For the first time in five years, there will be five daily train departures between the Norwegian and Swedish capitals, Sweden’s SJ has announced.  

The change comes as work on the train lines on the Norwegian leg of the route – which have been ongoing for multiple years – is close to being complete, the Swedish company said in a press release.

Today, there are two direct trains between Oslo and Stockholm on certain days, while there is one or none on others.

From December 11th, however, the frequency will increase, as the work which has lasted for five years will be finished. Tickets for the expanded service between Oslo and Stockholm go on sale from November 9th. Customers can purchase them via the company’s website or in its app.

As part of the expanded timetable between the two cities, SJ will run five departures on weekdays in each direction, three on Saturdays and four on Sundays, the Swedish company wrote on its website.

“More than half of the departures will be by express train, that is, fast and comfortable trains where you can choose between multiple classes. With the fast trains, you can travel between the capitals in just over five hours,” Martin Drakenberg, business manager at SJ, said in the announcement.

However, in the summer of 2023, traffic between Stockholm and Oslo will be affected by the planned track work between Laxå and Kristinehamn.

While the work lasts, the trains will be rerouted and have a longer journey time. More detailed information about this will be published in the spring.

“After a long time of track works on the route, this will actually be the last major work. We are very happy that we can now make long-term investments in this important and popular train line,” Drakenberg notes.

Expanded timetable may cut down on flights between the two cities

Last month, a joint study by the Swedish Transport Agency and Norwegian Railway Directorate found that better train links between the two cities could save around half a million journeys by plane.

That study referred to a potential service that could cut the journey time between the two capitals to under four hours. Still, SJ is hopeful that the increased departures between Stockholm and Oslo would help cut emissions. 

“You save around 100 kilos of Co2 per person, per round trip, by choosing the train over the plane. There are significant emissions if you think about the many flights that go between Oslo and Stockholm,” SJ Norge boss Rikke Lind told business news site E24. 

“We are an overly flight-happy nation. Now Norwegian companies really have to take a step forward. We must create a culture among companies in Norway where people choose climate-smart travel. It will be an important part of the climate cuts in the companies’ accounts,” she added.