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TRAVEL NEWS

Train traffic in Sweden running smoothly so far despite control system change

A planned change of an internal digital control system by the Swedish Transport Administration has raised concerns about major disruptions in train traffic - but so far, everything is running smoothly, according to the authority.

Abisko railway
The new system is used to plan train operators' routes along the railway network. Photo by Jian Liu / Unsplash

“It has gone brilliantly,” Bengt Olsson, press manager at the Swedish Transport Administration, said on Sunday.

During the night between Saturday and Sunday, the Swedish Transport Administration switched to a new digital control system for train traffic.

The change has been met with concern from parts of the train and transport industries, with concerns that it would cause major disruption to traffic.

Change carried out according to plan

However, according to the Swedish Transport Administration, the first night with the new system went as planned.

“So far, we haven’t had any problems,” Olsson said at 9.00 am on Sunday.

Although the first few hours on the new system have passed without incidents, the real test is expected to come later on Sunday or next week, as traffic is normally limited during weekend nights.

“To be honest, it’s not peak traffic right now. It’s Sunday, and there’s less traffic than on a weekday, and traffic will increase after 3 pm. At that time, or during the day tomorrow, the system will really be put to the test,” he said.

The new system is used to plan train operators’ routes along the railway network. The challenge is expected to come in the event of bad weather and at times when departures need to be rescheduled at short notice.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Which Swedish roads are set to be busiest around Midsummer?

What are the peak traffic hours around Midsummer and is there anyway you can beat the queues? Here's The Local's guide to one of Sweden's busiest weekends of the year.

Which Swedish roads are set to be busiest around Midsummer?

What are the peak traffic hours?

Between noon and 6pm on Thursday, 9am-2pm on Friday and 2-6pm on Sunday.

Which roads are expected to be the worst?

The big motorways are expected to be busy. That’s for example the E4 motorway, which runs from Helsingborg to Stockholm and then all the way up the northeast coast.

Other typical bottlenecks are the E6 between Malmö and Strömstad via Gothenburg and the E22 between Norrköping and Kalmar, as well as the E14 between Sundsvall and Åre.

Roads leading to popular Midsummer destinations, such as Lake Siljan (or Dalarna in general), the roads around Lake Mälaren, and roads leading towards the archipelagos in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Bohuslän are also likely to be packed with holidayers.

See the map at the bottom of the article.

What can I do to avoid the queues?

The best tip is to avoid travelling during peak hours, but other than that, there’s not much, to be honest.

You could stay home or take public transport (which will probably also be busy), but neither is likely to be a realistic option for you this late in the game. If everyone on the road drives responsibly and respectfully, that’s the best way to avoid total gridlock.

If you’re considering alternative routes to avoid the motorway queues, think twice. Of course accidents could happen anywhere, but the major dual carriageways are generally safer than minor roads where you risk head-on collisions with overtaking drivers.

If there is an accident and you get stuck in a queue as a result, the motorways – at least one lane – are also likely to reopen to traffic faster than some of the smaller roads.

So the best thing is to allow extra time for travel, stick to the speed limit and put up with the queues. If that means driving slower than the speed limit, so be it. Don’t overtake for the sake of it. Bring good music and snacks in the car to make the journey part of the holiday.

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t drive while under the influence of alcohol (the drink-drive limit in Sweden is blood alcohol content of 0.02 percent or 0.10 milligrams per litre) and remember that you may still be over the limit the morning after drinking.

Tiredness is also a cause of dangerous driving, so make sure you get enough sleep and take plenty of breaks along the way. This is always important, but even more so on the way home on Sunday after a weekend of late nights and Midsummer revelry.

The map below, issued by the Swedish Traffic Administration, shows the roads that are expected to get the most traffic during Midsummer.

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