A localization study is the first step toward building a new metro line. It involves identifying one or several alternatives that are technically feasible and provide significant societal benefits over the long term.
The localization study will form the basis for future negotiations on the funding of the metro.
A metro line to the Bromma Airport area is part of the in-depth needs analysis conducted by the administration for metro expansion in collaboration with the traffic administration, focusing on future rail transport. The analysis highlights around 20 potential routes for future development.
The full analysis, including the concept study on a metro to the Bromma Airport area, is available to read here.
Business Sweden is a crucial resource for international companies looking to establish a business in Sweden. Their guide provides comprehensive information on starting and operating businesses in the country.
Verksamt.se is a joint service from several Swedish authorities. They provide information and step-by-step guides for business establishment, including registration and permits.
Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth – Business Support (Tillväxtverket)
Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket)
Bolagsverket is the Swedish Companies Registration Office, offering information on company registration, legal requirements, and corporate governance.
Public Employment Service – Recruiting Abroad (Arbetsförmedlingen)
If you plan to hire personnel in Sweden, the Public Employment Service can be a valuable resource. They offer support and advice on the recruitment process and workforce-related issues.
Swedish Work Environment Authority (Arbetsmiljöverket)
The Swedish Work Environment Authority oversees workplace conditions, health, and safety. Understanding their guidelines is crucial for compliance with Swedish labor laws.
Work Permits and Visas
Before planning your move, check the requirements for work permits and visas. The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), responsible for immigration matters, provides detailed information on the application process and eligibility criteria.
Planning new public transportation involves considering many factors. Where are municipalities in Stockholm County planning to build a significant number of new homes? Where are there – or will there be –capacity issues that cannot be solved with, for instance, more vehicles or smarter traffic planning?
– This is an early-stage study based on what we know today about, for example, housing development plans and the traffic situation. We haven’t yet decided whether metro or light rail is the best option, says Jörgen Altin, senior project manager at the Administration for extended metro.
The study is a collaboration between the two regional administrations responsible for public transportation: the Traffic Administration and the Administration for Metro Expansion. It provides a broad overview of which connections are worth further investigation and why.
A long-term perspective
In the northern suburbs, for instance, many people drive to work – could expanded public transportation encourage commuters to switch? South of the city, Sköndal is growing – could it become a new metro terminus or a station on the way to Tyresö? If Bromma Airport becomes a new urban district, what’s the best way to travel there? The Yellow Line, the Green Line, or an entirely new line? Is a metro line needed to Kungens Kurva?
– There are still many questions, and we are taking a long-term view with this work—where will we live and how will we travel in 15, 30, or even 40 years? At the same time, we now have a well-established organization that can plan and build new metro lines, so I hope that some of the routes we want to investigate further will end up with us at the Administration for extended metro , says Jörgen Altin.
On January 23, regional politicians will receive an interim report on the study.
– In the next phase, we will look at proposed solutions. For these to become reality, funding will need to be secured. This is something the region cannot do alone; it will require negotiations between the state, municipalities, and the region, concludes Jörgen Altin.
Areas for further investigation:
High-capacity public transportation to a potential new district at Bromma Airport
Increased public transportation capacity to and from Norra Djurgårdsstaden
Enhanced capacity for cross-city travel in the northern inner city
Increased public transportation share for cross-city travel in Söderort and between Nacka and Söderort
Increased public transportation share for cross-city travel between Västerort and Solna, Sundbyberg, and Sollentuna
Improved travel time and capacity along the routes of trunk bus lines 4, 5, and 6
Improved travel time and capacity in public transportation between Sickla and Norra Djurgårdsstaden
Improved travel time and capacity in public transportation to Tyresö
Capacity for public transportation to support the expansion of the Sköndal district
Improved travel time and capacity in public transportation from Skärholmen, Norsborg, Alby, Kungens Kurva, and Norra Botkyrka to the inner city
Increased public transportation capacity in the corridor between Botkyrka, Flemingsberg, and Högdalen
Increased public transportation share for travel to Kista, Solna, and Sundbyberg from the northeastern sector
During the spring and summer, freezing has taken place by pumping coolant into approximately 40 meter long pipes in the tunnel under Mårtensdal. The area consists of soft rock, and in order to be able to blast more safely, the rock is therefore frozen to at least -5 °C.
– We have reached about a third of the distance in one tunnel tube and have just started the other, says construction manager Mathias Tisjö Brinck.
This video shows the tunnel and the frozen mountain. Notice ice crystals on the tunnel walls:
It has been a bit of a slow start to this section as we had problems getting the shotcrete to stick to the frozen surface. Now, however, we have found a method that seems to work and hope that the rest will go on without problems.
Unattended train operation means, for example, that no driver’s cab is needed, but the passengers can see the tunnel during the trip. The solution already exists today in many places in the world, with Copenhagen being the closest.
– Exactly which trains we will buy in is not yet clear, but what we do know is that they will be customized according to our needs. Both in terms of number and furnishings, we are planning for the expected number of passengers by 2060. An advantage of unattended train operation is that it is easier to add more trains if necessary, says Johan Brantmark, director of the metro to Älvsjö.
Giant drill
The new yellow line between Fridhemsplan and Älvsjö will be separate from the rest of the metro system. That is why it can be built in a different way.
– The constructions that are underway now are all extensions, where we add some stations to existing lines. Then we need to build for the same type of train and the same signaling system. On the Yellow Line, we can do things differently – and then we must take advantage of the technological development that has taken place, says Johan Brantmark, director of the metro to Älvsjö.
In addition to unattended train operation, the metro to Älvsjö will be built using a different technique than the rest of the metro system – it will be bored with a large boring machine.
Smaller stations
The stations will also be smaller, with platforms 75 meters long instead of today’s 145 meters. This will allow us to run shorter trains with more frequent departures as it is more logical and causal and make the total travel time and waiting time shorter.
At Örbyleden in Hökarängen in southern Stockholm is the the entrance that is used to bring machines and workers down into the tunnel, and take out the blasted rock. The new tunnel will be 2.5 kilometers long and is planned to be completed by the end of 2024.
Groundwater is a major concern when building a tunnel. To seal off water leakage, a technique called grouting is used. When grouting, long holes are first drilled diagonally outwards in the rock in front of the tunnel front. For each grouting session, about twenty holes of 24 meters long are drilled. Then cement is injected into the boreholes. The cement finds its way into cracks and cavities in the rock and prevents groundwater from leaking into the tunnel. This process can take up to ten hours.
In the yellow machine, a so-called grouting platform, the cement used in grouting is mixed. The white bags contain dry cement that will soon be mixed.
When the grouting is complete, it is time to drill holes for blasting. A computerized drilling rig drills up to 250 holes into the rock, with precise length and position settings. It usually takes between five and seven hours to drill all the holes.
Before blasting, workers load all the holes with igniters and explosives by hand. They use a lifting crane to reach the higher holes.Each blast advances the tunnel by five to ten meters.
After blasting, all the blasted rock must be unloaded. After each blasting, workers unload 1200 to 1600 tons of rock. This is a quieter job that can be done at night.
Underground, it is hard to keep track of the blasting direction. That’s why the measurement technician plays a vital role. They measure the tunnel direction and ensure that it follows the right course and shape.
Sometimes some rocks are not fully blasted away. In that case, workers mark the protruding rocks with spray paint. Then they do a small extra blasting before resuming the work as planned.
Then the tunnel needs to be secured. First, workers remove loose stones by scrapping. Then they spray concrete on the roof and walls to prevent new stones from falling down. Finally, they drill long bolts into the rock wall to stabilize it. Then they repeat the whole process from grouting.
The Högdal depot is being expanded
When the metro system in Stockholm gets longer, more trains are needed. The Högdals depot needs to be expanded to accommodate the new trains. A new track tunnel is also being built to connect the depot and the metro to Farsta, so that trains can enter and exit via both Högdalen and Hökarängen. The entire work on the expanded depot in Högdalen will be completed in 2026.
The expansion of the metro system is well under way throughout the Stockholm area. Högdalen in south Stockholm is home to one of the most important construction sites for making the new metro system a reality – this is where the Högdalen Depot is being expanded to handle many of the new trains that will operate the new metro services.
Here, you can watch a video that better explains what a depot is, why this one is being expanded and how it is being done (In swedish).
“Once the metro expansion is finished, more trains will need to be cleaned, serviced and stored overnight. The depots are an incredibly important part of the ecosystem, and without them, we’d have empty tracks and stations because the trains would stop running. The depots are quite simply the heart of the metro system, ensuring that traffic can flow around the metro network,” says Henrik Unosson, project manager for the new metro system.
Come 2030, you can be 100 metres below ground at Sofia station, on your way from the lift from Stigbergsparken towards the platform and the metro services heading south. On this particular day, perhaps you have plenty of time, so you take a good look around. Perhaps you think, “What a great combination, that turquoise wall and gold-coloured letters,” while also wondering who came up with the idea.
“The artists have been involved in the process since back in 2015. They’ve worked closely with the architects and engineers to ensure that the artwork is an integral part of every station. The artwork in Stockholm’s metro system is important, and we’re proud to be continuing that tradition with the world’s longest art exhibition,” says Martin Hellgren, who is responsible for all the stations being built when extending the Blue Line south from Kungsträdgården.
Realistic for travellers
However, the new images do not simply show the artwork. They have been produced from the computer model used as the blueprint for the entire new metro system. They show the scenes as seen from eye level, and the colours and textures have been processed and reviewed by the artists.
“We use angles that are relevant and that provide future travellers with as realistic an image as possible. We also want to show things that we’re asked about, such as how the lifts at Gullmarsplan and Sofia will work,” says Martin.
Now, you’re sitting on a train heading south, that same afternoon in 2030. At Gullmarsplan, you lift your eyes from your screen – you’re soon at your destination – and see just how beautiful the station looks. “I wonder what that’s supposed to represent,” you think, but there’s no time to find out, it’s your stop, Slakthusområdet. Perhaps you look down now, remembering an article you read a long time ago. “The floor really does look like ice that someone’s skated across. I wonder who came up with that idea?”
Here, you can see all the new images and find out the names of both the artists and the artworks.
Sofia
Artists: Peter Johansson and Barbro Westling Name of the artwork: “Flux”
Sofia, mezzanine floorSofia, ticket hall and entrance.Sofia, mezzanine floorSofia, ticket hall and entrance.Sofia – the second deepest platform in the world.
Sickla
Artist: Anna Lerinder Name of artwork: “Utblick och riktning” (“View and Direction”)
Sickla – ticket hall, Sickla station house.
Järla
Artist: Cilla Ramnek Name of artwork: “Direction Home”
Järla platform.
Nacka
Artist: Thomas Karlsson Name of artwork: “Elefanten och Noshörningen” (“The Elephant and the Rhinoceros”)
Nacka – ticket hall at the corner of Skvaltans väg and Vikdalsbron.Nacka – ticket hall at the corner of Skvaltans väg and Vikdalsbron.Nacka – ticket hall in Jarlaberg.
Gullmarsplan
Artist: Jesper Nyrén Name of artwork: “Windows”
Gullmarsplan –mezzanine floor from which you take the escalator down to the platform.Gullmarsplan – way up at Mårtensdal.
Slakthusområdet
Artist: Helena Isoz Name of artwork: “Åkning” (“Trip”)
The Stockholm metro system is being complemented with eighteen stations and thirty kilometres of track.
In 2014, 16,000 Stockholmers voted on the colour of the new line between Odenplan and Arenastaden – and Yellow won. At the time, the plan was for a separate line with shuttle traffic, although this was changed in 2016. Instead, the line will continue south from Odenplan on the same tracks as the Green Line.
“Since then, we’ve discussed internally whether the Yellow Line should be part of the Green Line. Now, though, the Public Transport Administration, which is responsible for the actual metro services, has decided that this is a good time to make this change. On the one hand, we have a new line that needs a new colour, and on the other hand, the time is approaching to start running metro services to Arenastaden. So, it’s a good idea to decide this now,” says Niklas Bergman, head of FUT (Förvaltning för utbyggd tunnelbana), the administration responsible for the expansion of the metro system.
Accordingly, the future metro map is being changed. The Green Line will have a branch to Arenastaden, and the most recently decided line between Fridhemsplan and Älvsjö will be a Yellow Line.
“Since the metro to Älvsjö is a separate line, it’s good for it to have a colour of its own,” says Niklas.
“At the same time, it’s great that the colour that Stockholmers voted for almost ten years ago will remain on the metro map,” he ends.
The decision on the colour does not affect the routes or future services.
