The Feronord consortium has been selected by Trafikverket to deliver the OL32 Skavsta contract on Sweden’s East Link rail project south of Stockholm under a collaborative “volume contract” model.
The package covers approximately 36 km of railway line, including major earthworks, 28 bridges, and 3 viaducts, one of which will span 1.4 km. The first phase is valued at €50 million, with a potential execution phase estimated at €1.2 billion and expected to start in early 2028, subject to the project moving forward.
OL32 Skavsta – East Link Rail Project Background
The OL32 Skavsta package forms part of Trafikverket’s East Link programme, a planned 160 km double-track railway between Järna and Linköping. Trafikverket states that the project is intended to enable more trains, support sustainable transport, improve journey reliability, and create larger labour market regions.
The broader East Link programme includes five new travel hubs at Vagnhärad, Nyköping, Skavsta, Norrköping, and Linköping. Trafikverket also states that 25% of the East Link will be built on bridges or in tunnels, with a maximum operating speed of 250 km/h, construction scheduled across 2024-2034, and opening for traffic planned in 2035.
The programme responds to capacity pressure on existing rail corridors. Trafikverket notes that today’s tracks are crowded, while more people want to travel by train and more goods need to be transported. By adding new double-track capacity, the East Link is expected to allow more passenger and freight services to move by rail and create better conditions for efficient maintenance of the existing network.
The Skavsta section is particularly relevant because it interfaces with the planned Skavsta travel hub near Stockholm Skavsta Airport. According to Explore Skavsta, the railway has been placed as close to the airport terminal building as possible to make transfers easier between trains, planes, and buses.
Feronord Consortium Members
The Feronord consortium brings together Swedish local delivery capability with international rail and civil infrastructure experience from Bouygues Travaux Publics and Colas Rail.
| Consortium Member | Share |
|---|---|
| Infrakraft | 47% |
| Bouygues Travaux Publics | 41.5% |
| Colas Rail | 11.5% |
According to Colas, the consortium was selected for its ability to work closely with the client and stakeholders, and for an integrated approach to the technical, environmental, and operational challenges of the package.
Scope of Works and Contract Details
The OL32 Skavsta contract covers the construction of approximately 36 km of railway line on Trafikverket’s East Link programme. The scope includes major earthworks, 28 bridges, and 3 viaducts, including one major viaduct spanning 1.4 km.
Colas said the first order under the contract was placed at the end of March and is valued at €50 million. This initial phase will run for four months and will focus on establishing working arrangements between Trafikverket and the Feronord consortium.
A design and planning phase of approximately 14 months is expected to follow. During this stage, the parties will work through technical solutions, schedule, and implementation costs before the potential execution phase. The structure has similarities with an ECI contract or two-stage tender, where the contractor’s early input helps refine scope, methodology, and price before full delivery commitment.
Colas said the execution phase could begin in early 2028 and is estimated at €1.2 billion. The collaborative structure also reflects some of the risk-sharing and joint planning principles seen in an alliance contract, although Colas specifically describes the OL32 model as a “volume contract”.
For the wider East Link programme, Trafikverket states that construction is being conducted across 2024-2034, with the railway planned to open for traffic in 2035. That programme-level timeline should not be read as the specific construction duration for the OL32 Skavsta package, which is still subject to the staged contract process described above.
European Rail Infrastructure Outlook
The OL32 Skavsta award reinforces the continued movement of major European rail packages from planning into procurement and early delivery. The common thread is not only capacity expansion, but the use of staged and collaborative delivery models to manage cost, design development, environmental interfaces, and live transport constraints before full execution.
The award also sits within a broader European rail procurement pipeline. Construction Front has recently covered the HOCHTIEF consortium securing the next construction phase of Prague Metro Line D and six consortia being shortlisted for Poland’s first high-speed rail line between Warsaw and Łódź, both of which point to sustained activity across metro, high-speed rail, and intercity capacity programmes.
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