the above six goal areas are:
1. Public transport that makes life easier
- Increase the amount of passenger in public transport
- Equality within the transport system
- High speed trains
2. More efficient cargo transport for the industrial sector
- Decrease reloading time
- Development of new transport services
- Terminals for reloading
3. The railway – an important part of a sustainable society
- Improve capacity & information system
- Alternative fuel
4. Better value for the taxpayer
- Decrease planning- and building time
5. A sound and viable railway sector
Sub-programmes:
Framtidens personresor– Passenger Transport in the Future is a programme that addresses public transport in a broad sense. The overall objective is to facilitate travel by promoting an efficient and sustainable public transport system.
The programme is based on collaboration between Banverket (the Swedish National Rail Administration), Vägverket (the Swedish Road Administration) and VINNOVA on R&D work in the public transport field, and has a total budget of at least SEK 50 million. The programme begins in 2007 and will run for five years.
Grönatåget– an RD&D programme for high speed trains in Sweden
The Swedish National Rail Administration, Banverket has launched a new vehicle research program “Gröna Tåget”. The aim is to safeguard and further develop the competence required for ensuring the operation of the future passenger trains which will operate on the Swedish railway network. These trains should comply with the demands placed on them by the special Nordic climatic conditions.
It is estimated that a concept for such vehicles will reach completion in 2010. Some of the partners in the program: Bombardier Sweden, technical universities, railway industrial companies.