New rail link for goods between Oslo and Gothenburg. Requirements are raised for renters of electric scooters

During the last week, I have noticed that things are starting to happen in areas that I have previously talked about on the blog.
Earlier this week, the Swedish newspapers Göteborgs-Posten and Dagens Nyheter wrote that the Traffic Committee in Gothenburg will soon make a decision on stricter rules for discarded electric scooters.
And a few days before that, I was reached by the news that a new railway connection for freight traffic between Gothenburg and Oslo is being established.

It has been several years since I pointed out that the railway between Gothenburg and Oslo should be expanded. Currently, two of the largest cities in the Nordic region have an ancient railway, which should have been replaced a long time ago. Some parts are over 100 years old. In fact, most railways in Sweden today do not have the capacity to carry more freight traffic.

Therefore, it is very gratifying that a new train connection has now been found for goods between the two cities. The train will run one day a week in each direction. Every Wednesday afternoon, the train, which is almost 600 meters long, will arrive in Gothenburg. After unloading, it is refilled and returns to Oslo.

According to the Port of Gothenburg, the connection will replace 2,000 trucks and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 700,000 kilos each year. The figure is based on all goods being transported in fully loaded containers; something that the Port of Gothenburg believes they will succeed with.

With this in mind, it is not difficult to estimate how much carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced if more connections could be created between additional locations. As I said before: build a new railway between Gothenburg and Oslo now!

Tougher requirements for electric scooters

Just a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about introducing higher requirements for companies that rent out electric scooters. The scooters are tossed across the city and in several places, they pose a great traffic hazard. And now more people are tired of this. There are indications that the Traffic Committee in Gothenburg will soon decide on stricter requirements for permits toward these companies. There is a similar regulatory framework that is already applied in Stockholm.

Among other things, the City of Gothenburg will demand that the city may seize the electric scooters that are incorrectly parked and that the rental companies can then redeem them for a fee that covers the costs.

From what I have heard, the goal is for these rules to take effect as early as 1 November. We can only hope that this will be the case.

Thomas Ström