Review of Public Transport In Sweden: Implementation on the Passenger Rail Market and Plans for the Local Public Transport Market

Abstract

Up until now competition in the Swedish passenger rail industry has been for rather than on the market. The Parliament has now decided to fully open the market for passenger rail services. This liberalisation means that rail operating companies will be allowed to provide passenger rail services on the entire domestic network. Competition will be gradually introduced. 2012 will be the first year when a complete capacity allocation procedure has taken place based on the new open market conditions. Conditions surrounding local and regional public transportation have been investigated with a view to modernize the national legislation and strengthen passengers´ rights. This process is pending and proposals concerning passengers´ rights are yet to be submitted. It is envisaged that a bill be presented in the spring 2010 that will set out, inter alia, principles for entering the local and regional markets for pubic transportation and that the roles and objectives of the local authorities are redefined. One must look back some 30 years to find a revision of the same magnitude. Changes in the way that the market works and in society as a whole are the triggers behind this development