Overview
The overarching objective of COINCO North II is to promote sustainable economic growth by reducing travel time, create new arenas for business cooperation, stimulate closer academic cooperation and strengthen the marketing of the region as an attractive location. With this motivation, the project takes a strategic approach and will, by illustrating the benefits of a world class green and multimodal transport system, secure that the national authorities in Denmark, Sweden and Norway reach a common decision regarding investments in Inter City and High Speed Rail. The partners are the majority of the local and regional authorities as well as three government agencies in the corridor between Oslo, Gothenburg and Copenhagen, and this is an extended continuation of the partnership in a precedent project, hence the name COINCO (Corridor of innovation and cooperation) North II. As economic activity increasingly takes place on a global scale, the emergence of new strategic areas and networks becomes apparent, resulting in the development of new organizational structures and cross border regions. City regions have become the engines in developing the knowledge and information based community. Their performance and competitiveness rely on knowledge, economy, quality of life, connectivity, urban diversity, urban scale, social capital, politics/framework and image. The development of the COINCO North is rooted in the philosophy that collaboration forms a firm basis for development in a globalised world. By exploring the potential of cooperation, jobs can be created and innovation milieus can be enhanced. Cooperation over long distances requires an appropriate infrastructure, both for passengers and freight. Whilst Europe and the world have been expanding their green infrastructure to stimulate growth – through massive investment in High Speed Rail, for example – such investment has been slow to progress in Scandinavia. The Vision for 2025 – the not so distant future – is a high speed rail link that will physically connect these 8 million inhabitants and contribute to making this region one of the world’s most competitive. The project is organized in three work packages.
Work package 1, Inter City trains and Green Freight Corridor, focuses on short term milestones regarding the existing Inter-City network. Upgrading it to double track standard in the whole corridor will create more capacity for both passengers and freight, increase the potential to gain a higher market share and prepare for a high-speed rail future. The leadership is shared by Akershus County Council and the Capital Region of Denmark.
In work package 2, High Speed Rail, the focus will be on financing models to build separate tracks for high-speed rail. The major vision is a high-speed rail line that will allow a traveler to leave Oslo Central Station and arrive in Copenhagen approximately 140 minutes later.
The City of Oslo and Skåne Regional Council will be in charge. The Norwegian project leader, The City of Oslo, and the EU Lead Partner, Business Region Göteborg, is in lead of the project management, including reporting, coordinating work, etc.
Funding
Results
Given that the overall objective of the project is to secure binding resolutions for the transport sector, work package 3 is dedicated to external communications and lobbying activities. By identifying influential key actors in the transport sector, such as national and European politicians, bureaucrats and NGOs, and producing targeted information, this work package’s main goal is that Danish, Swedish and Norwegian authorities reach a common decision regarding investments in Inter City and High Speed Rail. Business Region Göteborg and Skåne Regional Council will share the leadership.