Stockholm Central Station is facing its biggest challenge since opening in 1871. Sweden’s largest transportation hub handles 230,000 people daily and 200 million journeys a year. Increasingly outgrowing its original design, action is now needed to accommodate the country’s burgeoning rail needs, while meeting sustainability and climate targets.
However, scaling up must be done sustainably. The International Union of Railways notes in its 2023 Global Rail Sustainability Report that despite rail producing 1% of overall transport emissions while carrying 7% of global passengers, they must reduce by 5% annually to hit net zero by 2050.
According to for-profit state owners Jernhusen, the station’s tracks and platforms will be overcapacity by 2030. With 80% of Sweden’s train journeys passing through the station, plus estimates from the Swedish Transport Administration that it will see a 50% increase by 2045, adapting the infrastructure is a crucial factor for the future success of the city.