The problem with Easter traffic is due, according to SJ, to the fact that the Swedish Transport Administration is lagging behind with track work. This means that SJ does not receive information about which trains can run, which means that tickets are not released. The routes affected are primarily Stockholm – Gothenburg and Stockholm – Karlstad – Oslo.
A similar situation arose last Christmas and even then the reason was delayed track work and the introduction of a new digital system.
But Bengt Olsson opposes that the booking problems are solely the Swedish Transport Administration’s fault.
– There are a lot of tickets to book already now. All traffic to Malmö and Jämtland is ready. But the railway companies work differently, some work quickly and have already posted their summer tickets, others need more time to plan the traffic, he says.
Have other solutions
When SVT tries to book a trip with MTR on the Stockholm-Gothenburg route at Easter, there are several departures to book.
– We are also affected by the Swedish Transport Administration’s delayed announcement, but we have made sure to have other solutions, if necessary. Among other things, we can reschedule the train journey or deploy replacement buses, says Erik Söderberg, press manager at MTR.
For SJ, it is not a viable alternative.
– We have many more lines and more traffic. However, we have speeded up the process of getting staff and trains until we know which journeys are feasible, says Peter Krameus, press spokesperson at SJ.
By this weekend at the latest, the train companies will be informed about which trains will be able to run as planned.
Bengt Olsson cannot answer whether the same problem will arise this summer as well.
– The goal is to have 18 weeks in advance, but I cannot answer when we will achieve that, he says.
Here, Trafikverket’s Bengt Olsson explains how to solve the train chaos.
