The Old Country Newsletter – Swedes' Views on American Politics

Roads Get the Green Light, Rail Left Waiting

The Swedish government is pushing for a significant infrastructure overhaul, promising to fix the country’s worn-out roads by 2037. However, its railway system, burdened by decades of neglect, is set to see a more modest improvement.

On Thursday, Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson revealed a 1,171 billion SEK budget for 2026-2037, which includes a 27% increase over the current plan. Carlson called it a "historic investment" aimed at addressing pressing infrastructure needs that are visible across Sweden’s highways and railroads.

The key focus of the new proposal is road maintenance. With 354 billion SEK allocated for roads, this represents a 53% increase compared to current funding levels. In total, around 607 billion SEK will be used for new investments in Sweden’s transport system, making it one of the government’s biggest commitments to road infrastructure in decades. Carlson emphasized that this funding should be enough to catch up on the years of delayed road maintenance, reversing what he described as a "destructive trend" of neglect.

Despite the good news for motorists, the railway system’s future looks more uncertain. While the rail budget is set to increase by 18%, totaling 210 billion SEK for maintenance and operations, only a fraction of the backlog can be tackled in the coming years. The Swedish Transport Administration has estimated that just 10-15% of the current maintenance debt—amounting to 90 billion SEK—will be addressed by 2037. As a result, rail users might continue to experience delays and disruptions for the foreseeable future.

Carlson did acknowledge the disparity in funding between road and rail but explained that the government is funneling as much money into rail as the Transport Administration can effectively manage. "We’re maxing out railway maintenance," he noted, while also warning that turning around decades of underfunding won’t happen overnight. When asked whether Swedes should brace for continued train delays and operational issues, Carlson admitted that "it’s going to be a tough period ahead."

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A surge of violent incidents, including attacks on Israeli embassies and suspected gang shootings, has raised alarm in Sweden. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer and the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) have confirmed that the terror threat level stays at four on a five-point scale, reflecting ongoing risks from terrorism, foreign state actors, and organized crime. 

One major factor in the rising tension is the global political landscape, particularly conflicts in the Middle East, which have created ripples felt even in Sweden. Säpo representative Fredrik Hallström emphasized that Sweden is increasingly becoming a battleground for foreign conflicts, with external threats leveraging domestic vulnerabilities. However, he noted that the immediate threat from Islamist extremism has somewhat lessened, with Sweden no longer being as prominent in radical propaganda.

Organized crime remains a central issue, with gang-related violence continuing to plague Swedish cities. Strömmer acknowledged that the problem is deep-seated, referencing recent shootings in Stockholm and attacks in Copenhagen as symptoms of a larger, persistent crisis. Swedish authorities are working closely with Danish counterparts to address these violent episodes, while simultaneously managing their own domestic challenges.

Johan Olsson, head of Sweden’s National Operations Department (Noa), mentioned that while the recent surge in violence is concerning, it is not unprecedented. These kinds of violent flare-ups, he said, tend to follow cyclical patterns, with periods of relative calm followed by bursts of activity. Swedish officials are now tasked with both responding to immediate threats and planning for longer-term reforms in a climate where organized crime and foreign interference are becoming increasingly intertwined.