A ceremony was held at Stockholm Central station on April 20 to mark the signing of a contact for Talgo, Spain, to supply night trains to Sweden's national transport authority and infrastructure manager Trafikverket.
The contract was signed by José Antonio Jainaga Gómez, president of Talgo, and Roberto Maiorana, director general of Trafikverket, in the presence of Sweden's minister of infrastructure, Andreas Carlson.
Talgo will deliver 91 sleeping cars, which should be ready for use in 2030. The contract also includes 10 220km/h Vectron electric locomotives which will be supplied by Siemens under subcontract to Talgo. The deal was confirmed by Trafikverket to local media on April 1.
Trafikverket says the new night trains, which will initially operate on the route from Stockholm via Kiruna to Narvik in Norway, will contribute to both better punctuality and regularity on the railway.
“The rumour about the death of the night train is greatly exaggerated,” Carlson says. “The night trains we are launching today will play a major role in keeping Sweden together, and are also an investment from a total defence perspective. It is an important step towards a robust night train service that does not stop at our national borders, but also ties us closer to our allies.”
Jernhusen, which owns depots and other railway property on the national network, has signed a 15-year lease agreement with Trafikverket which will enable the new fleet to be maintained, cleaned and prepared for service at a modernised depot in Hagalund.
A full-size mock-up of part of a sleeping car with two single compartments was unveiled at Stockholm Central station.
