Trafikverket to cut freight track access charges by 20% from 2028

The basis is a new study of the direct costs of train traffic; charges cover about 15% of the railway's operating and maintenance costs, with the rest funded by taxes. If passed on in full, tickets would rise by less than 1%, transport costs fall for industry, and more freight could shift from road to rail.

Sweden's transport agency Trafikverket decided on 30 April 2026 to change track access charges from the 2028 timetable: charges fall by about 20% for freight trains and rise by about 15% for passenger trains. The basis is a study with better data and methods on the direct costs of train traffic, following a government assignment of June 2024; charges cover about 15% of the railway's operating and maintenance costs, with 85% funded by taxes. If the higher charge were passed on in full, ticket prices would rise by less than 1%, and even after the increase passenger charges stay well below their pre-2025 level. (LOK Report, 4 May 2026)