Passenger traffic for train journeys has been limited in northern Sweden due to the fact that the railway has mainly been used in industrial business. The establishment of Botniabanan enabled passenger traffic by train and created a train connection between the cities in the region. A continuation of Botniabanan quickly began to be planned so that the railway would continue along the Norrland coast, and the so-called Norrbotniabanan came into being. Today, northern Norrland is also facing one of the largest industrial investments in Sweden's history, which will require an increased workforce and supply of skills. In order to meet the demand for labor, Norrbotniabanan can provide a good opportunity for increased work commuting. An efficient and improved transport supply can in turn increase work commuting without people having to move to work. This in turn can create regional enlargement.  The purpose of the study is to investigate and analyze the effects Botniabanan had on commuting and further analyze and compare these with the effects that can be expected to occur with commuting through the establishment of Norrbotniabanan. The study is based on predictions about Norrbotniabanan and whether these can be expected to be achieved. This is then compared with whether the expected effects of Botniabanan were fulfilled. The establishment of Norrbotniabanan is then presented in a context of regional enlargement. The study has been carried out based on a quantitative method by processing quantitative data (register data) as well as carrying out literature studies and content analysis.  The study found that commuting has increased since the establishment of Botniabanan and that commuting mostly increased to Umeå municipality but also to Kramfors, which may be due to the municipality not belonging to Umeå's area of influence. In relation to this, commuting can be expected to increase with the establishment of Norrbotniabanan and in the same way that commuting mainly takes place to the larger municipalities such as Umeå, Luleå and Skellefteå. In order for Norrbotniabanan to achieve a greater increase in commuting than Botniabanan, the travel times need to be well planned. Provided that Norrbotniabanan has taken into account the reasons why the journey times for Botniabanan were not achieved, Norrbotniabanan has a good opportunity for a greater increase in commuting. Botniabanan can be declared to have achieved a regional enlargement, which Norrbotniabanan also makes possible. With the industrial investments in northern Sweden, Norrbotniabanan can create a stronger regional expansion than what Botniabanan did.

Middle managers have a complex task where it is important to achieve results while at the same time being there for their employees. To succeed in this, a good structure in the work and the right type of support from both management and employees are required. This study aims to investigate how middle managers experience the support that the respective companies provide and how the experiences can be understood based on the JDCS model. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with middle managers at two different businesses. The interviews were transcribed orthographically and then analyzed thematically. The results showed that the support function is central when it comes to handling the high demands that are made, as well as how management forums can contribute to increasing community and collegial support among middle managers. The conclusion that could be drawn was that in order to avoid burdensome work and increase satisfaction, a comprehensive support function is required.

With a foundation in social sustainability, and with the theoretical framework of transport justice and transport poverty, the aim of this thesis is to create a profile picture of the future potential travelers on the North Bothnia Line in Sävar, Robertsfors and Bureå. Both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis are performed. The quantitative analysis describes the population structures concerning age, gender, educational level, employment, household type, income and cars per 1000 inhabitants. The qualitative analysis consists of an interview study, conducted in Robertsfors, with 47 informants. The interview answers are analyzed through content analysis, and presented in personas for each age group. The three areas differ in population structure, which could have different implications on the future travel. In the planning for a socially sustainable travel with the North Bothnia Line, focus needs to be directed to the young travelers, in particular the high school youths. Families with children are facing constraints when trying to manage sustainable travel, therefore, how to create a socially sustainable travel for this group is important to consider in the planning. Young adults, as well as individuals that are unemployed are vulnerable groups, important to consider. The senior travelers have another travel behavior, compared to the population of working age, but still have their needs connected to travel. The informants are positive about the North Bothnia Line, positive about train as travel mode, and intend to use the future train. They expect that the train will lead to easier and faster transportation and work commuting, increased access to schools and jobs, population growth, open up for more opportunities, and that people do not have to own a car. The greatest needs are; a good timetable, with many departures, matching the work schedule. The train has to be on time, and the ticket price not too high. Both the train and the station have to be easily accessible, supplied with good car parking facilities with engine heaters, and the train has to go fast. Both the train and the station have to be clean and controlled, and there has to be clear, and digital information. / Norrbotniabanans noder 2