– We now make a reality of our aspirations is to make it easier to take trains out on the continent. This means that the Swedish transport administration is given a mandate to look at opportunities, ” says minister of infrastructure and Tomas Eneroth (S).
the government hauls up in the budget to be used to procure rail traffic between Sweden and destinations in other countries, as well as the costs arising in the form of expertise and management fees.
Climate change has been debated extensively in Sweden, a country that excels when it comes to air travel. In the winter, a report was published which shows that the swedes are flying five times more than the global average. A trend that is going to break, believe Tomas Eneroth.
– It shows rather the lack there been the option. If the conditions becomes better, I think that more people would choose to take the train, ” he says.
– If there is a Facebook group with thousands of members, which is all right if to travel by train in Europe. We also know that SJ and other operators is indicative of a strong commitment, and SJ has also opened for bookings abroad, ” says Tomas Eneroth.
According to the minister, is the government’s effort a way to ”nudge in the right direction”; it becomes commercially viable with the night trains do not need state support in the future.
housing minister Per Bolund (MP) looking forward to making life easier for the country’s rail passengers. The last legislature was his party and pushed through the betting on the night train to Jämtland – a ”success”, to quote the Bolund itself.
” I think that the train is unbeatable and want to use every opportunity available to travel. For instance, when I visited the Waterfall in Hamburg I took the night train from Malmö. The train down to Germany is very good, then you can continue down to Italy where it is possible to get both the cultural history and holiday in the sun, ” said Per Bolund.
– It depends on several factors. Among other things, have the trains konkurrerats out of low cost airlines. It has also been a poor association between the countries and difficult to buy tickets. I hope that SJ will soon offer the opportunity to book international travel.
It will be the Swedish transport administration’s task is to look at which cities the trains will be able to go to, and the goal is to be able to reach the important european hubs such as Berlin and Hamburg.
the Swedish transport administration will take the initiative and contact with the operators out there in other countries, to find corridors in Europe for rail services. It is about finding practical and technical solutions, ” said Per Bolund.
the new night trains are able to roll out on the railways is as yet unclear, but if we are to believe the minister need not take too long before you can eat dinner in the bistrovagnen in Sweden, and in the morning waking up in Germany.
– With our ambition and with this clear signal, it is meant that it should get started as soon as possible, ” says Tomas Eneroth.