Ultimate Guide to Sweden Railway
Sweden is the fifth largest European country in Europe and the largest country in Northern Europe. The territory of Sweden is long from north to south. If you start from the southernmost point of Sweden and travel south as long as the territory of Sweden, you will reach Italy. The Swedish railway network is well-developed and covers almost all large and small cities. The railway connects the north and the south. The southern end of the railway can reach Copenhagen, Denmark, and the northern end can reach Navik, Norway. The Swedish train is suitable for passengers who value comfort and speed. Even if it snows, the train will operate as usual. Whether it is traveling between the capital Stockholm, the second largest city Gothenburg, the third largest city Malmo and the Swedish Lapland area, the train can be said to be good. Travellers explore Sweden's most convenient and efficient means of transportation.
SJ X2000 High Speed Train
Railway map of Finland and Sweden
Railway Operators
Most of the Swedish railways are operated by the state-owned company SJ, and passengers almost only take SJ trains. Other major operators include MTR Express, Vy Tåg AB, Pågatågen and Snälltåget. Therefore, compared to most European countries, the Swedish railway network is very simple, making it easier for passengers to buy tickets, ride a ride or use coupons.
Sweden Statens Järnvägar (SJ)
SJ is the largest railway company in Sweden, providing services in cities of all sizes and is the railway company most frequently used by passengers. Its customer service is very complete. Passengers can check with SJ via phone, email, Facebook, Twitter, official website real-time chat and official forum. Passengers can apply to SJ for refunds and compensation in case of train delays. If you take a long-distance route (more than 150 kilometers), the train delay can get 25% of the fare compensation within 60 minutes, and 50% of the fare compensation within 120 minutes. If you take a short-distance route (less than 150 kilometers), the train delay can get 50% of the fare compensation within 20 minutes, 75% of the fare compensation within 40 minutes, and 100% of the fare within 60 minutes. Compensation. In addition, all of the above situations can claim for reasonable food, accommodation and alternative transportation expenses.
Snälltåget
Snälltåget is a smaller railway company in Sweden. It provides services in southern cities at a cheaper fare than SJ. The main route passes through Malmö, Stockholm, Jönköping and Norrköping. The trains have meal cards, day trains and some night trains offer free Wi-Fi, and most trains have power sockets.
First Class
MTR Express
MTR Express operates intercity trains between Gothenburg and Stockholm, providing 90 train services per week, which is more punctual than SJ.
Free Wi-Fi is provided, and first-class seats are used throughout the train.
The basic ticket is FIX, upgrade to FLEX ticket to reserve a seat and refundable service, and then upgrade to 1 CLASS PLUS ticket to provide free meals (including food and drinks), room service, additional seats (adjacent seats) and free newspapers.
Types of Trains
High Speed Train - X2000、X3000
The X2000 and SJ 3000 trains are high-speed trains operated by SJ. The trains run smoothly and quietly, with speeds of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour. Starting from Stockholm, take the X2000 train and travel around Sweden so that you can arrange your itinerary easily. Since it is not possible to build a straight line, Sweden has adopted a special design. This technology has been very successful. Therefore, railways from all over the world have followed suit. You must take a ride when you come to Sweden!
The main destinations of Sweden's X2000 and SJ 3000 trains are Stockholm, Gothenburg and Copenhagen.
The following are popular routes：
- Stockholm – Gothenburg 3:08
- Stockholm – Falun 2:41
- Stockholm – Malmo 4:41
- Stockholm - Sundsvall 3:34
First Class
Spacious carriages and seats. Free 4G WiFi, can be connected to the multimedia platform MediaPortal to read hundreds of magazines, children's books and listen to music. Free coffee, tea and fruit are provided throughout the journey. You can use the Swedish Railway waiting rooms at Stockholm Central Station and Gothenburg Central Station. First-class premium service (additional payment): three-course dishes, delivered to your seat. Passengers who depart before nine o'clock in the morning can enjoy free breakfast.
Second Class
Comfortable seats. Food and beverages can be purchased in the dining car. Free 4G WiFi, can be connected to the multimedia platform MediaPortal to read hundreds of magazines, children's books and listen to music.
InterCity, IC
X40 is one of the regional trains/intercity trains operated by SJ. It is a rare double-decker train in Sweden. It is convenient for you to enjoy the scenery during the journey. The speed can reach 200 kilometers (125 miles) per hour. As not all regional/intercity trains use X40 trains, if you have the opportunity to take X40, remember to choose the upper seat on the train. The main stations includeStockholm、Linköping、 Västerås、Göteborg and Uppsala。
The first and second class facilities of this train are roughly the same as those of the SJ high-speed train, but there is no dining car
Rc Locomotive
Rc Locomotive is another regional train/intercity train operated by SJ, which can reach a speed of 160 kilometers (100 miles) per hour. The carriages are designed in the 1980s. This train is very suitable for the whole family to travel together. Some of the food cards in the train have children's playgrounds, where children can play the role of the train captain. The main stations include cities of various sizes.
The first-class and second-class carriages of this train are roughly the same as the SJ high-speed rail facilities and services except for seating comfort and space. Please note that this train does not provide Wifi, but there is still a dining car.
Night Train (Nattåg)
Nattåg is a sleeper train operated by SJ. A comfortable sleeper train is the best way to travel long distances. The train provides various facilities to meet the needs of passengers. The train has second-class compartments, six-person rooms, three-person rooms, three-person compartments and first-class one-person compartments. The main routes include Stockholm-Navik, Gothenburg-Luleå, Stockholm-Malmo. When purchasing tickets, passengers should note that there may not be sleeping berths in some sections of the itinerary, especially those that require transfers. In addition, sleeper trains do not provide Wi-Fi and have dining cars. In addition, due to the large number of passengers in the car, the food on the car is generally sold out quickly.
Only a few sleeper trains are equipped with Private sleeping compartment 1 Class for 1 person. Bed sheets, pillows, blankets, duvets and duvet covers are provided. The compartments are equipped with private showers, toilets, washbasins, towels and soap, and are equipped with electrical outlets. Luggage can be placed under the lower bed or luggage rack, free breakfast (only for passengers who arrive at the destination between 6:30 and 9:00 in the morning, can use SJ Lounge in stations such as Stockholm C, Göteborg C and Malmo C
You can choose either male or female for Bed in sleeping compartment 2 Class. Bed in sleeping compartment 2 Class triple room / Private compartment 2 Class triple room is provided with sheets, pillows and blankets, with a sink and equipped with power sockets. Luggage can be placed under the lower bed or luggage rack, and the shower and toilet are located outside the room.
You can choose male/female/mixed for Bunk in couchette 2 Class. There are 6 beds. The bathroom and luggage storage are in the corridor, blankets, pillows and sheets are provided
Sight-seeing Train in Sweden
Arctic Circle Train (SJ) Kiruna, Sweden to Navik, Norway (Lapland)
In Lapland you will have the opportunity to see the midnight sun, eternal night, and northern lights. Kiruna is also a place to experience snowmobiles, dog sledding, chasing the aurora at night, and even camping to enjoy the aurora BBQ group and snow day hiking activities. It is also the location of the northernmost airport in Sweden.
Recommend you to the famous ice hotel near Kiruna, Ice Hotel, try to see how it feels to sleep on an ice bed for a night. In this coastal town, also take part in whale watching tours, you will have the opportunity to observe them up close.
Visit the tranquil fjord city of Norway in Narvik, overlook the snow-capped mountains and spectacular fjords, and visit the local fish market.
Other attractions include Abisko Aurora Station and Björkliden Ski Resort.
Train Types
Sweden Railway Tickets
According to different types of tickets, there are paper tickets and electronic tickets.
Types of Tickets
Eurail Sweden Pass
Eurail Sweden Rail Pass/Pass holders can take unlimited trains, eliminating the cumbersome steps of buying and redeeming tickets multiple times, allowing you to travel easily to all large and small cities in Sweden. You can choose 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 days within 1 month, you can also choose first-class or second-class seats. It needs to be activated within 11 months after purchase. It is only for non-European residents and can be used at the railway station. And Eurail online activation.
- 1 adult can bring 2 children on the train, and children must be accompanied by an adult pass to use the child pass.
- Must present identification documents (such as passport) to use
- You can take SJ and Snalltaget
- Cannot take MTR express
Discount of Sweden Pass
- 15% discount for groups of 2 to 5 people, only one group pass will be issued, so you need to take the train together when traveling
- Passengers aged 27 or below can purchase the Youth Pass
- Children aged 4 to 15 can buy the pass at half price
- Free for children under 4 years old
Seat Reservation
Most Swedish trains require a seat selection when purchasing tickets. Therefore, when using this pass, if you plan to take a high-speed train or a sleeper train, you must pre-select a seat on the Eurail official website, and you need to pay about 4 to 10 yuan. USD handling fee. If you take a regional train, you do not need to reserve a seat first. We recommend that passengers go to the official website of Eurail to search for route requirements before travelling.
Point to Point Tickets
SJ Ticket
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Discount
Ticket prices are sorted from top to bottom, and from low to high. Concessionary tickets are provided to students, young people and children aged 25 or below, and senior citizens 65 or above. Students only accept the International Student ID ISIC, and do not accept student IDs from other countries. Tickets went on sale about 4 months ago. SJ's official website provides a price calendar for passengers to search for the cheapest ticket price and date
Non-Rebookable
Rebookable
You can change the frequency before departure, and you can get a refund of the full fare (deducted from the paid fee) to the passenger's SJ account, which can be used to purchase another ticket. If the price of the new ticket is higher than the account balance, the passenger needs to make up the difference.
Refundable
You can cancel your reservation and apply for a withdrawal before departure, and you can get a full refund of the fare (the paid fee will be deducted)
Last minute
It is only available to students, young people and children aged 25 or below, and senior citizens aged 65 or above. The last discounted tickets will be sold 24 hours before the train departure.
Snälltåget Point to Point Ticket
The earlier you buy the cheaper, all tickets can be upgraded to refundable tickets by adding 99 SEK at the time of ticket purchase. Before departure, you can send an email with the order number to snalltaget@snalltaget.se to cancel the ticket, and 75% of the fare will be refunded.
Students, young people and children aged 25 or below, and senior citizens 65 or above can receive a 19% discount.
Students only accept international student ID ISIC, not international student ID
MTR Express Point to Point Ticket
MTR Express offers a purchase cooling-off period. Passengers can cancel their reservations for free within 24 hours after purchasing a ticket, and receive a refund of all collected payments without any handling fees.
FIX (non rebookable)
FLEX (refundable)
- You can change the schedule and apply for a refund before departure
- Fully refundable car fare without any handling fee
1 Class Plus (refundable)
- You can cancel your reservation and apply for a refund before departure
- All received payments will be refunded without any handling fee
On Board
Find Seat
If you have a reservation, you need to find a designated seat, and the seat number is clearly posted on the side of the luggage rack located above the seat. If there is no reserved seat, feel free to find an empty seat. You can store your luggage on the shelf above the seat or the storage area at both ends of the train, but using these luggage areas, for safety reasons, unless you have a chain lock or you can easily see the luggage area, it is recommended to use the luggage rack above the seat .
Ticket Validation
Once the train starts to run for a period of time, the inspector will pass and ask for the ticket. If you have just boarded the bus, please show your ticket (or your passport if your pass requires proof of age or proof of residence). The inspector will punch or stamp and return it to you. Unless there is a staff change, you do not need to show it again during the trip. Some regions and local trains will not have inspectors, and the passengers on these trains are on the credit system. Before boarding these trains, you must purchase all tickets and reserve seats. Regular spot checks and high fines are imposed on people who do not have valid tickets.
Arriving
When the train arrives at the station, there will be a captain's announcement or an electronic display to announce the next station information. At some stations, the train only stays for one or two minutes. When the train enters your station, stand in front of a door. When the wheels stop, turn the handle on the door to automatically open the door.
