Malin and partner stranded on Christmas Day • No replacement traffic • “We were desperate”
Malin Eneslätt and her partner had gone to Narvik to celebrate Christmas Eve together – but the Christmas celebration came to an abrupt end when the storm hit on Christmas Day. Their SJ train home to Luleå was canceled due to yellow and orange weather warnings – a stoppage that lasted a full five days.
– It was blowing really hard. I had never been involved in anything like this, says Malin Eneslätt to TV4 Nyheterna.
The couple were rebooked for another train the next day.
– It felt a bit messed up, but we thought it wasn’t a major disaster, says Malin.
But the next day they got word from SJ that the train wouldn’t run until New Year’s Eve.
– We were watching the Norwegian film “The Christmas Storm”, where tourists are stranded due to a storm, when we received a message from SJ that Saturday’s trip was canceled as well.
No replacement traffic
Despite the fact that the weather conditions improved slightly the following day, SJ chose not to deploy any replacement traffic.
– On Friday the weather got better, and on Saturday it was good. The ore trains, which evacuated the SJ staff, started running again, but the trains continued to be cancelled. It was quite frustrating that the trains did not run when the weather improved.
Had to pay six thousand kroner
The Luleå couple considered all possible options, such as flying home or taking the train via Norway, which would take two and a half days. They managed to find an available rental car – but the bill for the rental would end up at SEK 24,000 for four hours.
– We were desperate to get home from there and work and take care of our children, says Malin Eneslätt to TV4 Nyheterna.
During the time in Narvik, Malin had to spend SEK 6,000 for hotels and taxis, among other things. Finally, with the help of a taxi and a relative, the couple managed to get to a train station in Kiruna where the trains were running.
– We managed to get hold of a taxi that drove us nine miles to Abisko. A relative met us there and drove us to Kiruna.
Requires better handling from SJ
Malin says that she understands that the weather often makes it difficult on that route, but she expresses frustration that SJ could not offer more help than rebooking to the next train several days later.
– My partner lost two working days, and we are not getting compensation for that, she says.
Many foreign tourists were also affected by the situation.
– We met a couple from India who didn’t know how to get to Abisko to catch their flight home. Even we who are Swedes and speak the language were paralyzed by the situation.
SJ: “Safety comes first”
SJ’s press service states that safety must be put first.
– We always make a safety assessment, and in this case we made the decision together with the Swedish Transport Administration to cancel the train service due to the weather warnings, says Leila Fogelholm at SJ’s press service.
– It is a stretch that is very far from roads. We would not have been able to deploy replacement traffic, she continues.
SJ states that the trains are now running as usual and that the passengers will be compensated.