The summer's major track work is complete.
From today, trains will run as usual again. SJ hopes for fewer problems on the newly renovated tracks.
Train passengers around the country have in recent months had to endure longer travel times, more changes and fewer departures due to the Swedish Transport Administration carrying out extensive renovations to the railway network.
But now that's the end of it, SJ announces. The train company will resume full service on Monday.
– We expect a more robust track now and that the number of infrastructure failures should decrease, says Peter Krameus, communications strategist at SJ.
Regular traffic runs on the southern and western main lines, on the East Coast Line towards Sundsvall and on the lines in Mälardalen.
A track on the so-called wasp waist between Stockholm Central and Stockholm South was opened to traffic a week ago. Now both tracks are open, and the Stockholm South and Flemingsberg stations have been closed as replacements for Central Station – until next summer, when the wasp waist will close again.
A shutdown between Gävle and Söderhamn has also been completed.
This will mean that all SJ traffic north and south of Lake Mälaren will run according to the regular timetable and frequency. According to SJ, this means Stockholm–Gothenburg in under three hours, Stockholm–Malmö in under four and a half hours and Stockholm–Sundsvall in three and a half hours.
– Right now there are no more planned track works, says Peter Krameus.
Similar chaos is expected in Stockholm next summer. The bridge between the central station and the Old Town has reached its technical lifespan and must be renovated from scratch.
– This year, preparatory work has been done. The Wasp Midden will be closed for two more summers, maybe three, in the same way as this year.
Source: TT
