Facts about Västernorrland 2009 Facts about Västernorrland 2009

Communications
Information and communication technology is an important
precondition for good communications. At present, work is
ongoing to expand two networks in Västernorrland: the UMTS
network for third-generation mobile telephony and the broadband
network. It is estimated that between 80 and 95 per cent of
households in the county have access to a broadband network.
The car is the predominant means of transport, and Västernorrland
has good communications to and from the county via
the E4 Highway, which links the coastal zone of northern Sweden
with Stockholm and southern Sweden, and via the E14, which
links the Sundsvall area with Östersund, and with Trondheim
in Norway. The county has over 19,000 km of roads, of which
5,000 are state-maintained, just under 1,300 km are municipal,
and approximately 13,000 kilometres are privately maintained.
Public transport comprises bus routes within each municipality,
and longer routes between the main communities. There is also
inter-county public transport, with bus between Sundsvall and
Haparanda, and the passenger train Mittnabotåget between
Sundsvall and Östersund with connection on to Trondheim in
Norway. The county also has on-call public transport, example
for disabled people who cannot use other public transport.
The railway network includes Ostkustbanan (the East Coast
Line) with high-speed trains from the south to Sundsvall and
Härnösand and regional lines between Gävle and Sundsvall.
Botniabanan (the Bothnia Line) is a new railway, 190 kilometres
long between Nyland and Umeå, which is due for completion
in 2010. At the same time as Botniabanan is under construction,
extensive upgrading of the Ådal Line is being carried out,
the link between Botniabanan and Ostkustbanan. The railway
construction projects drastically reduce travel times, particularly
between Örnsköldsvik and Umeå. Västernorrland has
three airports with frequent fl ights to Stockholm, Luleå, and
Gothenburg. Sundsvall-Härnösand Airport and Örnsköldsvik
20 INFRASTRUCTURE