Rail Liberalisation in Sweden Evolution, Experience and Future Outlook Dr. Gunnar Alexandersson Senior Policy Adviser Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies - ASTOC Visit from RFF, 25 October 2011
Outline of presentation ASTOC The evolution of rail liberalisation Experience and effects Future outlook Concluding remarks
The Association of Swedish Train Operating Companies - ASTOC A trade association and interest group for railway undertakings operating in Sweden
Member Companies Arriva Tåg A-Train Botniatåg CargoNet DB Regio Sverige DB Schenker Rail Scandinavia DSB Sverige Green Cargo Göteborgs Spårvägar Hector Rail Inlandsbanan Keolis Sverige Malmtrafik i Kiruna Malmö Limhamns Järnväg Midcargo Nordiska Tåg Peterson Rail Railcare Tåg RushRail SJ Stena Recycling Stockholmståg Svensk Tågkraft TMRail TX Logistik Tågfrakt Produktion Tågåkeriet i Bergslagen Veolia Transport Passenger services Freight services Bombardier Transportation Sverige* EuroMaint * Jernhusen * Train Alliance * * Associated
Organisation and working groups Local office in Stockholm (in co-operation with the employer organisation Almega) Minimising directly employed staff Sharing of resources and expertise from member companies (for example in focus groups) Focus groups: Safety Security Infrastructure International affairs
Cooperation (1) Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) Safety issues Track access agreement Strategic and operational issues Fee structure Development of performance regime ERTMS Swedish Transport Agency Safety issues and monitoring ERA
Cooperation (2) Other trade organisations, for example: Swedish Bus and Coach Federation Swedish Public Transport Association Swedish Taxi Association Association of Local Authorities and Regions Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) ASTOC Chairman Jan Sundling member of CER Management Committee
The evolution of rail liberalisation
Pre-history 1960s-1980s: A period of decline and increasing financial problems for the Swedish State Railways (SJ) - line closures - operating subsidies introduced - additional state grants needed 1985: New Railway Law: - the State took additional responsibility for rail infrastructure - SJ to separate its accounts - track access charges introduced 1986: SJ in severe financial crisis;; need for 1 billion SEK in additional grants 1988: New Transport Policy Act
Transport Policy Act of 1988 making conditions more similar Vertical separation of track infrastructure (Banverket) from operations (SJ) The state took full responsibility for rail infrastructure investments and maintenance (also gaining better control of public spending in the sector) SJ was to focus on becoming a profitable operator Decentralisation of responsibility (and resources) of many local and regional unprofitable lines to the County Public Transport Authorities (CPTAs) Market opening or deregulation were not among the objectives or even mentioned!
Evolution of rail liberalisation (1) 1988: Vertical separation of track infrastructure (Banverket) from operations Decentralisation of responsibility and resources to regional authorities 1990: First tenders for regional services 1993: First tenders for interregional services 1994: Decision on complete deregulation (stopped after shift in power following General Election) 1996: Deregulation of freight services 1998: More functions taken over by Banverket 2000: Break-through for new entrants in several tenders 2001:
Separation and divestment of SJ Public sector Business Administration SJ Banverket Private sector Royal Viking Hotel Jernhusen SJ Ltd Green Cargo ASG Scandlines EuroMaint Swebus Traffic Restaurants SweMaint TraffiCare 1988 1995 1996 2000 2001 Unigrid
Evolution of rail liberalisation (2) 2006: Market opening for night trains and chartered trains 2009: (June) Market opening for weekend traffic (rest capacity) (Oct) Market opening for international passenger services (to comply with EU directive) 2010: (April) Banverket is merged with the Road Administration to form the Swedish Transport Administration (Oct) Market opening for domestic passenger services, with full effect from December 2011
Overview of regulatory structure Part of rail transport market 1988 2010 Passenger services Regional (non-profitable) SJ holds monopoly and receives subsidies Inter-regional (non-profitable) SJ holds monopoly and receives subsidies Inter-regional (profitable) SJ holds monopoly Procurement by competitive tendering (competition for the tracks) (since 1990) Procurement by competitive tendering (competition for the tracks) (since 1993) Open access (competition on the tracks); implemented step-by-step (2009-2010) Freight services SJ holds monopoly Open access on all lines (competition on the tracks) (since 1996); to some extent limited by grandfathering 1996-2004
Experience and effects
Experience and effects The Swedish state has increased its ambitions regarding rail infrastructure investments
Rail infrastructure investments and maintenance 350 State grants to rail infrastructure investments and maintenance; index (1989=100) 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Experience and effects The Swedish state has increased its ambitions regarding rail infrastructure investments Regional transport authorities have made considerable efforts to expand and improve regional train services A very strong growth for rail transport
Market development 180 160 140 Passenger traffic (passenger km) Freight traffic (tonne km) Index (1988=100) 120 100 80 60 40 20 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Source: SIKA/Trafikanalys passenger traffic excludes metro and trams 0 1988 1989 1990 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Experience and effects The Swedish state has increased its ambitions regarding rail infrastructure investments Regional transport authorities have made considerable efforts to expand and improve regional train services A very strong growth for rail transport Substantial reduction of number of people employed in the sector (about 30 percent between 1988 and 2003) Tendering has reduced the need for subsidies from regional authorities and the state
Subsidy effects from tenders Lines procured by CPT As (regional lines) Tender Year Subsidy effect No. Network in county of Jönköping etc 1 1989-21% 2 1993-25% 3 1997 Minor increase Ystad-Simrishamn 1 1995-18% 2 1998-10% Herrljunga-Hallsberg 1 1994-10% 2 1999-3% 3 2002 Minor increase Borlänge-Malung 1 1991 n.a. 2 1994-20% 3 1996 Minor Uppsala-Tierp 1 1991 n.a. 2 1999-20% Stockholm, commuter trains 1 1998-32% 2 2005 +10% Lines procured by the state (interregional lines) Tender Year Subsidy effect No. All lines 1-2 1992-93 -21% 3-6 1994-98 No increase 7 1999-28% Northern trains 7 1999-20% 10 2002-42%
Experience and effects The Swedish state has increased its ambitions regarding rail infrastructure investments Regional transport authorities have made considerable efforts to expand and improve regional train services A very strong growth for rail transport Substantial reduction of number of people employed in the sector (about 30 percent between 1988 and 2003) Tendering has reduced the need for subsidies from regional authorities and the state In some tenders extreme bids have appeared, in some cases possibly due to strategic behaviour New firms have gradually entered more and more parts of the railway market International players of growing importance
New entry: recent development (1) 2009 Jan DSB First takes over the Öresund trains June July Arriva takes over contract for Kinnekullebanan Veolia starts weekend traffic Stockholm-Malmö Aug DSB First wins contract for Tåg i Väst (starting Dec 2010) Nov Dec MTR takes over the Stockholm metro DB wins contract for Östgötapendeln (starting Dec 2010) DSB wins contract for Smålandstrafiken (starting Dec 2010) Tågåkeriet+SJ start new traffic Göteborg-Karlstad
New entry: recent development (2) 2010 Feb Tågkompaniet starts weekend traffic Stockholm-Gävle April Oct Botniatåg (SJ+DB Regio) wins contract for Norrtåg (starting August 2010) Veolia expands to daily services Stockholm-Malmö DSB Uppland wins contract for Upptåget (starting June 2011)
April 2011 train path applications 2011 Dec Veolia intends to let some trains from Malmö to Stockholm continue to Uppsala Tågåkeriet may open new services between Falun and Gothenburg Airline Sundsvallsflyg intends to start parallel train services from Stockholm to Sundvall (in competition with SJ) New operator Skandinaviska Jernbanor intends to run services between Stockholm and Gothenburg (in competition with SJ) New operator Swedtrack intends to open new passenger services on the Iron Ore Line General trend: more passenger services to be offered than today
Ticket prices
Future outlook
Future outlook: Opportunities A very open market Several rail-related services readily available Good relationship between IM and RUs Good potential for continued growth of demand (especially post-recession) Several operators ready to compete
Future outlook: Challenges Capacity constraints and insufficient investments and maintenance
Future outlook: Challenges Capacity constraints and insufficient investments and maintenance Cost increases
Track Access Charges 2000 1800 Forecast Total track fees, 2009 prices (million SEK) 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Source: Banverket/Trafikverket
Future outlook: Challenges Capacity constraints and insufficient investments and maintenance Cost increases Interface between commercial and tendered traffic not so well-defined No finalised model for distribution of track capacity under conflicting demands Growing demands for coordination of the activities of different actors
Concluding remarks and comments
Concluding remarks and comments For more than 20 years, Sweden has followed a path of step-by-step reforms in the railway sector a process that can only be assessed as by and large a positive experience The recent market-opening of passenger services marks a new phase in the development It will be a learning process for all actors, which may also reveal a need for additional changes in the regulatory structure and other actions
Thank You! Contact: Gunnar.Alexandersson@tagoperatorerna.se