Setback for night train traffic to Norrbotten

Trafikverket (Swedish Transport Administration) announces today that Norrbotten will be served by one night train in the future, instead of the current two. This means that one line will operate Stockholm–Narvik with one train in each direction per day, while the other line will operate Stockholm–Umeå in the same way.

“We are thus losing one of our important night train lines, which is clearly a cold shower for the development of the hospitality sector in Norrbotten,” says Annika Fredriksson, CEO of Swedish Lapland Visitors Board.

“As the number of guests in the county steadily increases every year, this decision goes in the opposite direction and reduces the possibilities to meet the increased demand from the county’s visitors.”

The new arrangement will take effect on April 13, 2026, within the current agreement with SJ (Swedish Railways). It is still unclear what night train traffic to Norrbotten will look like after 2030, when the new train carriages begin to be delivered.

“Business investments require long-term planning and reliability in national public transport,” says Oskar Hederyd, Strategic Partner Manager, Swedish Lapland Visitors Board, and continues:
“For the past eight years, tourism companies have pointed out travel to and from the county as one of the biggest obstacles to development.”

“Now begins the tough work of managing the consequences of this decision. We are doing this in collaboration with Region Norrbotten’s development unit, the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, the county’s municipalities, and the hospitality sector,” says Annika Fredriksson.

Read Trafikverket’s press release here.