Norrbotniabanan : En analys av möjlig finansiering och förslag till ansvarsfördelning i järnvägsplaneskedet

The main railway line through upper Norrland is currently the only railway available to meet the transportation needs through the northern parts of Sweden. In view of the fact that the existing Main Line profile is both curvy and hilly it implies that freight cannot be operated as efficiently as in other parts of the country. Moreover, since most major cities in Sweden are situated in coastal areas, the inland based trunk line, from a strategic viewpoint is located in an unbeneficial area with respect to cargo and passenger traffic. A new railway in form of The North Bothnia Line provides a straighter route than the old main line and is also rated for higher speeds and heavier shipments. However, the prevailing financial situation constrains the use of public resources, resulting in a monetary shortage, causing attractive projects to be put on hold. The conclusions one can draw from this is that many projects that are essential, The North Bothnia Line in this case, from both a local and regional perspective is not completed within a desirable future. The purpose of this study is to submit a proposal for a suitable organizational structure for the development of railway plans, which are part of the railway process. The organizational structure will be formed with regards to cost, organizational theory, and financial and business models for the North Bothnia Line, regardless of when the project is implemented. A descriptive approach to existing funding and organizational models, together with a qualitative dissection along with in-depth analysis has been judged appropriate for the realization of this thesis. The study, with the help of interviews, examines the existing mind-set within the public sector towards letting a private organization pursue the development of railway plans. The results provided by the interviews have been analyzed on the basis of the theoretical framework, which is rooted in the construction process for railways, finance, risk management and organizational theory. Even though funding in the sense of Public Private Partnership (PPP) is deemed more economically profitable for the North Bothnia Line, the conclusion is primarily based on the established sensitivity analysis along with the fact that the PPP calculations were stressed to a greater extent than the traditional funding models. Generally speaking, there is a uniform consensus regarding a private project company's entry in the development phase of the railway plans within the Railway process. Although PPP has been considered the more favorable financing model, it is judged not to affect the responsibilities for the organization fabricating the railway plans from a public sector perspective.Validerat; 20110215 (anonymous