Response to interpellation 2023/24:844 on night trains to Jämtland

Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist has asked me in what way I will act to ensure that the night train traffic to and from Jämtland can continue.

The government's starting point is that all of Sweden shall function. The conditions for living, residing and working in the entire country shall be strengthened. The possibility to create a good life, run a business and safely start a family should exist regardless of where one lives in the country. Transport and travel are necessary for the entire society to function and develop. It is therefore important with good accessibility between the country's different parts.

Trafikverket has been tasked to enter into and be responsible for the state's agreements regarding both interregional public transport justified by transport policy, including air traffic, which is not maintained under another regime and where the conditions for commercial operation are lacking, and partly sea transport to Gotland.

As a basis for the procurements that Trafikverket carries out, the authority maps out the accessibility between different parts of the country. Based on these investigations, the mandate the authority has, and the funds allocated in the state budget, Trafikverket has chosen to procure night train traffic between Stockholm and Jämtland and between Stockholm and upper Norrland. Trafikverket has, however, not procured night train traffic to and from Gothenburg, referring to the fact that there are already connecting train services operated on a commercial basis between Gothenburg and Stockholm.

It is Trafikverket that assesses which train traffic should be tendered to create good accessibility between the country's different parts. I assume that the agreements that are signed do not affect commercial train traffic more than necessary. I also note that Snälltåget is investigating the possibilities of operating night train traffic between Gothenburg and Jämtland on commercial grounds during parts of the year, which is a welcome initiative.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Infrastructure for the answer.

75,000 people have today signed the appeal that Linnéa Granqvist in Östersund started when it became known that the train traffic from Göteborg to Duved and from Göteborg to Umeå would be discontinued.

The news here today is a death blow for Jämtland and Västerbotten, which attract many western Swedes during both the winter season and the summer season. It also hampers the opportunities for Jämtlanders and Västerbottnians to reasonably take the train to western Sweden for work, family visits, and leisure.

When Bra becomes a subcontractor to SAS, the availability to these areas risks deteriorating further, and we can be sure that ticket prices will reach new record levels.

Let me briefly describe what this is about. On lines with irregular traffic, it is difficult for an operator to make the economics work. In our elongated and often sparsely populated country, it is therefore necessary to procure different types of traffic.

Lina Edström at SJ said the following to SVT when the news was presented a month ago: "Our hope is that the traffic on this section will be tendered, but we have not received any support for that. We wish that Trafikverket and the government choose to review it again."

I began by politely saying that I thanked the Minister for the answer to my rather direct question on how the Minister would act to ensure that the night train traffic to Jämtland can continue. But I do not believe that any of those who are looking at the answer now, and who have signed the appeal to channel a frustration that the government is not listening, can understand the answer.

Actually, this boils down to the following: Trafikverket performs mapping of the accessibility between different parts of the country, looks at how much is in the budget, and procures when it is needed. But since there is functioning rail traffic between Gothenburg and Stockholm, no rail procurement was needed.

I understand that the Minister for Infrastructure cannot answer in any other way. For it was stated in black and white in yesterday's budget that the government allocates 194 million less to Trafikverket than what has been requested to procure traffic.

Centerpartiet understands in its soul that it is absolutely crucial that one can travel in a reasonable way through the entire country. Where there are rails, they shall be used. The night trains are irreplaceable on the long distances. Therefore, we want Trafikverket to procure the routes Gothenburg-Duved and Gothenburg-Umeå. And of course, we allocate funds in our budget to ensure that this happens. Of course, we will ensure that the train traffic during the nights between Stockholm and Duved will continue even after next year.

Furthermore, we want to achieve a functioning infrastructure throughout the country with investments in road maintenance, that work on main lines is resumed, that investments are made in necessary tracks for industry, and that the government immediately appoints an infrastructure commission so that we, between the parties, jointly take responsibility for ensuring that flights, trains, roads, and boats function. People must be able to rely on that travel works. It is important for families and for all types of companies and entrepreneurs.

I am again posing my question to the Minister: In what way will the Minister act to ensure that the night train traffic to Jämtland can continue in a reasonable manner?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kalle Olsson (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist for an important interpellation. This debate concerns SJ's decision to stop running night trains on the route between Gothenburg and Jämtland. But it is not possible, the day after the budget bill was submitted, to ignore that in the budget for next year, funds are lacking to fully finance the state transport agreements, which, among other things, threatens the popular and important route between Stockholm and Jämtland.

We are therefore no longer talking about just one discontinued night train route, but the risk is imminent that we are talking about two. Here I expect an answer from the Minister. The Minister must reasonably have had an idea of what should happen when the requested funds are not provided, just as the S-led government once in time had an idea when a targeted investment was made to specifically save the night trains.

The news that SJ is stopping operations on the Jämtland-Gothenburg route hit like a bomb here in my constituency. Almost as great was the surprise when the Minister, shortly thereafter, brushed aside the question of what the government can do to save the traffic. The ease with which the Minister dismissed the question stands in sharp contrast to the fighting spirit that many Jämtlanders and others have shown since then. As we heard here, it is well over 70,000 people who have signed the appeal to save the night trains.

In the now revived Facebook group Nattåget Jämtland, Anna-Karin Johansson captures the feeling that she, I, and many others feel. Anna-Karin writes: "We have worse service in so many ways up here in the countryside. We also pay taxes and have desires. We want to be able to travel so that tourists, relatives, and friends can get here in a simple way."

Madam Speaker! In 2024, we should not be closing railway lines in our country; instead, we should be opening new, better, and faster railway lines to connect Sweden and to meet the need for sustainable transport.

The whole mess with the night trains shows how a systemic failure has spread, how short-term economic interests are allowed to trump much larger and more important societal interests, and how politics withdraws when it is needed most of all. It becomes even more so when we talk about SJ being a fully state-owned company. There are absolute reasons to ask what SJ is doing to make more people want to travel on their night trains. Stepping into a night train compartment is a bit like stepping into a time machine and traveling back in time. But SJ is, as said, not just any company, but it is all of Sweden's railway company, and it is the government that ultimately is responsible for how the company operates and acts.

From a Jämtland perspective, it is clear that we are moving further and further away from the transport policy goals that speak of a socio-economically efficient and long-term sustainable transport supply throughout the country. Where is the socio-economic efficiency in cutting off Jämtland from the rest of the country? Where is the sustainability in removing the climatically superior best option, the train, for long-distance travel in our country?

Madam Speaker! Many of us are wondering and are concerned: In addition to the withdrawn night train to Jämtland, can the people of Jämtland also expect the night trains from Stockholm to disappear? What was the Minister's idea when he chose not to provide the funds that Trafikverket requested in order to be able to continue running, among other things, the night trains between Stockholm and Jämtland?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I want to thank the members for their commitment to a matter of great importance. Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist brings up Linnéa Granqvist's commitment with 75,000 signatures. I will meet Linnéa later in the month to speak with her and receive this petition. I view the commitment positively.

I still want to repeat what I said about another actor, Snälltåget, investigating the possibility of operating night train traffic between Gothenburg and Jämtland on a commercial basis. It is a welcome initiative. We do not yet know the outcome of the investigation that the company is carrying out right now, but it indicates that the route is not uninteresting for operating night train traffic on a commercial basis. It is, of course, something that I will follow closely in the continued work that the individual company does.

Questions regarding SJ's decisions and SJ's operational activities are something for SJ to answer. SJ operates on commercial grounds in a deregulated railway market, and it is not my responsibility as Minister to have views on which business decisions the company makes.

The members know that the budget bill is the result of extensive budget negotiations. Even though no additional funds have been added in this year's budget, there are already, through previous decisions regarding the budget bill for 2022, more than 1 billion kronor to finance the state's transport agreements for 2025, which is 48 million kronor more than for 2024. I want it to be known to the members in the discussion on the budget for the procured transport.

Regarding the procured transport, Madam Speaker, it is Trafikverket that has been tasked with the responsibility for the state's agreements regarding interregional public transport that is transport-politically justified, including air traffic that is not maintained under another regime and where the conditions for commercial operation are lacking. But I note that there is now a company probing the conditions for operating night train traffic on a commercial basis.

The announcement that I have given today, which the member implies is a death blow, is that we are following this investigation. We see how the development will continue, and we place great value on the commitment that exists. It is important with a transport system that holds together and where one can travel to different parts of the country.

I think it is positive that Member of Parliament Thand Ringqvist raises the importance of aviation. I note her concern regarding the change that two airlines, SAS and Bra, have announced this week. It is, of course, something that the government is also following, but it is too early to draw conclusions at this stage. We need to analyze this and see what the plans mean for domestic flights before we can draw any conclusions. But it is, of course, important to also follow that development.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Madam Speaker! I understand that Minister Carlson finds it difficult to give a concrete answer to the question, and I know that the Minister cares that all of Sweden should live. But the Minister has a government that does not want to move from words to action and that does not have the ability to prioritize the actually small means that are needed for this decisive artery to function.

SJ previously commented earlier this autumn that half of the passengers on the night trains to and from Jämtland travel in the carriages that so far are operated from and to Gothenburg. But the line is nevertheless unprofitable!

I can understand that it is difficult to get the finances on track when SJ cannot release tickets in time because Trafikverket does not have a handle on when the track works are completed.

The following was stated to be read on SJ's website last autumn: Normally SJ releases its winter tickets at the end of September, but due to a delayed train schedule from Trafikverket, it has not been so this year. But now SJ announces that passengers can start booking their December trips from November 9. At that time, tickets are released for the period December 11 up to and including March 12.

Six weeks before Christmas and New Year, it was therefore not possible to book a night train. It is clear that the basis and the profitability of a line are affected by the fact that the bookings become so poor.

It would not have been better in the spring, because it stated as follows: Monday, June 3, we plan to release the departures for the period June 19 to 27.

So it was 16 days in advance that one was informed whether it was even possible to book trains. And today, there are no dates for when it will be possible to book tickets for Christmas and New Year.

I know this because I travel back and forth to Åre continuously.

This type of foresight makes it difficult to choose the train when planning a long journey or even to see Jämtland as an option for one's leisure or business trip.

The Minister explained that there are functioning lines between Gothenburg and Stockholm on commercial grounds. This appears to be one of the reasons for restricting the night trains from Gothenburg up to Duved.

Those who have tried to book a night train from Stockholm to Östersund/Åre/Duved or from these destinations to Stockholm during the season - and the season is now autumn, winter, and summer - know that it is completely impossible unless one is out very far in advance, which is difficult when there is no timetable to book on because Trafikverket provides such poor forecasts.

Against this background, it is completely incomprehensible how it is supposed to work that twice as many people are to fit on the trains running towards Jämtland during the nights.

It is very good that the management of Snälltåget is investigating whether it is possible to run, but they have said one to two night trains a week from Gothenburg during the peak season. It will not help everyone who lives and works in Jämtland to succeed with that.

In what way does the Minister assess that the night train traffic should function at all for everyone who wants to take the train to Östersund and the Jämtland mountains?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kalle Olsson (S)

Madam Speaker! This is truly a gloomy debate. I hear the Minister say that he places great value on the commitment that exists in this issue. It does exist, but commitment does not finance railway lines. It requires the government to perform in the budget, which it has not done. 200 million is missing, and Trafikverket has been crystal clear about what the consequences will be if these funds do not arrive.

The shutdown of the night train traffic falls into a trend. We in Jämtland have had to get used to continuously deteriorating communications to and from the county. Yes, it hits our industries, not least the tourism industry. But it is not just about our ability to transport people to and from our ski resorts, but about our opportunities, the opportunities for those of us who actually live in the inland of Norrland to travel and have connections with the rest of the country in a reasonable way. There is something very fundamental in this. This debate is not about flashy high-speed trains or sleek electric aviation, but about our opportunities to get ourselves to Sweden's largest and second-largest city.

The government knows very well what the consequences will be if more funds are not provided, which is not being done. Trafikverket has been clear – the night trains between Stockholm and Jämtland are then at risk. Still, you choose to do it. Stand up for your policy, Andreas Carlson! Stop hiding behind Trafikverket, and stand up for the priorities that you have made!

Speaking of priorities, we have just received a budget on the floor of the Riksdag. In it, there are 30 billion in tax cuts for next year. 30 billion! In that context, the Transport Administration has requested quite modest sums to secure traffic.

Does the Minister for Infrastructure really think it is a reasonable priority to significantly worsen the communications to and from Jämtland while throwing billions upon billions at the very richest?

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Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I actually want to thank Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist for touching upon one of the fundamental problems regarding the reliability of the Swedish railway traffic, namely that it has been very neglected for a long time. There has been neglected maintenance. There has been neglect in terms of providing foresight to the train operators. This is largely due to the fact that for decades, what was required to maintain the railway and also the roads has not been done.

That Trafikverket had difficulty providing train plans in time last autumn was also due to circumstances regarding a new train timetable system, MPK. That has been rectified now. They are working very closely with the industry to provide better lead time that meets the requirements of the legislation and the entire directive, but one can expect better lead time. I personally am not satisfied with a lead time that meets the requirements of the legislation. One could expect even longer lead time, just as the member is suggesting. But that presupposes that we have a robust and reliable infrastructure at the base and that track work is carried out in a way that disturbs traffic as little as possible.

There were proposals from the previous alliance government, which both of our parties were part of, that more consideration should be given to time in tracks. There were proposals in investigations that were on the previous government's table, but they were rejected.

Not enough was done ten years ago to achieve better functioning maintenance of the railway. It is the fundamental problem with foresight and that maintenance work should take as little time as possible.

Then we come back to what Kalle Olsson says – that it is not about fancy high-speed trains. It does in some sense, Madam Speaker. One has chosen fancy high-speed trains and large projects that have been planned far into the future instead of prioritizing the upgrading of existing railways so that one can have good lead time for booking tickets and provide good conditions for the operators who run traffic on an infrastructure that in large parts is over 100 years old and has very large maintenance needs.

The decision that the government made to cancel the plans for new trunk lines for high-speed trains meant, according to the National Audit Office, a saving of 163 billion kronor in the cancellation of future plans. At the same time, we have a maintenance debt for the railway of just over 90 billion kronor.

So, it is indeed about what priorities one has made. This has not emerged from a vacuum, but it is a consequence of infrastructure being deprioritized by previous governments. We are changing that now. We are moving from words to action. We are increasing the infrastructure framework by approximately 200 billion kronor. It is the largest investment in infrastructure in modern times.

This will mean that during the planning period we can reclaim all deferred maintenance on the roadside, which is a pressing issue for the whole country, not least in Jämtland. This Kalle Olsson and I know, as we have debated this issue previously. We who have traveled on the roads in Jämtland have seen what the condition of them is, so it is an important part.

That the maintenance of the railway is also being prioritized now and that we, so to speak, maximize how much can be spent on railway maintenance, I also believe is a welcome announcement. The situation we are in now, however, is not something that has arisen out of a vacuum, but it is a consequence of the infrastructure having been deprioritized. We are changing this now so that people can rely on the railway in Sweden.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist (C)

Madam Speaker! My point in describing how difficult it was to book a trip last year was to say that it must have been a bad year, given how difficult it was to book. To make decisions about closures and say that the railway line is not profitable is incomprehensible. One should at least have an average year to understand this.

Then it sounds like there are enormous costs. It is difficult to know, because SJ has not described exactly how much loss has been incurred, but we can make a comparison with the subsidy that today lies on the night train between Stockholm and Östersund, Åre, and Duved. It is 20 million, so it is perhaps 20 or 30 million that would be needed even for Gothenburg. These are sums that are reasonably small in proportion to the enormous value they contribute to, in order to make a part of the country that is far away function well.

I repeat that Centerpartiet wants Trafikverket to procure Göteborg-Duved and Göteborg-Umeå, and in our budget we will of course allocate the funds needed for this to occur. We will also of course fight to ensure that the night trains, which have often been threatened even from Stockholm to Östersund, Åre and Duved, will continue to run.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I would like to thank you for this debate.

Regarding the member's comment that the decision from SJ is incomprehensible, it is, as said, SJ that must answer that. A decision has been made on commercial grounds and based on its own business analysis. It does not fall to an individual minister to comment on this.

Regarding the way forward, I, as I said, place great value on the commitment and thank you for it. It will be interesting to see the different parties' budget motions. It is Trafikverket that assesses which train traffic should be tendered to create good accessibility between the different parts of the country, and I assume that the agreements signed do not affect commercial traffic more than necessary.

I have, Madam Speaker, been involved in the fact that there is another company that is now probing and investigating the possibility of operating night train traffic between Gothenburg and Jämtland. We do not yet know what the outcome will be, Madam Speaker, but this indicates in any case that it is not uninteresting to test the possibility of operating night train traffic on a commercial basis.

Before it is clear what the investigation leads to, I do not intend to comment further than that, but we are, of course, following the developments. I will also meet Linnéa Granqvist in a few weeks and receive the petition that many have signed.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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