18 municipal councils from inland municipalities that the Inlandsbanan ring through direct criticism of the Swedish Transport Administration, which will on Wednesday decide to wind down the crossroads between Arvidsjaur and Jörn.

The crossroads have not been in use by trains since 1990. Since 2013, plans to use the closed track to conduct train tests have emerged.

Positive to test facility

The Swedish Transport Administration is currently investigating the future function of the inland railway on behalf of the Government. The 18 municipal councils that now want to see the decision postponed, mean that a decommissioning for the crossroads makes it impossible to develop the Inlandsbanan into a future transport route.

- We are positive about the test facility that is on proposal, but believe that it could be developed together with Inlandsbanan. Furthermore, the development of infrastructure projects that are of importance to society and industry will be preceded by completed, carefully balanced investigations, the 18 municipal councils write in a press release.

Now the municipal councils demand that the Swedish Transport Administration postpone the decision to allow the crossroads for testing activities.