Lorents Burman (S), municipal commissioner in Skellefteå.
The route of the Norrbotniabanan between Skellefteå and Dåva is now finalised after the government rejected six appeals.
– We received a verbal decision from the government on Thursday. This is of course great news, says Lars Bergdahl, project manager at Trafikverket, the government's public transport body.
– We haven't seen the decision yet and don't know if it contains any conditions that need to be addressed in the plans.
What happens now?
– In the near future, we can start acquiring land, says Bergdahl.
– There are individuals who have been severely affected by this process being drawn-out, such as the property owners on Mjölnargatan. Today is a good day for them, says Lorents Burman.
The approved railroad plans are a detailed description of how the Norrbotnia line will be built and what it will look like. Burman is eager for the work to start soon.
– It is really high time that we get this decision. It has been a year of pushing from the municipalities with talks, meetings and letters. Now it's time to start. The government and Trafikverket must ensure that the work can start at the turn of the year. Every stop, every obstacle takes time and must be minimized.
According to Bergdahl, Trafikverket can do more than just work on land acquisition after the decision.
– We can start land surveying, start valuing the forests where the Norrbotnia line will be built, and determine what compensation is needed, and start work on building roads.
– Trafikverket's plans for the railroad are well-thought-out. They could have dealt with the objections in three months, but now we are at least there. Now it's a matter of having a clear schedule and ensuring that the Norrbotnia line is completed on time, says Burman.
The Swedish Transport Administration previously stated that the Norrbotnia line to Skellefteå would be completed by 2032.
Lars Bergdahl is Trafikverket's project leader for Norrbotniabanan.
The plans for the Norrbotniabanan line between Dåva and Skellefteå were appealed over a year ago.