The night trains serving northern Sweden are worn out and really old, with some around 40 years old, according to officials. Trafikverket previously tried to procure new night trains but stopped the process because no bids met the requirements, but the agency has now succeeded in finding a solution in the new round. The Spanish company Talgo will manufacture 10 new locomotives and 91 carriages at a value of 5.5 billion kronor, with the new trains rolling in traffic from 2030. Trafikverket has made a so-called award to the Spanish train manufacturer Talgo, according to major media reports, and the trains will be used on night trains between Stockholm and Narvik. Rikard Granlund of Trafikverket stated that the new trains are required for minus 40 degrees Celsius. The exact timeline for delivery and testing before 2030 remains unspecified, and it is unclear how the new trains will improve reliability compared to current trains that have issues in cold weather.
Current 3-bed sleeper cars and 6-bed couchette cars will be phased out, officials said. The new trains will offer 4-bed compartments, premium compartments with two beds, and single-bed compartments, according to Rikard Granlund of Trafikverket.
In the new solution, the risk distribution is adjusted so Trafikverket takes greater responsibility for, among other things, the aged carriage fleet, according to Lennart Kalander of Trafikverket, as reported by major media. This gives bidders the conditions to submit competitive bids, Kalander noted. What specific requirements were not met in the previous procurement round has not been disclosed.
Trafikverket is responsible for state-procured traffic as a complement to create the greatest possible benefit within given economic frameworks when commercial traffic is insufficient on a certain route, major media reports indicate. Night trains between Stockholm and upper Norrland are an example of such state-procured traffic, and traffic on the route is important for residents, tourism, and business in Norrland, according to those reports.
Trafikverket recently halved night train traffic to Norrbotten, according to major media reports. The agency requires the operator to run at least one daily double trip Stockholm–Narvik and one daily double trip Stockholm–Umeå, sources said. How the reduction in night train traffic to Norrbotten will affect residents until the new trains are operational in 2030 is uncertain.
The award decision can be appealed for another ten days, officials confirmed.