OUR AGENDA

Strategic agenda

Strengthened reliability on the railway connections between Norway, Sweden and Finland (Narvik to Luleå to Tornio) –TEN-T – through increased investments and optimized operations.

  • Double track between Luleå–Boden and Narvik–Kiruna
  • Increased number of meeting tracks Narvik–Luleå
  • Efficiency improvement on the border crossing Tornio–Haparanda
  • Co-planning between authorities and industry across national borders
  • Optimization of traffic planning in all three countries
  • Increased predictive maintenance in all three countries

Why this agenda?

  • Reliability on arctic rail is a key factor to succeed with the green transition in the Nordic region and Europe, for critical material flows and passenger transport to enable increased competence attraction
  • Reliability on arctic rail is needed to ensure transport across national borders in an increasingly unstable security-politically environment

Why is a coalition needed?

  • There is no cross- border collaborative organization with focus on the railway between Tornio to Luleå to Narvik today
  • Actors have worked for a long time individually and to some extent in collaboration, but lacked a common thread and goal which is a prerequisite for the desired success
  • There is a lack of an organization within railway collaboration that has a North Calotte perspective (all three countries)
  • There is a lack of an organization that can effectively receive funding and order targeted efforts

Success factors to achieve the strategic agenda:

  • A clear focus
  • A few clear main arguments based on facts
  • Many advocates willing to continuously argument for the agenda
  • An agenda that fits into a larger transport system, national and European

Organisational structure

Economic association (ekonomisk förening)

  • Membership-driven
  • Simple start-up, administration and potential for governmental funding

Build a  platform that can attract project financing and potentially larger long-term financing

  • Start smaller and build down the road

Timing and focus

Momentum now – prioritize a start-up on a smaller scale

  • Malmbanan needs focus now

Focus on advocacy

  • Gather and facilitate collaboration between the right stakeholders and people
  • Establish working groups in relevant areas
  • Gather and compile arguments and data
  • Produce communication and advocacy material
  • Influence decision makers

Focus on project financing

  • Initiate projects
  • Identify and execute funding possibilities

Working groups

To be established during 2024.

Suggestion for themes:

  • Cross-border planning and maintenance collaboration
  • Cross-border investment and project collaboration
  • Decision-maker advocacy

Operational team

This is the suggestion for 2024, with additional budget, changes in strategy etc. it will change, and the ultimate goal is to have 1-2 dedicated resources to Arctic Rail

  • Strategy and relations: Markus Petäjäniemi
  • Communications, strategy, membership: Jan Ots
  • Branding, communications, membership: Daniel Kangas
  • Proposals: Lisa Ek

A map displaying the trans-european transport network