There was no carriage on SJ’s train – children were not allowed to travel

Sack, 14, and Seb, 15, were to take the night train from Ljusdal to Kungsbacka last Friday.

But so far they have not come forward.

– We were stuck in Sundsvall for two days. We were supposed to change trains, but our carriage was not included and therefore we were not allowed to get on, says Sack.

Sack Helsing, 14, and Seb Helsing, 15, were to travel home on SJ’s train from Ljusdal to Kungsbacka on Friday, with a stop in Sundsvall to change night trains at 00:14.

But on the platform in Sundsvall, the boys learned that their carriage was not connected to the night train.

– We were supposed to change trains, but our carriage was not included and therefore we were not allowed to get on. We had not received any information about it before. They just told us to call customer service to see if we could get a hotel room,” Sack said.

The train then left the platform, while the boys remained in Sundsvall – in the middle of the night, with neither accommodation nor transport from there.

Got help from a relative

Seb and Sack then contacted their mother Johanna Helsing and bonus father Kim Granström, who live in Kungsbacka.

– There was a 2.5 hour waiting time for SJ’s customer service. Luckily, my brother who lives in Timrå was able to go and pick them up, says Kim:

– I don’t understand how SJ could leave a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old alone in the middle of the night, and also not come out with any information that the carriage was not there before.

The boys were rebooked to a new train from Sundsvall at 00:14, a day later. But just hours before departure, they learned that that train had been cancelled.

– We had to call customer service again to get information. Back then, the queue was 3.5 hours long, says Kim Granström.

He also says that he wants to draw attention to the incident so that no more children will suffer something similar when they travel with SJ.

– It should be a direct violation of the law to leave children alone like that, and above all on a Friday night. What would we have done if no one could pick them up?

Stuck on a replacement bus – hoping to get home

Sack and Seb got to spend another night with Kim’s brother. In the end, they were rebooked onto a new train at 08.41 on Sunday morning.

This time they had to go with the train. When Aftonbladet has contact with them, they are instead stuck on a replacement bus somewhere between Sandviken and Borlänge.

– Our train has stopped due to an error further on. We are waiting for a replacement bus now that will go to Borlänge. We hope we will be home soon, says Sack on Sunday afternoon.

Bonus dad Kim Granström says he intends to drive from Kungsbacka to pick up the boys.

– Again, there is no information from SJ. It is so regrettable. From the original destination, they have traveled 19 miles in 48 hours.

SJ: Children must never be left behind

Leila Fogelholm, communicator for SJ’s press call, says that new carriages have not been able to be changed on the trains in Sundsvall due to a traffic interruption between Bräcke and Östersund.

The traffic disruption occurred on Friday and is expected to last until Monday at 4 p.m., according to the Swedish Transport Administration.

– The carriages are usually switched on in Sundsvall, but right now they are on the other side of the traffic interruption and therefore have not been able to be switched on. Because it happened on the same day, the information did not get out to the travelers, she says.

But regardless of the reason behind a canceled trip, children must never be left alone on a platform, she continues.

She also says that SJ should investigate the incident with Sack and Seb.

– Our policy is clear: We never leave children alone, unless they have an adult on site to pick them up. We have given the staff information that anyone who wants to come along can do so anyway, even if the carts are not connected. Even if there are no seats on board, the staff must solve it, especially if it concerns children, she says.

– The alternative for adult travelers is to contact customer service. We know that it can be difficult to reach them right now as there are many callers, and in that case you can make an outlay to sleep in a hotel and then receive compensation from us for that, continues Leila Fogelholm.