Over the weekend there have been major problems in train traffic, mainly in northern Sweden.
Departures have been canceled and trains have been delayed or replaced by buses. Stalls and stops, several times, hit Anna Behm, who was going to take the night train from Luleå to Stockholm.
– I’m not really a train person, but I wanted to set a good example and travel climate smart, says Anna Behm.
12 hours in Vindeln
Anna’s night train left Luleå at 21:17 on Friday. At 5 o’clock the next morning she woke up and thought that she would be there pretty soon.
– But then I see that I am in Vindeln. We hadn’t even arrived in Umeå. I just thought what the hell is going on here, she says to TV4 Nyheterna.
The information the travelers received was that a power line was broken, but there was no forecast. Time passed, and finally they had stood still in Vindeln, a small town outside Umeå, for 12 hours.
Taxi – train – bus – train
They were then informed that the train cannot continue. Instead, Anna had to pay for a taxi to Umeå, and bought a new ticket to get to Stockholm.
Then came a new announcement: total stoppage between Sundsvall and Hudiksvall. Then Anna and her fellow travelers had to drop off in Sundsvall. From there they had to hop on a replacement bus all the way down to Hudiksvall, and then hop on another train to Stockholm.
In total, the bumpy journey took 26 hours.
– In the end it wasn’t fun. You don’t feel completely fine after a trip like this. Incredibly tired and sad to have missed a whole day with my friends in Stockholm. But it was more difficult for others. Some could not afford to spend on food and taxis, says Anna.
Will the flight next time: “Embarrassing”
On the train were Canadian and French travelers going home. They missed their flights, says Anna.
– Train traffic in Sweden is a problem, according to me as a private person. And to show it to tourists who actually think they should be able to get through our country… then it’s a bit embarrassing that they can’t even get to their destination.
After giving trains a chance several times recently, Anna says that it will probably be flights next time.
– Who knows if I’ll take the train again. I have taken the train four times since August and every time there has been trouble. 26 hour train journey from Luleå to Stockholm, I could have made it to Las Vegas in that time.
SJ: “Was out of our control”
According to SJ’s press service, the major problems were due to the goods train that ran over a bus between Sundsvall and Hudiksvall, and was left waiting for the Swedish Transport Administration to ensure that it was removed. As well as a catenary fault north of Umeå.
– There have been huge problems in northern Sweden all weekend. It has been out of our control. These problems have affected the night trains in northern Sweden, but we have not been able to do anything about it and have been left to the Swedish Transport Administration to solve this, says Johannes Cleris, SJ press communicator.
The travelers will be compensated, says the press communicator.
TV4 Nyheterna is looking for the Swedish Transport Administration for a comment.