Sweden: Railway Information

The Swedish Railways (SJ) and the private train companies Arlanda Express, Veolia, MerResor and Tågkompaniet will take you to the best places in Sweden. While travelling you can enjoy Sweden’s natural beauty. The train is also the most suitable way to meet Sweden’s friendly citizens. Quick and comfortable travel on modern trains will get you right to the heart of the city centres.

Swedish railway company

Logo Swedish Railways

The national railway company of Sweden is called SJ (State Railways - Statens Järnvägar).

Visit the website of the Swedish railway company SJ: English version / Swedish.

Swedish rail network

Sweden has an extensive railway network. Visitors travel smoothly and comfortably across the countryside on some of Europe’s most modern trains. Swedish rail moves between the major cities of Malmo, Helsingborg, Gothenburg and Stockholm every hour throughout the day. Take a look at the table of travel distances by train, offered by visitsweden.com.

You can reach Sweden by train from three countries:

  • Denmark: Trains depart from Copenhagen for Malmö every 20 minutes. The train goes over the Öresund Bridge and arrives in Sweden in less than 30 minutes. Furthermore direct trains (X2000) leave from Copenhagen to Stockholm.
  • Norway: There are main connections between Oslo and Stockholm and Gothenburg as well as connections between Trondheim - Åre - Östersund and Narvik - Kiruna - Boden - Stockholm.
  • Germany: You can travel from Berlin to Malmö with the Berlin Night Express. Reservations are compulsory.

Railway services
Swedish regional and inter-regional trains have 1st and 2nd class cars with refreshments available on board and seats adapted for disabled travellers. Some trains also have a family car with a play corner including a slide etc, where children can play during the journey.

Train types
The X2000, the Swedish-built high-speed train, enables you to travel the country with Stockholm as the central point. The X2000 operates on existing tracks at speeds up to 124 mph (200 km/h). SJ have managed to achieve considerably shorter traveling times with this X2000 train.

In addition, other comfortable Intercity, regional and local trains provide access to almost every other destination. Night trains will take you to the northern part of Sweden and abroad.

Domestic night trains:

  • Göteborg-Östersund/Åre
  • Stockholm-Östersund/Åre
  • Malmö-Sundsvall/Östersund/Åre
  • Malmö-Stockholm
  • Stockholm-Luleå/Kiruna/Narvik
  • Göteborg-Luleå/Kiruna/Narvik

International night trains:

  • Stockholm-Oslo (summer season only)
  • Malmö-Oslo (summer season only)
  • Malmö-Berlin (Berlin Night Express)

Boat travel from Sweden

Wiht your Eurail Pass you get:

  • 50% discount from Stockholm to Helsinki (Finland), Turku (Finland), Riga (Latvia) or Tallinn (Estonia) on ferries from Tallink Silja Oy.
  • 25% discount from Göteborg to Fredrikshavn (Denmark) or from Varberg to Grena (Denmark) on ferries from Stena Line.
  • Free transportation (if your Pass is valid in Sweden and Denmark) from Helsingborg to Helsingør (Denmark) on ferries from Scandlines.
  • 50% discount from Stockholm to Turku / Helsinki (Finland) on ferries from Viking Line.

More information on discounted shipping lines in Sweden can be found on the Pass Benefits page.

S-tog

Eurail Passes are also accepted on the S-tog (Wikipedia), the suburban rail network of Copenhagen that is run by DSB. It connects the city center with the inner suburbs. Please note that the Eurail Pass is not valid on the Copenhagen metro.

Scenic routes

Seat reservations

For most domestic trains in Sweden seat reservations are not required, so you can just hop on the train with your Eurail Pass. For the X2000 luxury high-speed train reservation is compulsory for Eurail Pass holders. For InterCity and Regional trains reservation is not required, but recommended if you want to be sure of a seat in busy times. See the reservation fees for domestic trains.

There are some international trains from Sweden that require a reservation fee. Examples are the InterCity from Stockholm to Oslo (Norway) and the X2000 to denmark and Norway. See the reservation fees for international trains.

Seat reservations for trains in Sweden can be made at the bigger train stations or online at SJ.se. To reserve online, enter the desired route in the journey planner. In the section Customer cards, select Pass 2 cl (InterRail/Eurail) or Pass 2 cl (InterRail/Eurail).
For more details, see the page Train reservations Sweden.

Airport - station link
From Stockholm Arlanda airport, there are train connections to Stockholm Central (train every 15 minutes) and many other destinations. More details on the airport website.

Eurail Aid Office in Sweden
For questions about Eurail, you can go to the international ticket office at Stockholm Central Station. it is open Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 06.00pm. See the page Eurail Aid Offices for more aid offices in Europe.

schematic rail map Sweden

Eurail Passes for Sweden: