From April 13, SJ will operate only one night train between Stockholm and Narvik, with the other turning back in Umeå. Passengers traveling on the night train route Stockholm-Narvik and Narvik-Stockholm must change trains in Boden. On the northbound journey, passengers must get up at six in the morning and switch to a seated car, while on the southbound journey, the change occurs around 10 p.m. in the evening. This schedule disruption significantly impacts overnight travel convenience for passengers on this long-distance route.
The Swedish Transport Administration's decision has faced harsh criticism from multiple political parties. The Green Party in Norrbotten has started a train rebellion that has so far gathered about 12,250 signatures, and the Social Democrats are now also joining the criticism. The political backlash highlights growing public opposition to service reductions on key northern rail connections.
The Swedish Transport Administration explains that the interruption is due to train cars needing servicing in Luleå, which is affected by track work on the Malmbanan. Additionally, the administration no longer believes it can afford to operate traffic to the same extent as today because the Riksdag's appropriations have not been increased in line with cost increases during recent years. These budget constraints have forced difficult decisions about service levels across Sweden's rail network.
Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson stated that the contracted train traffic has become increasingly expensive to operate in recent years. The government is allocating 80 million kronor in this year's budget and 150 million kronor next year to address some of these financial challenges. However, these allocations may not fully compensate for the rising operational costs affecting night train services.
A prototype of the new night trains that will run from Stockholm up to Norrbotten was presented on Monday in the capital. Criticism has already emerged against, among other things, the length of the beds in the new night trains. This early feedback suggests that future night train improvements may face design challenges even as current services are being reduced.