EU Supports Iron Ore Line Projects: Important Upgrades For Civilian and Military Use
The Iron Ore Line is an important railway line in Northern Sweden and is Sweden's most heavily trafficked railway line. The railway line can take 8600 tonnes-heavy and 750-meter-long trains with a total of 68 carriages. (Archive photo: the Swedish Transport Administration)
The European Commission supports several Swedish transport projects, including the Iron Ore Line, with EUR 54 million. The purpose is to upgrade critical transport infrastructure in the EU, which is considered to be of great use for both civilian and defence purposes.
The European Commission supports five Swedish infrastructure projects with EUR 54 million. The allocation is made to upgrade important transport infrastructure in the EU for dual use, i.e., for both civil and defence purposes.
The Swedish Transport Administration is behind three of the five projects that have received support in Sweden. One of these concerns measures on the Iron Ore Line in Northern Sweden.
According to the Swedish Transport Administration, this – and the other Swedish projects – are considered to be of great benefit to both military and civilian transport.
Will strengthen military mobility in the EU
Under the EU's long-term budget for the period 2021-2027, a specific budget of EUR 1.74 billion was allocated to enhance military mobility across the EU.
This is implemented through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
There have been three calls for proposals, and this is administered by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
This third and final call will result in the selection of 38 projects receiving EUR 807 million.
Source: CINEA and the European Commission
For civil and military transport
The recommended funding for the projects on the Iron Ore Line is EUR 8.6 million.
According to CINIA, the measures on the line aim to increase the capacity for freight transport and civil-defence dual use of the railway line, which stretches between the two ports of Narvik, in Northern Norway, and Luleå in Northern Sweden.
More specifically, the project includes construction and design of railways in three locations on the railway line. This will remove bottlenecks and increase capacity for both military and civilian transport.
The Iron Ore Line is Sweden's most heavily trafficked railway line, and its capacity is expected to need to be increased in the coming years, as several large industrial establishments in the region will use the railway to transport products. The Iron Ore Line, or the Ofoten Line, as the railway line is called on the Norwegian side, also has strategic importance in terms of logistics across national borders.
