The Swedish Transport Administration is tasked by the government to finish the planning work on building new railway tracks on the Hässleholm–Lund section as soon as possible.
- It is not a serious way of working.
You throw away a lot of bath water, says Anders Almgren (S).
He says that the work to prepare for high-speed trains began as early as 2009. The Hässleholm-Lund stretch is important, not least for freight traffic, he believes.
- This route needs four tracks for the infrastructure to function in Scania.
Not least when we are to be connected with the Fehrman Belt connection in a few years, says Anders Almgren.
The fixed connection between Denmark and Germany will halve the travel time between Malmö and Hamburg from six to three hours and is expected to be completed in 2029.
"Even worse for commuters"
- The government's decision is a cold shower for all Skåne commuters and train travelers, says Mätta Ivarsson, the Green Party's group leader in Region Skåne, in a press release.
She adds that many commuters are used to delays and canceled departures, which is because the tracks are already full.
- Now the problems will get even worse.
In addition, the government's decision damages Skåne's competitiveness, makes commuting more difficult and reduces the possibility of reaching the climate goals.
It is a directly counterproductive decision, she says.
Chamber of Commerce critical
This picture is shared by Henrik Fritzon (S), also a regional councilor in Skåne:
- The investment needs in Scanian infrastructure are urgent and today's announcement from the government means that we will not be able to deal with the delays and canceled departures that affect Scanian travelers every day.
Per Tryding, vice president of the South Swedish Chamber of Commerce, is also critical.
- Now the only major investment in Skåne that is in the plan is disappearing, and at that time Skåne was already far behind Gothenburg and Stockholm, he says.