Completion of the harbour railway triples railway capacity

An important milestone for Swedish freight traffic has been reached. After more than 20 years of work, the renovation and expansion of the Harbour Railway has finally been completed – a project that has tripled the capacity of the railway from 80 to up to 240 trains per day. The extension of double tracks on the last section into the Port of Gothenburg and APM Terminals was the final stage.

On 25th March, the extension of double tracks on the last kilometre of the Harbour Railway to APM Terminals was completed. The project, which started in 2020 with an investment of

SEK 1.7 billion, enables more goods to be transported sustainably by rail and eliminates the most critical route to and from the port.

“The last stretch into the port has previously been a bottleneck, and through this expansion alone the port railway’s capacity is expected to increase by around 30%, which we've been looking forward to and we're feeling positive about,” says Carl Johan Andersson, Railway Manager at Göteborgs Hamn AB.

Increased growth, capacity, and flexibility

50% of all goods transported to and from APM Terminals are transported by rail, a figure that is also unique in international terms.

“The extensive work to improve the Port Railway has been a key success for the port’s growth, and the fact that the final piece of the puzzle is now in place has huge significance for the port’s customers and for Sweden’s competitiveness as a whole,” says Carl Johan Andersson.

Svante Altås, sales person and railway expert at APM Terminals, adds: “At APM Terminals, we're well equipped to receive even more trains and the demand for sustainable railway solutions remains high, especially in growth areas such as Norrland. Improved infrastructure to and from the port will lead to smoother traffic and greater flexibility for our rail customers.”