Winter Weather Causes Train Cancellations for SJ
The ongoing winter weather is wreaking havoc on train traffic in Sweden, with 16 departures from the national train operator, SJ, being canceled on Monday due to the cold conditions – and there may be more to come.
“It is the weather that continues to challenge,” said SJ’s press communicator Jonas Olsson.
The affected trains run the routes between Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Umeå, impacting a total of 16 trains on three different lines. According to Olsson, the cold weather has led to a shortage of vehicles, as ice formation on the trains is causing delays in getting them out of the depots.
“It is winter now in all of Sweden. There is ice formation on the trains, which means that it takes longer to get them out of the depots. There are too few vehicles to run with all the departures and that means we need to cancel,” explained Olsson.
When asked about the risk of more canceled departures in the coming week, Olsson stated, “It cannot be ruled out. Winter came very early and it has been very cold. But now it looks like the weather will be a little milder ahead. I think it will have a positive effect on traffic. Now the travel volumes also go down when it is the end of the Christmas holidays, so there are trains to rebook.”
Passengers affected by the cancellations are advised to rebook their trips, as the end of the holiday season is expected to bring a decrease in travel volumes. Nevertheless, the potential for further disruptions due to the continuing inclement weather remains a distinct possibility.