The head of Sweden’s national rail operator, SJ, travelled to Oslo to launch a new, improved rail service between the Norwegian capital and Stockholm.
SJ has replaced its two daily InterCity trains with three return X2000 services, which will reduce travel times between the Scandinavian capitals from six to four-and-a-half hours.
Currently 1.4 million passengers fly between the two cities. SJ believes the faster services will lead to a 20 per cent increase in traffic along the corridor.
The first train departed from Oslo on August 10 to the fanfare of Norway’s infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket’s brass band. The route includes stops at Karlstad and Arvika.
In June, the future of the new service looked bleak as Jernbaneverket suddenly announced plans to close the route linking Lillestrom, Kongsvinger and the Swedish border for two-and-a-half years to carry out maintenance work. This programme has now been put back.
It should NOT even require 2 and 1/2 years to build that stretch of track. What precisely is going on? Are the unions in control, or does the state have control of it’s railways? Maybe they should bring in China to teach them how to build rail lines. The customers needs MUST come first, and short stretches can be given a slow order while the maintenance work is completed.