Sweden. SJ AB

The 5-year-maturity loan totalling EUR 45 million has been provided for the purchase of 20 new sets of high-speed trains. The new trains will constitute the basis of a new traffic system and will be delivered in 2010.

The new high-speed trains will shorten travel time and increase the number of departures. Time is the most important factor when people consider means of travel. The shorter travel time in combination with higher departure frequency is assumed to lead to train travel taking market shares from air and road travelling.

SJ AB is 100% owned by the Swedish state. SJ operates passenger rail services on commercial terms and conditions. SJ is the largest passenger railway operator in Sweden with over 4,000 employees.

The major environmental impact of the project is the transferring of passengers from the air and roads to the railway. In Sweden, around 15% of journeys over 100 kilometres are travelled by train, almost 70% by car, 13% by air and 5% by bus. SJ only buys renewable electricity from hydroelectric and wind power sources and the production of electricity for the trains causes minimal emissions.