We believe that the railroad must be equipped and expanded
Mining and mineral companies are often located in rural areas and far from end customers. The companies depend on a stable infrastructure where different modes of transport work together in an efficient and cost-effective way. Transport work is part of the companies’ competitiveness.
The climate is our greatest challenge. The challenge is to reduce the climate impact through efforts that do not lead to impaired welfare. Environment and economy go hand in hand if the starting point is that transport is made more efficient. The industry needs a policy that encourages more efficient transport and that drives and creates incentives for innovation and development.
Swedish freight transport policy must be permeated by three principles:
- Politics must not restrict transport, it restricts trade, companies and Sweden’s development. Traffic work can be reduced but not transport work, hopefully it will be increased!
2. The climate is a challenge, climate-smart transport needs to be developed that improves competitiveness. High-capacity vehicles and horizontal collaboration where several transport buyers fill empty transport is a key to success.
3. Create effective collaborative logistics systems where politics, government, business and academia create smart solutions. Logistics based on the whole, not individual types of traffic.
A logistics council should be appointed – the Minister of Infrastructure’s discussion forum for strategic issues in freight transport policy with representatives from the entire logistics chain, including researchers.
The following areas are prioritized:
- Make socio-economic calculations for investments with competitiveness and focus on the benefits of freight transport.
- Sweden must ensure a future-oriented investment with the restoration of infrastructure as a first step through significantly increased appropriations for operational and maintenance measures, as well as a focus in a second step on simple measures that provide high efficiency.
- Improved infrastructure planning from a freight perspective where optimized collaboration can take place between transport by road, rail, and maritime traffic.
- The Government should instruct the Swedish Transport Administration to drive innovation and new technology in procurement of infrastructure. E.g. develop electrification, use the possibilities of digitalisation, work with new fuels.
- Efficient taxes and fees that take competitiveness into account where the total system effect is always analyzed. E.g. road wear tax’s impact on industry with activities in rural areas.
In the infrastructure area, Svemin works for:
- North Bothnia Line
- Double track on Malmbanan
- The Swedish Transport Administration’s annual grant pool for investments in industrial investments / establishments is increased to SEK 200 M / year