Sweden’s rail system and Sveriges Jarnvag
There are few countries in the world that can compete with Sweden’s rail system. Run by Sveriges Jarnvag, the network is extensive, the trains fast and clean and the services are frequent. This makes getting to the capital city, Stockholm, from major Swedish cities a painless and pleasant experience. OK, so the train ticket prices aren’t exactly cheap, but the Swedish system is one that definitely works – other countries in Europe could learn a few tricks.
Fast trains and slow trains
Unlike just about every other country in Europe, there isn’t really such a thing as a fast train or a slow train. Even on the better systems, such as France’s SNCF, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn and Italy’s Trenitalia, there can be vast differences in the time taken to get from city to city. Intercity trains go fast along electrified lines, while regional ones trundle through at a snail’s pace. The difference between the two can often be hours.
High speed train lines and modern trains
This is not the case is Sweden, where – especially in the south of the country – nearly all of the train lines are high speed. The trains are also thoroughly modern, meaning that the difference in time between the fastest and slowest time between two cities is usually only a matter of a few minutes.
Train travel times to Stockholm from within Sweden
The following train times are the quickest direct services between Stockholm and other Swedish cities (plus Arlanda airport). That said, the slower ones aren’t much slower.
Train travel time from Arlanda Airport to Stockholm Centralstationen, Sweden: 0 hours 22 minutes on the Arlanda Express.
Train travel time from Gothenburg to Stockholm, Sweden: 3 hours 03 minutes from Goteborg Centralstationen.
Train travel time from Uppsala to Stockholm, Sweden: 0 hours 35 minutes..
Train travel time from Norrkoping to Stockholm, Sweden: 1 hour 16 minutes.
Train travel time from Orebro to Stockholm, Sweden: 1 hour 57 minutes.
Train travel time from Linkoping to Stockholm, Sweden: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Train travel time from Eskilstuna to Stockholm, Sweden: 1 hour 05 minutes.
Train travel time from Sundsvall to Stockholm, Sweden: 3 hours 19 minutes.
Train travel time from Gavle to Stockholm, Sweden: 1 hour 26 minutes.
Train travel time from Lund to Stockholm, Sweden: 4 hours 12 minutes.
Train travel time from Malmo to Stockholm, Sweden: 4 hours 26 minutes.
Train travel time from Karlstad to Stockholm, Sweden: 3 hours 10 minutes.
Train travel times to Stockholm, Sweden from Norway and Denmark
Stockholm can also be reached from its fellow Scandinavian capital cities – Oslo in Norway and Copenhagen in Denmark.
Train travel time from Oslo, Norway to Stockholm, Sweden: 6 hours 08 minutes
Train travel time from Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm, Sweden: 4 hours 56 minutes from Kastrup Lufthavn station at Copenhagen’s international airport.
David Whitley - I am a full time travel writer and specialise in Australia, Europe and the Caribbean. I have visited, on the current count, 83 countries. ...
