Introduction
Completed in August 2010, the Bothnia Line adds 190 kilometres (120 mi) of high-speed railway to the Swedish railway network. At up to 250 km/h (160 mph) this is also the highest-speed track in the country. The route is from Kramfors airport via Örnsköldsvik to Umeå and required 140 bridges and 25 km of tunnels.
Construction was carried out by Botniabanan AB, a company owned 91% by the Swedish state and 9% by the regional governments of Kramfors, Örnsköldsvik, Nordmaling and Umeå. Work began on the line in 1999, and reached the halfway point at the end of 2005. After its completion in 2010, the line was leased to the Swedish Rail Administration. When Botniabanan AB has recovered its investment (estimated to be 2050), the ownership of the line will pass to the Rail Administration. The construction budget was SEK 15 billion.
It is intended that the Bothnia Line will compete with road transport using the E4, which is a main road carrying heavy freight traffic.
Passenger traffic began in August 2010, but only from Umeå to Örnsköldsvik. The late upgrade of the Ådalsbanan means that traffic south of Örnsköldsvik will not begin before April 2012. This latter date was August 2011 but has been postponed because of trouble with the ERTMS signal system installation on Ådalsbanan.
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