trafikledningen

Trafikledningen is the central function, facility, or system responsible for coordinating traffic on a transport network, especially the railway network in Sweden. The term denotes both the organizational unit and the set of processes used to monitor and guide traffic in real time to ensure safety, capacity, and reliability.

Key responsibilities of Trafikledningen include real-time monitoring of the network, scheduling and directing movements to prevent conflicts, route setting, incident and disruption management, and coordination with maintenance, operations, and emergency services. Trafikledningen also oversees information dissemination to passengers and the public, such as updates on delays or service changes.

Technically, Trafikledningen relies on signaling and interlocking systems, supervisory control and data acquisition, computerized traffic management platforms, CCTV, and communications networks linking control rooms with trains, stations, and field devices. In Sweden, the term is commonly used within Trafikverket’s railway operations and the networks operated by major railway companies, where a central control room oversees nationwide or regional traffic.

Historically, centralized traffic control developed from local signal boxes and manual dispatching, expanding through mechanization and then electronic control in the late 20th century, culminating in integrated traffic management centers that coordinate multiple transport modes. The concept remains essential to safety and efficiency in densely used transport corridors.