Response to interpellation 2024/25:678 on night trains
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 KD welcomes that several operators can conduct commercial long-distance passenger train journeys 1. 1 KD argues that the state should procure public transport where commercial operation is lacking 1. 2 KD emphasizes that the government is investing heavily in maintenance and investments to strengthen the infrastructure 2. 3 KD argues that it is not contradictory to the fact that night train traffic to Gothenburg has not been procured that they are working with Nordic cooperation for preparedness 3. 4 KD argues that Trafikverket has procured night train traffic between Stockholm and Jämtland as well as upper Norrland based on investigations and means 4. 4 KD argues that priorities are required for passenger traffic, commuting, and freight traffic to function 4. 5 S considers it unfortunate that the night trains between Gothenburg and Duved as well as Gothenburg and Umeå have stopped running 5. 5 S argues that these trains are important for the tourism industry and Sweden's preparedness 5. 6 S argues that the government stands passive when important connections are discontinued and that it is not reasonable to always have to pass through Stockholm 6. 7 S argues that current travel options with long waiting times and transfers make the night trains less attractive 7. 7 S argues that it is not possible to travel by train between Gothenburg and Jämtland because there are no trains between these places 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Åsa Karlsson has asked me whether I and the government will work towards a procurement of night trains between Göteborg and Duved and between Göteborg and Umeå and for a restart of this night train traffic, which is so important for Sweden's tourism and not least for Sweden's defense.
SJ AB has recently ceased operating the routes Göteborg–Duved and Göteborg–Umeå with night trains. I cannot account for the individual decision.
The basic prerequisite for long-distance passenger transport by rail in Sweden is that it shall be operated on commercial grounds. This is also in line with the EU's fourth railway package, which has been implemented in Swedish law. Sweden has been a pioneer in that area, which has led to the fact that there are today several operators for commercial long-distance passenger train journeys. This is a development that the government welcomes.
In some cases, there may be reason for the state to intervene in the otherwise open market for public transport. Trafikverket is tasked with entering into and being responsible for the state's agreements on interregional public transport that is justified by transport policy, including air traffic, which is not maintained in another capacity and where the conditions for commercial operation are lacking. Trafikverket is also tasked with procuring ferry traffic 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 that have been allocated in the state budget, Trafikverket has chosen to procure night train traffic between Stockholm and Jämtland and between Stockholm and upper Norrland.
Trafikverket, however, has not procured night train traffic to and from Gothenburg, citing that there are already connecting train connections operated on a commercial basis between Gothenburg and Stockholm. There are therefore possibilities to travel by night train between Gothenburg and Jämtland and between Gothenburg and Umeå, even if it involves a change in Stockholm.
In conclusion, I also note that Snälltåget AB will operate night train traffic between Gothenburg and Jämtland on a commercial basis during the summer of 2025.
Åsa Karlsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! The night trains have now stopped running between Gothenburg and Duved in Jämtland and between Gothenburg and Umeå in Västerbotten, my constituency. These are night trains that have tied northern Sweden together with Western Sweden. It is deeply unfortunate that these night trains have stopped running, not least for the tourism industry in Västerbotten and Jämtland.
The tourism industry is incredibly important for the business sector in these regions and should also be important for our government. The night trains are also important for Sweden's preparedness. The Defense emphasizes the importance of the night trains for the transport of, among other things, soldiers and military materiel. It is important that Trafikverket can procure traffic on routes that can be considered socially important but are not commercially profitable.
Mr. Speaker! I had another interpellation debate with the Minister on November 8. At that time, the debate was about the importance of infrastructure in sparsely populated areas. I would like to quote what the Minister said then:
"The government's starting point for infrastructure policy is that all of Sweden shall function. The conditions for living, residing, and working in the entire country shall be strengthened. Transport and travel are necessary for the whole society to function and develop. It is therefore important with good accessibility between the country's different parts."
This was the beginning of the response I received to my interpellation: that the whole country should be strengthened and that good accessibility between the country's different parts is important. Between the country's different parts cannot reasonably mean that one always has to pass through Stockholm to reach the country's different parts.
As I said, the Armed Forces also emphasize the importance of night trains for the transport of, among other things, soldiers and military materiel. They stress that this is very important.
The government has added funds in retrospect, but only after the trains have stopped running. One may wonder why the government did not act earlier.
In view of this, I would like to ask Minister Andreas Carlson: Will the Minister and the government work towards a procurement of these nationally important sections of the rail traffic in Sweden and for a restart of this night train traffic, which is so important for Sweden's tourism and not least for Sweden's defense?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! There are several parts to this. Just as the member says, we have allocated more funds. It is also important to strengthen the infrastructure in Sweden so that all of Sweden functions, so that the different parts of our elongated country – several parts are sparsely populated – shall be connected.
That is why the government is now investing very heavily in Swedish railways, particularly in maintenance but also in new investments for increased capacity. This year, 1,700 maintenance measures are being carried out, which is more than ever before. At the same time, we have over 1 million passenger trains in the railway system.
Then we have the question of competition on the tracks. The rail traffic to Jämtland is important for tourism. It has also been shown that Snälltåget has decided to operate the Göteborg–Jämtland route this summer.
The basic principles, which I perceive that the Social Democrats also stand behind, are that private train operators shall be able to operate on the Swedish railway. I noted this in a segment in Rapport this spring. I welcome that the Social Democrats see advantages with competition on the tracks. It is that trade-off that needs to be made against procured traffic, where it is not viable without the state stepping in and procuring traffic.
The example of Snälltåget, which has then decided to operate night train traffic on commercial grounds during the summer, is of course important to follow to see how the foundations of the Swedish railway legislation function and also to see how the fourth railway package is implemented.
We are following this very closely. I do not see that it stands in contrast to what I have previously said. On the contrary, the state has a very important task to now catch up on the gigantic maintenance need and the maintenance debt that exists regarding the Swedish railway. The maintenance debt increased for a long time on the railway side, not least during the last two planning periods.
Now we are breaking the destructive trend of neglect regarding maintenance. We do this partly by investing in basic maintenance at a level that means the railway is no longer progressively degraded, and partly by increasing Trafikverket's capacity for execution. We also strengthen the supply of competence through a special assignment to Trafikverket.
It is of course important to continue to see how the travel possibilities between Gothenburg and Umeå and Jämtland respectively function. It is not in contradiction to the fact that we are now making enormous investments so that one can rely on the railway and on refurbishing the Swedish railway.
As I said in my answer, the SJ train goes via Stockholm. There are direct trains that Snälltåget operates this summer. There are also other modes of transport that connect the country, for example air traffic. We do not pit different modes of transport against each other. It is also important there to see how the transition in all modes of transport can be accelerated so that one can travel to different parts of the country, live in different parts of the country, and visit family and friends in different parts of the country in a safe, accessible, and sustainable way.
Åsa Karlsson (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! It is important with all our modes of transport and that they can be coordinated, so that we get the best infrastructure solutions possible. That is something we completely agree on.
Let me return to the Government's response to the interpellation that we are debating today. The Government said in its statement: "In some cases, there may be reason for the state to intervene in the otherwise open market for public transport. Trafikverket is tasked with entering into and being responsible for the state's agreements and transport-politically justified interregional public transport, including air traffic, which is not maintained under another regime and where the conditions for commercial operation are lacking."
But that is not what the government is doing now. The government stands passive when important train connections are being shut down. The policy that Sweden's government pursues does not create growth for the tourism industry in Jämtland. Nor does it create the conditions for the Armed Forces to travel between different parts of the country.
It becomes clear when the government does not want to invest in things that strengthen the tourism industry. The government also does not want to invest in night trains from a defense perspective. It is deeply regrettable that important train connections are not maintained.
In the geopolitical situation we find ourselves in now, with full-scale war in Sweden's vicinity, there must be solutions for important transports between northern Sweden and western Sweden without them having to pass through Stockholm. We need redundancy and alternative routes. It is not reasonable to always have to pass through Stockholm, where it is already crowded on the tracks, when it involves a detour so that the travel time is extended. Furthermore, it involves transfers with waiting times, and this reduces the attractiveness of the night trains.
The rail routes between Gothenburg and Umeå, with the connection to Finland, and between Gothenburg and Duved, with the proximity to Norway, are incredibly important from a defense perspective. They are important not only for Sweden but also for Finland and Norway. Furthermore, all three countries are now members of Nato, which means that the importance of cooperation has increased.
Other countries are investing in night trains with regard to defense. Sweden should also be able to do so.
My question to the Minister is again, with this in mind: Will the government reconsider its position regarding night train traffic based on its importance for tourism and for defense in the new geopolitical situation that Sweden now finds itself in?
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Nordic cooperation is very close and very vital. It is highly prioritized by the Swedish government as well as by the Danish government, the Finnish government, and the Norwegian government. We governments have tasked our agencies to enter into a memorandum of understanding in a group called NTPC, Nordic Transport Preparedness Cooperation. There are many abbreviations when it comes to this type of issue. But it is fundamentally based on a cooperation that Sweden and Finland have had for many years, which in turn is based on a joint planning system that Sweden has developed for freight transport also to identify peacetime bottlenecks. It is important from a preparedness point of view.
Now we are working together. Trafikverket is the authority leading the work from the Swedish side. Work is being done with Finland and Norway, not least when it comes to the east-west connections in that part. But it is of course also highly topical for Finland regarding the connections to the south on the Swedish side, because the Finnish border to the east is cut off for very natural reasons. This is therefore prioritized to the highest degree.
It is not contrary to the fact that Trafikverket has chosen not to procure night train traffic on a specific section. It does not mean, Madam Speaker, that all night train capacity is being phased out. It is obviously important that there is track capacity, redundancy, and robustness in the Swedish railway, as well as carriages that could be quickly repurposed and used for troop movements and also for mobile hospitals.
I have personally been to Kyiv on two occasions since the outbreak of the war, and there I was on board just such a train. Minutes after those injured from the front were evacuated and unloaded from the train carriages, I got to board and see how well they functioned to save people's lives. These are transports that literally save lives.
In that cooperation with Ukraine, they want to learn more from us about how to build robust railways, but I believe that we also have very much to learn from our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. It is approximately 100,000 people since the outbreak of the war who have been transported in this way in train carriages. These can be sitting carriages and night train carriages that are quickly converted to be able to transport injured persons in such a situation.
We need to discuss this together in this chamber, of course. It is something I often return to in dialogue with the members of the Committee on Transport and Communications and the Chairman of the Committee on Transport and Communications. It is important that we have a broad consensus on this. I feel that we have that.
Regarding the specific question that the member has asked, Madam Speaker, I have pointed out which assessments Trafikverket has made regarding procured traffic in just this case. But it is not in opposition to all the other measures that are now being taken. It is of at least importance to upgrade Swedish infrastructure and the maintenance of the Swedish railway, so that we have a robust railway both in peacetime and in a situation with high alert. A very intensive work is ongoing there.
Madam Speaker! As I said, there are a record number of maintenance works this year – 1,700 maintenance measures – being carried out on the Swedish railway so that it can be relied upon that there is availability and accessibility in our elongated country.
Åsa Karlsson (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answers!
Yes, that we have a maintenance debt and a capacity debt in terms of our railway, we can agree on that. Many governments, of many different colors, have had that debt prior to this one. But that is a debate that we can certainly have at other times. We have it continuously in the Transport Committee.
Now I shall return to this debate.
If I were to take the night train from Göteborg to Umeå tomorrow, departing at 20.18, the journey would take 15 hours and 7 minutes. It would involve two changes. First, there is a change in Stockholm before midnight, with a waiting time at the central station of just over 4 hours. Then there is another change waiting in Sundsvall. There are other alternatives, with both shorter and longer travel times. It depends on how many changes are needed – one or two – and on how long the waiting time will be when changing trains. There is a train journey that would take just over 13 hours, but then one only has eleven minutes to change trains. If one arrives with three children and a lot of luggage, that is short on time.
This does not feel so attractive. All the advantages of night trains disappear. One wants to be able to board a train, get a good night's sleep, and then wake up at a final destination. That is how the night trains should function.
If, on the other hand, I would like to take a night train from Göteborg to Jämtland or trains at all between Göteborg and Jämtland, that is not possible, because there are no trains between Göteborg and Jämtland now. They only run during the peak season and for five weeks during the summer.
I cannot say that I agree with all of the Minister's answers to my questions. But I would like to thank you for the debate. This is my last contribution in the plenum during this parliamentary session, so I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a very pleasant summer with relaxation and the opportunity to recharge the batteries before the next parliamentary session.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I thank you very much for this interpellation debate.
I have been involved in this. I still want to return to the conclusion of what I have said. It is Trafikverket that has the possibility to procure train traffic if commercial opportunities for operation are lacking. As a basis for those procurements, Trafikverket maps out the availability between different parts of the country. Based on those investigations, on the mandate the agency has, and on the funds that have been 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.
I have great respect for the fact that one can have different opinions about it, but this is a decision that Trafikverket has made based on the mandate it has.
I also think it is important that, when we discuss investments in Swedish railways and in Swedish infrastructure, we also see what is being done. There is a very large maintenance debt. I am the first to sign off on what Åsa Karlsson said about how it is several governments back in time that have a debt in this. But now we are addressing it and maximizing as much as possible – as much as can be implemented in practice. We are already seeing results in the sense that more measures are being carried out this year on the Swedish railway than ever before.
The reason I bring this up, Madam Speaker, is that it requires priorities. To now prioritize this, not only with budget funds but also with mandates, is a fundamental prerequisite for long-distance passenger transport on the railway to function, for work commuting to function, and for people to dare to rely on the railway when it comes to freight traffic.
I would like to thank Åsa Karlsson for this term and this parliamentary meeting. I appreciate the commitment, which often involves the rest of us in these interpellation debates. Thank you very much, and happy summer soon!
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.