High-speed rail in Sweden

In Sweden many trains run at 200 km/h. Train types which currently attain this speed include the X2 tilting trains for long distances, the Regina widebody trains, the X40 double-decker regional trains, and the Arlanda Airport Express X3. Since both the X2 and X3 are allowed to run at 205 km/h in case of delay, they can technically be considered as high-speed trains. The X2 runs between many cities in Sweden including , Gothenburg, and Malmö. The Arlanda Express trains connect Stockholm and .

Hundreds of kilometers of track are ready for 250 km/h operation, with the exception of signaling systems, catenary, and the trains themselves. A modified Regina test train, called "the Green Train", has attained a maximum speed of 303 km/h, with regular service at 250 km/h planned.

There are plans for a 180 km section of the Stockholm-Malmö line to be upgraded to allow for speeds of 250 km/h. These plans have been delayed until further notice because a decision must be made regarding whether to build a new parallel super-high-speed railway or not. Other railways that will eventually allow 250 km/h speeds (today 200 km/h) are long sections of Stockholm–Gothenburg, Gothenburg–Malmö, and Trollhättan–Gothenburg. A new Kramfors–Umeå line, Botniabanan has been ready for 250 km/h non-tilting trains since 2010, but train operators have not yet revealed plans for 250 km/h trains on Botniabanan, or on any other 250 km/h capable line. All these will be mixed passenger/freight railways.

The Swedish signalling system ATC does not currently allow for higher speeds than 200 km/h, and current plans allow for higher speeds only with a future EU-system called ERTMS. Botniabanan has had this system in operation since 2010, allowing 250 km/h. ERTMS will be introduced on certain other railways around 2015, possibly enabling more than 200 km/h on them. (The ATC does in theory allow 250 km/h but that would require reinstalling most track equipment and signals since ATC uses point based transmission, and higher speed means new points of transmission. ATC is installed for 250 km/h along 16 km east of Södertälje but no trains are approved for that).

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Wikipedia