Framing Value in Infrastructure : Assessing the Potential Impact of the Elevated Railway in Norrköping

This study aims to systematically explore the proposed construction of a new railway and railway station in Norrköping, Sweden focusing on both the justificatory elements and the project's anticipated effects. Using a combined method of qualitative content analysis and interviews, eleven relevant documents are analysed alongside four concluding interviews with the project's key stakeholders. The framework of the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket)'s overall impact assessment, Samlad Effektbedömning (SEB), guides the analysis, which is designed to provide a structured and summarised account of the proposed transport measures. This study interprets the empirical material using the three main components of SEB: socio-economic cost-benefit analysis, transport policy goal objective analysis, and distributional analysis. The analysis and discussion are conducted from a social science perspective, supported by previous research and the theoretical framework consisting of Welfare Economics and Network Governance. Central to the case is the Municipality of Norrrköping's decision to invest an additional SEK 2.7 billion in an elevated railway alternative, in contrast to Trafikverket's initial SEK 900 million ground-level proposal. The findings show that socio-economic justification is not obtained from quantified calculations but discursively constructed through local actors' strategic framing. Stakeholders emphasise long-term urban development, symbolic value, and regional connectivity. While the project aligns with national transport policy goals, it also reveals tensions in multi-level governance and risks of spatial inequality. The study concludes that socio-economic evaluations lack transparency, national goals are locally reframed, and equity considerations remain limited in planning, highlighting key gaps in infrastructure governance and justification.