The inspection of the stopped X2000 trains is going faster than expected – SJ expects that some of the trains can return to service in the middle of next week.
– We are very confident about the Christmas traffic, says SJ’s press communicator Martina Nord.
SJ has stopped nine express trains of the X2000 model since another X2000 train with the same type of wheels was damaged on its journey between Stockholm and Gothenburg last Thursday.
The stop has led to canceled departures on the routes between the metropolitan regions. The affected train has too extensive damage to quickly return to service, but as soon as the remaining nine trains have been inspected, they can be put back into service, according to SJ.
– The inspections are going faster than expected, which is very positive. This means that the trains that have been inspected will be able to be out in traffic in the middle of the week, says Martina Nord.
SJ expects that the Christmas traffic will not be affected to any great extent by the stopped X2000 trains, but will have a better forecast on Monday.
– Saturday is our big travel day, there are still quite a few days left. If we get the traffic going as planned on Wednesday, according to how it has been planned before, it looks good, says Nord.
In total, eleven X2000 trains are to be inspected in addition to the twelfth that was damaged on Thursday, but two of them were already taken out of service as they are undergoing maintenance. The inspection of the latter trains therefore does not lead to disturbances in traffic, according to SJ.