SKÅNE Transport has awarded a nine-year contract to VR Sweden to operate regional services in the southern Swedish region of Skåne from December 12 2027. The concession has an average annual turnover of SKr 1.1bn ($US 118m).
This is the third time that VR Sweden has won the tender to operate these services. However, Skåne Transport will take over responsibility for road replacement services during disruption.
As a result of winning the concession, VR Sweden has awarded CAF subsidiary Euromaint a contract to maintain the fleet of 99 X61 EMUs for nine years. Euromaint has been set tightly defined parameters regarding long-term maintenance planning to ensure technical reliability of the fleet, the last of which was delivered in 2019.
Under the concession contract, VR Sweden will be required to have sufficient drivers and conductors in reserve to reduce the number of delays and cancellations due to staff shortages.
The Skåne network carried more than 27 million passengers in 2025, and VR Sweden will be expected to grow this in the future.
Euromaint
The VR Sweden contract is one of three maintenance contracts worth a total of €300m that Euromaint has won recently in Scandinavia. Swedish freight operator Green Cargo renewed its multi-year contract to maintain and supply components for its Rc/Rd electric locomotive fleet, while Norway’s infrastructure manager Bane Nor awarded Euromaint a contract to maintain its fleet of infrastructure maintenance vehicles for a minimum of four years.
