Along the northern coast of the Bothnian Gulf between Umeå and Luleå live 65 percent of northern Norrland's population, yet there is no coastal railway that connects these cities with each other. In 2010, Botniabanan was completed, partially a new coastal railway between the cities of Sundsvall and Umeå. This was the first railway construction in Norrland in 80 years. Now it's time again, 2018 started the first construction phase of the Norrbotniabanan from Umeå in direction towards the city of Luleå. When the railway is completed, the line will pass through places that have not previously had a railway connection, including the small town Robertsfors. Robertsfors, with its strategic location between Umeå and Skellefteå, has a unique opportunity to expand its local labor market and increase its population when the railway arrives and shortens the time distance to Umeå and Skellefteå. This essay addresses how Robertsfors may change and develop with the establishment of a train station inside Robertsfors' central town. The result is based on assumptions by politicians and officials in the municipality and addresses issues such as work commuting and what makes Robertsfors attractive. The results show that the establishment of the railway raises hopes for an increase in population and has much to do with the increased freedom of movement and proximity to a larger labor market. However, there are also major challenges such as investment opportunities and accessibility to labor resources. Changes in Skellefteå and Umeå with increased housing prices and a shortage of housing and building land also open up opportunities for Robertsfors municipality as people can be expected to apply for housing in Robertsfors but work in Umeå or Skellefteå and commute to work by train.

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.

Today’s sparse cities with for example workplaces located outside the city centre has led to increased travel levels for the inhabitants. The long distance between different attribute has resulted in a car dependency. To achieve the climate goals and a sustainable development it’s important to have a transition to more sustainable travel modes. This essay focus on socially and environmentally sustainable travels to workplaces outside the city centre. The aim of the study is the understand how the geographical location of the workplace affects the travel mode choice. The ambition is to examine the possibilities for environmentally sustainable travel at the same time as the travel also must be socially sustainable and feasible in the individual’s everyday life. This study is conducted in Umeå with a workplace located outside the city centre. The empirical material has been collected through interviews with employees in purpose the understand the individual conditions and travel patterns. The results are then discussed and analysed using, theories and previous research, time-geography, aspects of accessibility and travel mode choice to create an understanding of sustainable travel to workplaces with an external localisation. The results identified challenges linked to long distance, lack of accessibility to use other travel modes and individual constraints. The results shows that individuals have different constraints and opportunities to change their travel mode, but that it is also bound to how much an individual is willing, and able, to sacrifice.

Skellefteå befinner sig i en expansiv stadsutvecklingsfas vilket ställer högre krav på trafiksystemet. Studien syftar därmed till att undersöka den lokala planeringen av kollektivtrafik och hur den relaterar till ett Bus rapid transit (BRT)-system. Transit oritented development (TOD) som innebär en samplanering av kollektivtrafik och bebyggelse, utgör arbetets teoretiska ram och är nära kopplat till BRT. Metoden utförs genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer och dokumentanalys av policydokument från Skellefteå kommun. Studien visar att trafiknätet i centrala tätorten har en dålig framkomlighet, vilket kommunen vill åtgärda genom att bland annat utveckla sin kollektivtrafik med fördel framför bilen. I denna utveckling finns det aspekter som är lika ett BRT-system men även vissa delar som avviker från det. Det går även att urskilja tecken på TOD i den lokala planeringen, något som också underlättar en BRT-implementering. Det finns därmed tendenser och ansatser för en BRT-utveckling, men där andra likande alternativ övervägs. / Skellefteå is in an expansive urban development phase that causes higher demands on the traffic system. The study aims to investigate the local planning of public transport and how it relates to a Bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Transit-oriented development (TOD), which involves a co-planning of public transport and settlements, forms the theoretical framework of the study and is closely linked to BRT. The method consisted of semi-structured interviews and document analysis of policy documents from Skellefteå municipality. The study show that the traffic network in the central urban area consists of poor accessibility, which the municipality wants to solve by developing the public transport. In this development there are aspects that are similar to BRT, but some parts that deviate from it. It is possible to distinguish signs of TOD in the local planning, which also facilitates a BRT implementation. There are thus tendencies and approaches for a BRT development, but where other similar alternatives are considered.