The West Coast Line (Västkustbanan) is one of the most important railways in Sweden. Its expansion to a double-track railway has been under way for many years and currently approximately 85 per cent of the West Coast line has been upgraded. With a fully upgraded double track, the capacity of the line will be greater and will mean an increase in the frequency of services for both passenger and freight trains.
The expansion of the railway through Varberg railway tunnel is one part of the expansion of the entire West Coast Line between Gothenburg and Lund. The aim is to create a quick, efficient and environmentally friendly means of transport for both people and freight.
The cost of building the Varberg Tunnel – a new railway tunnel – is expected to exceed EUR 400 million, Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration) announced. Prequalification documents for the turnkey project were issued in June 2016. The prequalified suppliers have the period from October 2016 to February 2017 to design their final bid.
From a strategic perspective Trafikverket is focusing on a package with one contract for all larger works. This contract will include both the design and the construction of bridge, freight yard, a temporary station for passengers, station building, tunnel, railway works and civil works for the railway crossings.
Trafikverket said the additional cost was mainly due to environmental and security modifications which have been made since the project was given government approval in 2013.
Varberg Tunnel project manager Andreas Gustafsson explains: “We can already say that the cost will be higher, from SEK 2.9 billion (EUR 311 million) to SEK 3.9 billion (EUR 419 million) to be precise”.
Construction of the 3.1-kilometre tunnel, which runs beneath the centre of Varberg, will take place between 2019 and 2024, and is part of a bigger project to double track the railway between Varberg and Hamra.
This new project, of upgrading the West Coast Line to double tracks, will raise the technical standard of the entire West Coast Line. This means that speed can be increased, which reduces travelling time and also provides greater reliability.
“The Varberg tunnel is planned as an approximately 3.1 km long tunnel under central Varberg (2.8 km rock tunnel and 300 m concrete tunnel). There will be a new station house with a descent to the platforms, which are situated in an approximately 800 m long concrete trough at the north tunnel portal. In addition, a new freight yard will be built north of Varberg. In total, 7.5 km of new double track will be built”, Trafikverket says in the presentation of the project.
by Elena Ilie
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