In August 2007, transport authority Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) announced tendering the Djurgårdslinjen DBFMO (Design, Build, Finance, Maintain & Operate) concession contract. Each day, SL transports around 650,000 people by bus, train, tram and metro in the Stockholm area.
From museum line to modern light-rail connection
The tender involves an existing line in Stockholm's city centre which is currently used for the operation of museum trams as a tourist attraction. The old trams shuttle back and forth between Norrmalmstorg and Djurgården Park during the summer months. They run during weekends and public holidays outside the summer season. In addition to the museum trams, the aim is to operate this line commercially using modern, light-rail carriages. To this end, the existing line will be upgraded and extended through the busy centre to reach Central Station several kilometres to the west. The eastern side of the line will also branch off to a maintenance depot that will be constructed and a new residential housing area. This will effectively change the tourist-oriented character of the line to include commuter traffic. These new, commercially operated lines will form a start to a circular light-rail route through the outskirts of Stockholm.
TramTeam Stockholm
Within the TramTeam Stockholm consortium, Strukton is among several European parties participating in the tender. In TramTeam Stockholm Strukton Integrale Projecten and Strukton Rail cooperate with NedRailways, a subsidiary of Dutch Rail (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS) which acquires and manages transport concessions abroad. Supported by local consultants and a Swiss/German supplier of light rail carriages, TramTeam offers an integral solution. The first bid was submitted in February 2008. The offer includes designing, building, financing, maintaining & operating the railway line and overhead wiring, supply and maintenance of light-rail carriages, construction of the maintenance depot and operating the entire line for a period of at least 15 years – with 20, 25 and 30-year periods elaborated as options.
DBFMO contract
The DBFMO contract requires complete financing of the necessary assets (rail, carriages and maintenance depot) and provides for income during the concession period from 'shadow toll' (payments made by SL to TramTeam for each passenger transported). It also provides for a one-off payment on return of all assets at the end of the concession. This type of concession means that the concession holder’s income is determined by passenger numbers. This is in contrast to standard concessions, under which compensation is granted based on availability.
Planning
The project was reconfigured in June 2008 and renamed Tvärbana Ciy. The scope was extended considerably.