SWEDEN: The government has announced plans to increase spending on preventive maintenance of rail infrastructure by SKr800m this year, following winter disruptions which had 'clearly shown the consequences of neglecting the maintenance of the railway network for far too long'.

Last year the government set out plans to invest SKr500bn in infrastructure by 2021, but it has now decided to increase 2011 rail spending by SKr800m to SKr6·1bn. A further SKr8·2bn is going on new projects.

Announcing the decision on April 12, the government said that while the additional money 'will not solve all the problems', it would be an important step towards better reliability. The government will also commission a long-term analysis of commuter needs and capacity requirements.