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What is Nordic Link?The core of Nordic Link is a transport corridor to and from Sweden and Norway through the Danish peninsula of Jutland. Nordic Link is, however, more than just the physical transport network. It is also cooperation covering the organisation of goods transport, economic planning and policy making as well as the financing and extension of Nordic Link in the future. Over the past decade, regional and local authorities and a number of private hauliers in South Norway, West Sweden and Jutland have given the transport corridor top priority. The private companies and public authorities also cooperate with research institutions to continue to develop the transport corridor, so it is always ready to meet the demands of trade and industry for fast and efficient transport. Every year, about 3.7 million tons of goods and over 7.2 passengers cross the Kattegat/Skagerak by ferry. This makes it possible to sail many times a day. The corridor is of major importance to Nordic communication and trade. At the same time, it is vital to Swedish and Norwegian trade with the rest of Europe.
Nordic Link traffic creates thousands of jobs. This is why extension of the Nordic Link has top priority among authorities and trade and industry in the area. Nordic Link is comprised of the following: DenmarkThe main stem of Nordic Link in Jutland is made up of the motorways and the railway between the border in the south and the ferry harbours of Hirtshals and Frederikshavn in the north. En route, the main stem has several important branches to larger centres and harbours in the towns of Aalborg, Hanstholm, Grenaa, Århus, Fredericia and Esbjerg. NorwayThe entire southern coast of Norway is connected to the European roads from Bergen in the west via Kristiansand to Oslo. This network of roads is also connected with harbours and railway lines. To the north, the road goes from Kristiansand through western Norway via Bergen to Trondheim. This route is also known as the coastal trunk road, and the counties in western Norway are making every effort to speed up the extension of this road. SwedenIn Sweden, Nordic Link begins in Gothenburg, where the E6 continues directly to Oslo. In addition, there are also road connections to Stockholm and Helsinki. There is also a direct railway line from the Gothenburg line to Oslo and Stockholm.
Nordic Link is a corridor of opportunityBased on the support of the business community, hauliers, buyers of transport, politicians and scientists, the following aims have been formulated for the Nordic Link:
These aims are to be achieved through the efforts of the hauliers, buyers of transport, politicians and other interested parties to:
Nordic Link will, therefore, improve the quality of transport by:
The roadsAlmost all goods in the Nordic Link corridor are transported by road. DenmarkThere is a high standard of roads in the Danish Nordic Link. From 2000, a 4-lane motorway will connect Frederikshavn and the German border and the European motorway network, and from 2002 this will be extended to Hirtshals. The motorway is connected with the westbound motorway to Esbjerg and to the wide main road toward Herning and Hanstholm. These roads are large enough to prevent bottlenecks. Every year, approximately 1.4 million lorries cross the Danish-German border and over half of these use the main Jutland trunk road, E45, the Nordic Link. There are plans to increase capacity near Aalborg with an extra connection over the Limfjord. NorwayOn the Norwegian section of the Nordic Link, along a number of short stretches, the E39 from Stavanger to Kristian-sand and the E18 to Oslo are now up to motorway standard. Development is necessary to ensure a high general standard. SwedenThe Swedish section of the Nordic Link begins at Gothenburg and extends from there to Oslo and Stockholm, respectively. Over half the road connecting Oslo and Gothenburg is up to motorway standard. Distances to the central part of mid-Sweden are relatively short, and hauliers can choose various routes.
The Railway networkThe network of railways in the Danish section of the Nordic Link has a high standard. There are double tracks from Aalborg to the German border, and track improvement and electrification is planned in Jutland. The line connecting Aalborg and the ferry harbours is single track. The railway between Stavan-ger and Oslo in southern Norway is electrified and single track. This track is not suitable for high speed trains nor for modern goods trains. The stretch between Oslo and Gothenburg is mainly single track and extra capacity is needed. Double tracks are currently being installed on the southbound line from Oslo to Larvik. There are plans to continue the line to Kristiansand as a single-track line in order to join the Vestfold and Sørland lines.
Goods carried by railOf the 3.7 million tons goods annually transported by ferry over the Skagerak and Kattegat 0.1 million tons are carried to and from the ferries by train. Efforts are being made to transfer more of these goods to trains. Combined terminals to transfer goods from lorries to trains have thus been established in Hirtshals, Fre-derikshavn and Kristiansand.
Ferry linksThe ferry routes are a central part of the Nordic Link, and the ferry harbours form central, natural junctions in the Nordic Link corridor. Nordic Link includes the following ferry routes:
Nordic Link ferries transport 3.7 million tons a year. Color Line carried 1 million tons of goods in 1998 and 0.9 million tons of goods in 1999. Similarly, Stena Line carried 2.7 million tons of goods in 1998 and 2.8 million tons in 1999 on the Oslo-Frederikshavn, Gothenburg-Frederikshavn and Varberg-Grenaa routes. There is an increasing tendency for goods to be shipped on loose trailers without drivers. Ferries in the Nordic Link have large goods capacity, and the many passengers on these routes ensure many and frequent departures. The route between Gothenburg and Frederikshavn can carry railway waggons. The other ferry harbours have railway lines and the means of handling combined transport.
Nordic Link in the futureInternational goods transport is expected to increase 2 to 3% annually. As in recent years, it is expected this increase will be seen mainly in road transport. Future perspectives indicate that the goods will be collected in selected transport corridors that ensure fast, and efficient transport. A network of transport corridors has already been defined in the EU and the countries of eastern Europe. Norway is not included in this network, but the Norwegian government are at present designating corridors where combined transport solutions can ensure efficient transport links. In the future, it will be necessary for the corridors to handle alternative types of transport. For example, domestic shipping is to be integrated in combined transport. The Nordic Link will thus be faced with new challenges. The barriersUntil now, international planning in the transport sector has not had high priority. In the Nordic countries, the individual governments have primarily concentrated on the "Nordic triangle", the Øresund connection and the Femer Belt connection. Alternative corridors which already have the capacity to handle more goods than they do at present have lost out. Scan Link, for example, currently controls much of the goods carried by rail. Large sums have been invested in, among other things, ferries and terminals with a view to handling rail goods. This development is dependent on price agreements entered into by the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish railway companies. Activities and prioritiesIn order to influence this development, Nordic Link has taken initiatives to improve the transport corridor:
Finally, the Norwegian government has a long-term objective to build double track railway lines connecting Oslo and Halden. In addition, efforts are being made to coordinate Swedish and Norwegian investments.
Further InformationIf you require further information about Nordic Link and related activities you are welcome to contact the County of North Jutland or Vestagder County. The County of North JutlandIndustrial Trade Policy Division Telephone: +45 9635 1000 Vestagder CountyNæringsavdelingen Telephone: +47 3807 4500 The above offices will also be able to refer you to other persons or organisations engaged in Nordic Link activities.
10 years of Nordic LinkAt the end of the 1980s, the Danish Road Directorate described the idea of developing the transport corridor which was known as Nordlink at that time. The idea was followed up by a group that wanted to assess the possibilities of improving cooperation in the transport sector in the area around Skagerak and the northern part of the Kattegat. The group included the Jutland transport sector, representatives from the ferry lines and representatives from south Norway and west Sweden. Gradually, as the group described the potentials of a Nordic Link in a number of publications, policy makers also became involved. Thus, work was carried out both by an association of private interests, "Association Nordic Link", and a political group with a secretariat in the County of North Jutland. Two years later, in 1994, cooperation increased when the Nordic Link Transport Network was established. The network includes people from the research and development environment in Jutland, south Norway and west Sweden. Over the years, those participating in these joint efforts have published a number of publications on various aspects of Nordic Link. A list of these publications is available from the Industrial Trade Policy Division of the County of North Jutland. |
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| 14-01-2004
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