Rapid transit
commuter rail lines. Both stations will have 225m-long platforms to accommodate 107m-long six-car X60 emus operating in multiple. While Trafikverket will own and operate the railway, SL will be responsible for the two new stations. By the start of January 90% of blasting had been completed in the tunnels and tendering was underway for the contracts to fit out the stations. As IRJ went to press, Trafikverket was also preparing to launch a further major tender for the electrical and mechanical (E&M) contract, encompassing track, signalling, telecommunications, electrification, and traction power supply. One challenge facing the winner of the E&M contract is that civil works on the tunnel will not be complete when the installation of railway systems begins. “Bidders will have to show us how they will deal with this issue,” says Averstad. “Clearly access will be limited, although the service tunnel will be finished so it will be possible to move small machines into the running tunnel.” Building a new railway through such a densely populated area requires the support of the community, and Trafikverket has carefully structured its communications strategy to keep rail users, local residents, and property owners up-to-date on the project and potential disruption during construction. The City Line team also
Precast concrete sections for the immersed tube under the Riddarfjärden were towed into the city at the end of last year. They will be lowered into place by the summer.
engages directly with the public through social media, with a Facebook page and dedicated YouTube channel providing regular project updates. “Our common goal is to build the City Line while minimising disruption to the city and preserving the environment,” says Averstad. “The public accepts the project and understands why the work is being done. 95% of people in this city support the project, and that is a real achievement. It’s very important to have high-quality dialogue with the people who are affected by the work, explain to
them why we are doing this, and give them a chance to ask questions.” Following a six-month period of testing and driver familiarisation, the line will open in 2017 and will initially operate using the standard Swedish ATC system. However, lines in the Stockholm area are expected to migrate to ETCS towards the end of the decade, and Averstad expects the City Line to make the transition in 2019-20. At least 16 trains per direction per hour will operate on the City Line at peak times and the line is designed for 24 trains per direction per hour, effectively doubling capacity through the city centre. “SL wants to operate more services, the regional authorities want more regional trains, demand for long-distance and freight paths is rising,” says Averstad. “It’s clear none of this can be accommodated without the City Line. The tunnel also needs to be in operation before additional capacity is needed for high-speed trains on the surface line.” The City Line has drawn heavily on the experience of other recent tunnelling projects in the region, notably the Øresund link, the Hallandsås tunnel and Malmö Citytunnel, and the expertise gained in Stockholm is already benefiting similar projects. Engineers planning Gothenburg’s Västlänken tunnel visit the City Line on a regular basis, and Averstad says the project has had a lot of interest from overseas.
The four-track Stockholm City station, showing links to T-Centralen metro station (centre) and Stockholm Central mainline station (right).
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While the City Line will leave a welcome skills legacy for tunnel construction in Sweden, its biggest impact will be felt in rail operations not just locally but across southern Sweden, eliminating a weak link in the network and meeting the capacity demands of a growing railway. IRJ
IRJ February 2013
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