High-speed rail line
High-speed rail lines built on viaducts shorten construction time considerably compared to laying tracks directly on the ground. The viaduct rail alternative enjoys extremely high safety, uses a minimum of land, consumes much less material and leaves the existing road network completely untouched. All this results in low costs and rapid construction, making project funding possible.
High-speed rail lines are being built at a rapid pace all over the world, and according to UIC (Union Internationale des Chemins) predictions, by 2028 more people will travel by high-speed rail than by air in terms of the number of journeys. Today, there are high-speed rail lines all over the world and throughout Europe, but not in Sweden and Norway. More viaduct rail lines are built than ground level railways, as the latter are considered to scar the countryside. China and the rest of the world’s very rapid and extensive high-speed rail construction was able to take place partly because the tracks were erected on piers. By 2019 around 90,000 km had been laid around the world, of which around 85% in China, Skagerrakbanan can become part of the EU high-speed rail network.
A highaspeed rail viaduct requires a minimum of land for viaduct piers every 40 metres. Each section takes five weeks to build, after which the land is no longer affected by the viaduct. There are no barrier effects, plants are able to spread and passage for people and animals is possible along most of the route except where the viaduct enters a tunnel.
