Three new travel centers in Skellefteå municipality

As Skellefteå grows, the need for smooth and efficient transportation increases. The North Bothnia Line (Norrbotniabanan) is now approaching Skellefteå, and three new travel centers are planned in connection with the railway — in Bureå, Skellefteå, and Byske. The travel centers will contribute to increasing the sustainable travelling and facilitate everyday life for residents.

A travel center where proximity is key

A travel center is planned for central Skellefteå, which will serve as a hub for Skellefteå and the surrounding region. This travel center will also play an important role in the development of the city center and downtown area. Trains, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians will all converge in one place, making it easier to travel both within the municipality and to other parts of the region, as well as the rest of Sweden.

– I dare say that every resident of Skellefteå is looking forward to the day when the Skellefteå travel center is completed. We have waited a long time for the North Bothnia Line, so that we can build a modern hub for mobility in connection with it. Building the Skellefteå travel center is therefore one of the most important investments we are making in modern times and something that will promote development throughout the municipality, says Karin Degerfeldt, head of community development in Skellefteå municipality.

Skellefteå's future travel center is located just northwest of Sara Kulturhus, with the south entrance facing Södra Järnvägsgatan. Its central location means that most of what you need is within walking distance. It will be easy to get to cultural attractions, the hospital and the city center. An inviting passageway under the railway will also bring the Norrböle district closer to the center by extending Trädgårdsgatan.
– With a modern travel center, improved public transport, and new pedestrian and bicycle passages in its vicinity, we are making it more attractive for our residents to choose sustainable travel to the city center. This will contribute to realising the vision of a more vibrant city center, all year round, says Karin Degerfeldt.

New travel centers in coastal villages create opportunities for development

In Bureå, a travel center is planned just west of the E4, where different modes of transport will be coordinated. The Bureå travel center will connect the train service provided by the North Bothnia Line with bus, car, pedestrian, bicycle and taxi services. To enable a good connection between the travel center and the airport, which is located just under 10 km away, is also important.

One focus of the planning is that the travel center should be perceived as welcoming, safe, inclusive and unique. The area should be perceived as a whole and enable seamless travel with smooth transfers between different modes of transport. The whole-journey perspective, that everyone should be able to travel all the way from door to door, is taken into account in the planning.
– What we are planning today is a travel center that will function for a long time to come, without needing to be adapted later. We also need to think about designing the travel center for all seasons, both from a user and an operational perspective. It is a creative as well as challenging process to cover all perspectives and needs, and to weigh alternatives against each other in order to decide what we consider to be the best solutions, says Lisa Gahm, project manager for the Bureå travel center and the North Botnia Line at Skellefteå municipality.

A travel center is also planned in Byske, which is expected to benefit the village's development opportunities.
– Both Bureå and Byske are pleasant places with the potential to attract new residents and businesses, as well as more jobs, services and meeting places. The North Botnia Line and the upcoming travel centers will be catalysts for positive development, says Lisa Gahm.

The overall objective

With new travel centers, we are creating accessible, safe and efficient environments for travelers all year round. At the same time, the initiative contributes to a more sustainable Skellefteå, where more people are encouraged to choose public transport over cars. This reduces emissions and relieves pressure on the road network, while also strengthening the municipality's attractiveness for both residents and businesses. Modern travel centers are more than just buildings — they are an investment in the future of Skellefteå.

Illustration at the top of the page: Vision of Skellefteå travel centre, based on the proposal ‘View of the Cloudberry Country’. The proposal was developed by a team consisting of C.F. Møller Sweden, Nordmark & Nordmark, WSP and Bjerking. The proposal is now being developed in collaboration between the municipality, the Swedish Transport Administration and the team behind the winning entry.

Questions and answers about Skellefteå's new travel center

Read more: SE26 project