The installation positions MIA as the leading testbed for large-scale biometric border control, giving the airport a more efficient arrival process for U.S. citizens while strengthening CBP’s wider digital transformation programme.

MIA’s deployment consists of 12 biometric face pods distributed across the airport’s primary passport control zones in Concourses D, E and J. Powered by SITA’s Smart Path technology, the EPP system captures and compares passenger images with CBP records in under three seconds. The process is built to ease pressure at passport control by cutting down queues and speeding up inspections, helping push the wider use of automated passport screening in US.

The mobile pods run on wireless connections, so CBP can shift them around as traffic patterns change and optimise staffing and also effectively manage volumes. Each unit has its own agent-facing screen, giving officers a clear view of the verification steps as they happen and keeping them fully in charge of the checks.

MIA’s rollout fits into a broader, staged digital upgrade, giving the airport room to add EPP technology to more terminals as passenger numbers rise. And because the system doesn’t need any major construction work, it offers a cheaper, quicker way to build out biometric capacity.

CBP noted that collaborative deployments like MIA’s are core to its modernization agenda. “CBP is actively expanding biometric processing at major U.S. ports of entry to enhance security and streamline the arrival process for travelers. Collaborations like the one at MIA are essential for ensuring secure and efficient borders while delivering a seamless experience for international travelers,” said Daniel Alonso, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director at CBP.

SITA highlighted the initiative’s role in reinforcing Miami’s global position as a major entry point. “Miami is one of America’s busiest international gateways and the door to Latin America and beyond. This EPP launch is setting a new standard for efficiency at the border by using biometrics to make arrivals smoother, faster, and more secure for everyone, and can easily scale over time to additional terminals and to handle increased capacity.” said Shawn Gregor, President Americas at SITA.

The implementation aligns with broader trends across the region, with North American airlines and airports increasingly shifting toward digital identity solutions, touchless processing and automated flow management. These investments are reshaping how border authorities and airport operators plan for future passenger growth.

During the opening ceremony, Lucy Rigby KC MP for Northampton North said:“It was a privilege to officially open Siemens Mobility’s state-of-the-art Multi-Functional Centre and meet the highly skilled team working to enhance passenger journeys. It’s fantastic to see how Siemens Mobility’s local investment is fostering economic growth, creating new jobs and developing skills right here in Northampton.”

The site will focus on expanding Siemens Mobility’s capability to refurbish and upgrade the UK passenger train fleet, taking on interior improvements such as redesigned seating, enhanced toilets, new luggage stacks and updated charging ports. Its first assignment will involve work on East Midland Railway’s Class 360s, a refurbishment effort intended to elevate comfort levels and lift the overall passenger journey.

The investment also introduces a mobile team that can travel across the country to carry out technical work on fleets. This unit has already delivered a first-in-class installation on a third-party fleet, equipping trains with Siemens Mobility’s Variable Rate Sanding technology to support braking performance in slippery conditions. The next mobile programme will be the upgrade of train data recorders (OTDR), a step aimed at bringing mobile connectivity to third party fleets and helping to enhance reliability and availability.

In addition to the operational elements, Siemens Mobility reports that construction of the Multi-Functional Centre has produced a 17% net gain in biodiversity, aligning with its DEGREE sustainability framework. The new facility adds to Siemens Mobility’s broader UK investment, which totals up to £340 million in recent years. This includes up to £240m at its Rail Village in Goole, Yorkshire, where work on the next generation of Piccadilly line trains for Transport for London is underway, as well as the planned assembly of Britain’s battery bi-mode trains. A further £100 million commitment has been directed to Chippenham, Wiltshire, where the company’s Rail Technology Centre is being developed. Siemens Mobility has also expanded its footprint through new distribution and logistics hubs in Kettering and Goole, established to localise material supply for fleets and reduce road miles linked to logistics.

The new nonstop routes will bring Alaska Air Group’s total network to 142 destinations in 2026, the largest in the airline’s history. As part of the new rollout, the carrier will begin daily service between San Diego and Tulsa, and from Seattle to both Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL), and Arcata-Eureka, California (ACV), located along the scenic California Redwood Coast. With the addition of Arcata-Eureka, Alaska Airlines will now serve more California airports year-round than any other U.S. airline, strengthening its footprint in the state.

“With bold expansion in San Diego and Portland, plus more flights to Hawai‘i and new destinations like Tulsa and Arcata-Eureka, Alaska is redefining what it means to connect guests to a remarkable travel experience rooted in safety, care and performance,” said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of revenue management and network planning at Alaska Airlines.

San Diego remains a central focus for Alaska Airlines’ growth strategy. The carrier, which already operates the most nonstop destinations from San Diego of any airline, plans to increase its operations from the Southern California hub by more than 35% in spring 2026 compared to the same season in 2025. The new nonstop routes will include Dallas-Fort Worth, Oakland, Raleigh-Durham, Santa Barbara and Tulsa. With these additions, Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines will together serve the 15 most popular markets from San Diego, operating 49 nonstop destinations.

In Portland, the airline continues to build momentum following a successful summer season. Alaska will begin new services in May from Portland to Baltimore, Idaho Falls, Philadelphia and St. Louis, expanding its nonstop network from the Rose City to 62 destinations. The airline will also introduce a second daily flight to Newark, make its Portland–Līhu‘e (Kaua‘i) connection year-round, and increase daily flights to Santa Rosa-Sonoma to three.

The carrier’s commitment to Hawai‘i also remains strong, as it continues to serve more airports between California and the islands than any other airline. A new seasonal route will debut next summer between Honolulu and Hollywood Burbank Airport, reconnecting the two airports for the first time in over 20 years. Starting in the spring, service between Los Angeles and Kahului (Maui) will expand to two daily nonstops with an additional seasonal frequency. In June, flights between San Francisco and both Kona (Hawai‘i Island) and Līhu‘e (Kaua‘i) will increase to daily service. By early summer, Alaska Airlines will offer daily flights to all four Hawaiian Islands from San Francisco, matching the level of connectivity it already provides from Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego and Seattle.

At Santa Rosa-Sonoma, Alaska is serving twice as many destinations as any other airline. The company is introducing additional flights to Portland and San Diego, along with a new intra-California route connecting Santa Rosa-Sonoma and Ontario, located east of Los Angeles. This brings Alaska’s network from Santa Rosa-Sonoma to six California cities, including a new seasonal route to Palm Springs that will launch on October 26.

The forthcoming fleet, named Eurostar Celestia, will be based on Alstom’s Avelia Horizon platform and feature a bespoke design tailored to Eurostar’s premium service standards. Each 200-meter train will be interoperable across all five countries currently served by Eurostar, with future routes extending to Geneva and Frankfurt.

The name Celestia comes from the Latin caelestis, meaning “heavenly,” and captures the company’s idea of linking a network of cities across Europe. Seat capacity is set to increase by 20% per train, with approximately 540 seats per 200-meter unit. Operating in the 400-meter formation used through the Channel Tunnel today, each service could accommodate around 1,080 passengers.

The first of these trains are expected to join the fleet in January 2031, with commercial operations starting in May 2031. Six trains will start running at first, marking a new chapter for Eurostar. When the full Celestia fleet is delivered, it will join the existing 17 e320 trains, bringing the total to 67, around a 30% increase overall.

Eurostar plans to maintain the entire fleet at its Temple Mills depot in London, with the site undergoing an €80 million upgrade to accommodate the new trains. The project is expected to create roughly 350 skilled jobs, building on Temple Mills’ existing workforce of 450 and reinforcing its role as a centre of excellence in international high-speed rail.

Designed with sustainability and accessibility at the forefront, the all-electric Celestia trains incorporate feedback from passengers, accessibility groups, and Eurostar staff. “Placing this milestone order marks the concrete realisation of Eurostar’s ambitious growth strategy – to reach 30 million passengers by investing in a brand-new fleet. We’re particularly proud to bring double-decker trains to the UK for the very first time” said Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO, Eurostar.

Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Chief Executive Officer of Alstom, added: “By choosing Avelia Horizon to renew its fleet, Eurostar is confirming its desire to combine technological performance, energy efficiency and passenger comfort. This new-generation train, designed to meet the demands of international very high-speed traffic, embodies our vision of sustainable and competitive European mobility,”

Eighteen cadets ranging in age from 10-18, along with five adult officers, from the Spartan Squadron in the Newnan, Ga. area received an introduction to railroading through presentations, hands-on operation and simulation.

“It was a real once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of these cadets to be able to get on real rail equipment and see what it takes to be a Norfolk Southern railroader,” said NS Assistant Director of Technical Training Ryan Foster, who volunteers with the squadron and facilitated the visit. “Not only did the group have fun, but they walked away with a great understanding of the critical role rail – and Team NS – plays in everyday life.”

After a safety briefing and a job briefing, the group toured the Training Center, learning about track structure, switches, rail inspections and more before having the opportunity to operate a locomotive and compete in a virtual welding competition.

In the end, Foster said, the Cadets got a look at how every role comes together to create the railroad network they see when a train passes through their community.

“We’re building the future of railroading here every day at the Training Center,” Foster said. “I’m proud to be able to invite the next generation in to see up close what’s possible.”

Working with Hitachi Rail, Nokia is providing LTA with its IP/MPLS and Optical LAN technologies in a broad surveillance overhaul. The upgraded network can handle the increasing volume of video data from the railway infrastructure, which carries millions of passengers every day. The improvements give LTA a stronger network backbone and make sure live CCTV network reach the Operations Control Center quickly, where the video is monitored and stored.

CCTV cameras are at the center of keeping Singapore’s railways safe. They send live video that lets staff spot crime, follow passenger movement, and keep trains running on schedule. LTA has cameras in more than 50 stations, and with so much data streaming in all the time, the network needed to handle it without problems.

Nokia’s fiber Optical LAN, with its hardened ONUs and future-proof OLTs supporting speeds up to 25Gb/s, gives LTA the capacity it needs while using less cabling and cutting power consumption. Compared with traditional copper-based LANs, this technology reduces cabling by up to 70% and power consumption by 40%, while IP/MPLS deployment enhances backhaul efficiency to the control center.

Joaquim Santos, Vice President of Integrated Communication and Supervision Solutions (ICS) at Hitachi Rail, said: “We are pleased to have selected Nokia to collaborate with Hitachi Rail in enhancing passenger safety & security across Singapore’s railway network, which is a continuation of Hitachi’s long-term relationship with LTA. This project will play a key role in upgrading the transport infrastructure.”

Stuart Hendry, Vice President of Enterprise Sales for Network Infrastructure at Nokia Asia Pacific, added: “Fiber is being used to connect everything including video systems that are critical to monitoring transportation hubs around the world.  Ensuring you have a real time surveillance system that is highly available, reliable and secure is vital to ensuring the safety of those traveling Singapore’s transit lines every day.  Partnering with Hitachi Rail, we were able to deliver a complete solution for LTA that would ensure they had the video capacity needed to serve their expansive CCTV surveillance and broader network operations for years to come.”

The initiative is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to making ticketing more straightforward and adaptable for passengers, ensuring greater convenience across the East Midlands rail network.

The rail users travelling between Leicester, Derby and Nottingham will be able to join the trial. Additional testing will also be launched with Northern Trains in Yorkshire towards the end of September.

Under this digital train ticketing trial, passengers can check in and check out with ease, using an app that relies on location technology. Their journeys are tracked using GPS. The system automatically calculates and charges the passengers the most cost-effective fare at the end of each day. For ticket inspections and access through station barriers, a unique barcode is generated within the app.

The new system removes the need for paper tickets or the more common mobile tickets purchased online in advance. Instead, the app determines which trains were taken and identifies when the passenger has exited the rail network, making travel smoother and more flexible.

As many as 4,000 participants can join the trials by registering through the operator’s website. The project ensures travelers receive the best-value fare for the day, while also experiencing simpler and more flexible train travel. Similar systems have already been successfully trialed in Switzerland, Denmark and Scotland, but this marks the first time the technology has been introduced across England’s rail services.

This effort underscores the Government’s focus on improving passenger experience through innovation. By cutting both costs and time spent planning journeys, the digital train ticketing trial supports the wider Plan for Change, encouraging more people to choose rail travel.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said: “The railway ticketing system is far too complicated and long overdue an upgrade to bring it into the 21st century. Through these trials we’re doing just that, and making buying tickets more convenient, more accessible, and more flexible. By putting passenger experience at the heart of our decision making we’re modernising fares and ticketing and making it simpler and easier for people to choose rail.”

Oli Cox, Head of Commercial Strategy and Business Planning at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re delighted to announce the launch of our Digital Pay As You Go trial. We’ve had a fantastic response from customers keen to take part – with more than 500 people registering their interest so far.”

From late September, further digital ticketing trials will extend to Northern services, covering routes to Harrogate, Leeds, Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley. Northern has already seen strong adoption of mobile ticketing, with usage figures showing a consistent increase and a marked reduction in traditional orange ‘magstripe’ tickets over the past year.

Making things for the New Era of Travel

The COVID-19 pandemic changed a lot about how people think about and use airports. According to the International Air Transport Association, a large percentage of visitors, 87%, voiced their concerns about airport health regulations in 2022. More than 70% of travellers also said they wanted more technology to cut down on human interaction. The passenger terminal of 2030 will incorporate these changing views, recognising that health security is now a basic need that makes travel better.

To accommodate these changing needs, terminal architecture is moving towards open, flexible spaces that improve natural ventilation and cut down on cross-traffic congestion. The use of smart HVAC systems has grown a lot. Airports Council International stated that by the end of 2023, over 54% of large airports across the world had installed modern air filtration systems, which greatly improved safety against the spread of airborne pathogens. For example, ultraviolet-C sanitisation and cutting-edge air filtration have become routine at Singapore’s Changi Airport, setting a high bar for the rest of the world.

After the epidemic, design that makes it easy to go from the curb to the gate is great. To make things easier and faster, self-service kiosks, mobile check-ins, and digital wayfinding are all being combined. Terminal design now has wider walkways, modular waiting areas, and digital queue management that changes in real time, making the experience better during busy times. All of these modifications make the journey smoother and safer, and they not only satisfy the needs of current visitors but also look ahead to meet the needs of future travellers.

Biometrics, Touchless Tech, and Hyper-Personalization

Biometric and touchless technologies are coming to the passenger terminal in 2030, and they will make the journey more individualised. Biometric identity management has shown amazing promise in exciting pilot programs at airports like Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and London Heathrow. SITA’s 2023 Air Transport IT Insights say that 46% of airports are already implementing biometrics at different points of contact. Almost 80% of airports are looking forward to using biometric-enabled self-boarding by 2026.

The passenger terminal of 2030 will have an exciting identification corridor where a traveler’s face, fingerprint, or iris will be a safe and dependable way to check in and board. This not only speeds up processing times, which the U.S. Transportation Security Administration reported an average of 22 minutes per traveler in 2023, but it also enhanced safety and reduced the likelihood of fraud.

At the same time, touchless technologies are making it less and less necessary to contact with people in person. Mobile boarding cards, bag drops that don’t require hands, and information kiosks that respond to voice commands are all increasingly common. At Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, “smart tunnels” with facial recognition let passengers go through passport control in less than 15 seconds, which is a huge improvement of more than 250% over the old stamping systems.

Terminals will not only be safer and more convenient, but they will also have the exciting chance to make the passenger experience even better through hyper-personalization. Airports may use AI and big data to learn about each person’s likes and dislikes and offer tailored services right away. For example, Incheon International Airport’s AI-powered app gives customers customised shopping suggestions, real-time crowd statistics for dynamic wayfinding, and fast language translation. This shows how exciting it is to have unique travel experiences.

Infrastructure that can change to handle more traffic

The pandemic showed how quickly air travel demand can change. In 2020, the number of passengers around the world fell by 60%, but it quickly bounced back in the years that followed. This example showed how hard it is for traditional terminal infrastructure to keep up with fast changes. The passenger terminal of 2030 should be very flexible, so that operators can easily and quickly change how things are done.

Modular terminal design is a big step forward. Airports can easily change their capacity anytime they need to since they have prefabricated buildings, retractable fences, and flexible gate areas. For example, Terminal F at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has cutting-edge modular gates that can easily switch between local and international flights based on real-time demand, making the most of the space they have.

Digital twin technology makes this adaptability even better by creating real-time, dynamic models of how people move through the facility and how it is used. According to Deloitte research from 2022, airports that use digital twins have seen resource allocation and operational planning become up to 20% more efficient. This lets terminals plan for surges, handle lineups well, and easily improve layouts without having to make costly physical alterations.

It’s great to see that multi-use spaces, such shop areas that can easily turn into waiting areas or lounges that may become pop-up health clinics or vaccination centres, are becoming more frequent. The passenger terminal of 2030 will be able to change to meet public health emergencies, seasonal spikes, or other unexpected needs, making sure that every time you use it, you have a great experience.

The Need for Quick Action

Even if 2030 seems like a long way off, the amount of time it will take to make a terminal change shows how important it is to make smart choices and investments now. The global airport infrastructure market, which was worth more than $150 billion in 2023, is expected to rise at a CAGR of 6.2% through 2030. This shows that there is a growing need for modernisation. Embracing new ideas makes operations run more smoothly and gives passengers more confidence, which is important for airport profits. ACI predicts that these revenues might reach $200 billion worldwide by the end of the decade if the recovery continues.

Also, these modifications should be focused on sustainability. Airports are getting greater attention as people become more mindful of climate change. The passenger terminal of 2030 should be built on new ideas like solar-powered terminal roofs, collecting rainwater and building with less carbon. These ideas were already shown off during the Pier B extension at Oslo Airport. Operators may save money in the long run, make sure they follow the rules, and boost their brand equity by investing today.

This is the start of our journey to 2030

The passenger terminal of 2030 will look very different from the ones before it. This is an exciting change that comes from new traveler expectations, cutting-edge technologies, and lessons learnt from recent experiences. Designing for travellers after the pandemic, using biometrics and touchless technology for hyper-personalization, and building flexible, surge-ready infrastructures are all important aims that drive innovation and progress. World airports have an exciting chance to enhance and improve the passenger terminal of 2030 as fresh waves of travellers come back with increased expectations. They need to be ready for the changes that are coming.

By speeding up innovation now, airport officials can make sure that the passenger terminal of 2030 becomes a space that changes everything—one that stands for safety, efficiency, and a travel experience that is tailored to each person for years to come.

 What infrastructure do air taxis and drones need?

Urban Air Mobility and the terminal of the skies call for a complete overhaul of city infrastructure, more than what city planners have planned for now. Morgan Stanley’s 2022 research says that the worldwide UAM market may be worth up to $1 trillion by 2040 and more than $9 trillion by 2050. Most of the early growth will come from big cities in Asia and North America. Air taxis, eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles), and self-driving drones will all need a network of “vertiports” that do more than just provide landing pads. These need to be placed in the best places to make them as easy to get to and as useful as possible, which is often in densely populated areas where space is limited.

NASA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency have found that a city with ten million people could need 80 to 100 vertiports to support a high UAM density. Each vertiport would need to have fast charging stations, advanced air traffic management interfaces, maintenance bays, and places for passengers to get on and off. The World Economic Forum said in 2023 that charging and energy infrastructure alone might cost approximately 35–40% of the money needed to make UAM work in a big city. Also, these vertiports need to be perfectly linked to ground transportation options like buses, metros, and last-mile autonomous shuttles to make sure that the urban mobility ecology is completely integrated.

The problem with infrastructure goes beyond the physical. UAM will require improvements to the smart grid to handle the huge, localised electrical loads from fast-charging eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles) fleets, as well as strong digital infrastructure to keep track of real-time flight trajectories, weather threats, and emergency response. A city-wide network of sensors and communications relays that works with next-generation air traffic management (ATM) systems will be very important. The Federal Aviation Administration’s UTM (Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management) pilot programs in the US are an early example, although they are still looking at how well the system can handle the high population density in Asian cities.

 What Terminal Design Means for UAM Integration

Architects, civil engineers, and operators all have a big problem when it comes to adding Urban Air Mobility and the terminal of the skies to existing cityscapes. UAM terminals, sometimes known as “vertiports” or “skyports,” are different from standard airport terminals that are built for fixed-wing aircraft on large sites. They need to be small, modular, and very automated, and they frequently fit in with rooftops, parking buildings, or reused city property. A top consulting firm, Roland Berger, says that by 2030 there might be more than 300 urban vertiports around the world, with roughly half of them in Asia.

The terminal of the sky must put the passenger experience first by making sure that security, boarding, and transfer zones are as smooth and safe as possible. At the same time, these facilities must meet specific needs, such as quick battery changes or charging for eVTOL aircraft, strong noise and emissions restrictions, and better vertical and horizontal connections to multimodal ground networks.

Since 2022, the Civil Aviation Authority and the Land Transport Authority in Singapore have worked with Volocopter to set up Asia’s first planned public air taxi routes. These routes will have prototype vertiports with dynamic wayfinding, biometric access controls, and AI-powered scheduling platforms. These terminals are made to handle a lot of traffic. The National University of Singapore ran simulations that showed that an urban vertiport with only 500 square meters of space could handle more than 200 UAM flights per day if the turnaround time was quick and traffic was managed automatically. Safety is the most important thing. Terminals must have fail-safe fire suppression, real-time weather monitoring, and secure physical separation between passengers and active landing areas.

The terminal of the skies must also be able to grow in the future. Operators can change the number of pads or the flow of passengers as UAM grows thanks to flexible design, modular building methods, and digital twin integration. The partnership between London City Airport and Skyports has shown how existing transit hubs may be converted with little work for eVTOL operations. This is a model for Asia’s crowded cities, where space is even more limited.

 Regulatory and Business Readiness in Asia

Urban Air Mobility and the terminal of the skies could change Asia more than any other region. This constant urbanisation has led to chronic traffic jams and air pollution, which has created a huge need for alternative ways to get around. The Urban Mobility Readiness Index 2023 by Oliver Wyman says that cities like Singapore, Seoul, and Tokyo are some of the finest places in the world for early UAM adoption because they have excellent digital infrastructure, government backing, and regulatory initiatives that look ahead.

Regulatory readiness, on the other hand, is still a difficult problem. Countries in Asia are racing to come up with common rules for eVTOL certification, integrating eVTOLs into the airspace, and keeping passengers safe. The Civil Aviation Administration of China put out its initial rules for UAM operations in 2022. It is also helping EHang with its autonomous drone experiments in Guangzhou, where more than 2,000 commercial test flights have taken place without any safety issues being recorded so far. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism is working with Joby Aviation and other eVTOL makers to make commercial flights to the Osaka World Expo in 2025.

Even though these improvements have been made, commercial readiness is still not consistent. Asia’s regulatory environment is very different from one country to the next, and local governments have different goals. There are also problems with public acceptance. Airbus’s Voom service, which started in São Paulo and Mexico City and then tried to expand to Asia, learnt the hard way how important it is to follow the rules and get the community on board. It stopped operations in 2020 because of pandemic-related problems and inconsistent regulation.

Still, there is a huge need for business. According to KPMG’s “Future of Urban Air Mobility” report from 2023, Japan, South Korea, China, and Singapore will be the leaders in the Asia-Pacific area, which might account for 45% of global UAM passengers by 2035. Both new and old aerospace companies are spending a lot of money on demonstration projects, fleet investments, and complex public engagement efforts to gain trust and get people to use their products.

 Today, we are shaping the skies of tomorrow.

Urban Air Mobility and the terminal of the skies are changing the way people think about getting about in cities. This new way of thinking is already affecting infrastructure investment, legislative discussion, and business strategy in Asia and other parts of the world. To make the promise of safe, seamless, and long-lasting aerial mobility a reality, we need to act quickly and in a coordinated way on many fronts. These include building scalable vertiport networks, developing compact and flexible terminal designs, and making sure that regulatory frameworks protect public safety without stifling innovation.

Urban Air Mobility and the terminal of the skies might either be a fantasy or become the basis for how people live in cities in the future. Cities that are ready to spend money, come up with new ideas, and work together could see huge benefits in terms of economic growth, sustainability, and connecting people. Now is the moment to get ready for Urban Air Mobility and the end of the skies. Those who act courageously will shape not only the skylines but also the very heart of urban life in the 21st century.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is increasing its assistance for a project to expand the Stockholm Metro by giving extra loans to the Region of Stockholm and the City of Stockholm.  The EIB will offer a total of SEK 4.5 billion in funding, equivalent to around €400 million.  Including these fresh loans, the EIB has contributed about SEK 12 billion (more than €1 billion) to the project in Sweden’s capital.

The Stockholm metro expansion project is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Sweden to be sponsored by the European Union, and it represents the EIB’s largest investment in Swedish public transport.

EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros said: “This investment boosts both sustainable mobility and regional development. By providing an additional loan, we are demonstrating our long-term commitment to climate-smart investments in Europe’s growing cities. This project is an excellent example of how EU funding can benefit both people and the climate.”

The metro project includes three new 30-kilometer sections in the Stockholm Region, with 20 kilometres of double-track tunnels and 18 new stations.  These new parts will see the construction of 130 500 dwelling units.

Stockholm, Nacka, Solna, and Järfälla will be the municipalities where the project is implemented.  This program is critical for providing sustainable and efficient public transport to fulfil the demands of the rising population.  730 000 individuals in the county utilise public transit on a daily basis.

Region of Stockholm Director-General Emma Lennartson said: “The EIB’s support is essential for investment in the metro expansion project. Continuing to invest in, and rely on, public transport is an effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Region of Stockholm.”

Lennartson also added:

“With the City of Stockholm and our other partners in the county, we are working hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12% every year, which is necessary for the county to do its part to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Investing in the metro will help to increase our chances of reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.”

The new EIB loan is shared among the two borrowers:

• SEK 2.5 billion will go to the region of Stockholm.
• SEK 2 billion will go to the City of Stockholm.
  

City of Stockholm Director-General Fredrik Jurdell said: “The EIB’s continued commitment to this financial partnership reaffirms the importance of the metro expansion project for sustainable growth in the capital and the surrounding areas. The new metro meets the needs of future generations in terms of transport and mobility, but also with regard to housing, given that housing units will be built as part of the project.”

The Stockholm metro expansion project includes significant attempts to improve sustainability.  Ceequal, a renowned certification system for civil engineering projects, completed an audit on the project.  Several project participants achieved a ‘Excellent’ rating, the best attainable.  This demonstrates the project’s environmental and sustainable development goals, which exceed legislative and sector-specific criteria.