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What you need to know about public transport disruption in Stockholm this summer

Catherine Edwards
Catherine Edwards - [email protected]
What you need to know about public transport disruption in Stockholm this summer
There are disruptions to regional and commuter train lines as well as the subway. Photo: Anders Wiklund / TT

Passengers travelling to, from or around Stockholm this summer should be aware of major renovations and track work that will disrupt trains and underground traffic throughout the season, sometimes making multiple changes necessary. Here are the key details you need to know, and the alternative routes to take.

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The summer season is chosen for most renovations because fewer people use the public transport system for commuting due to Sweden's long summer holidays, as well as because of better weather and longer daylight hours which facilitate the work.

Still, for those who remain in the city, it can be disruptive, with many of the different modes of transport affected in different locations and at different times throughout the summer season. 

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Regional trains

If you're leaving Stockholm by train to travel elsewhere in Sweden, check your ticket and timetables carefully.

The regional train track (which is separate from the pendeltåg track) between Stockholm Central and Stockholm Södra is closed over summer due to planned renovations. Customers therefore need to travel from either Stockholm Södra or Flemingsberg on many regional routes going south from Stockholm. Both stations have been equipped with SJ ticket machines and extra staff, so that you can buy long-distance tickets there.

This includes the lines Stockholm–Gothenburg/Uddevalla, Stockholm–Karlstad–Oslo, Stockholm–Malmö–Copenhagen, Gävle–Stockholm–Linköping, Stockholm–Eskilstuna–Örebro, Stockholm–Katrineholm–Hallsberg, and Stockholm–Nyköping–Norrköping. However, the Stockholm Central station remains open and some trains will continue to arrive and depart from there, including northbound trains to Uppsala, Sundsvall and Kiruna. Make sure you've checked your ticket and/or the SL website carefully.

Workers carrying out renovations on the track. Photo: Anders Wiklund / TT

In general, snabbtåg (express trains) will leave from Södra in Södermalm and the InterCity and regionaltåg (regional trains) will be departing from Flemingsberg further south in Huddinge, but there are a few exceptions. 

Many thousand passengers are expected to be affected, and even for those not travelling on the affected routes, the two replacement stations will be much busier than usual. The stations are clearly signposted with extra staff on hand to help direct you to your train.

In order to reach the stations, there are several options. The ordinary pendeltåg (commuter train) routes are not affected by this track closure, so you can travel to Södra or Flemingsberg stations from elsewhere in the city, including from Stockholm City (the pendeltåg station which is connected to Stockholm Central).

Depending on where you're travelling from, another route of transport may be more convenient. Stockholm Södra is also within easy walking distance of Mariatorget on the red tunnelbana line and Medborgarplatsen on the green line is about a ten-minute walk away, while six bus routes (4, 74, 94, 55, 57, and 66) all stop close to the entrance.

To get to Flemingsberg, you can take the pendeltåg south, or you can take a combination of tunnelbana and bus (for example, it's possible to take the tunnelbana 19 to Hogdalen and change to bus 172).

Allow plenty of extra time to reach the right station and make sure you've looked up the best route in advance, which you can do using the SL website. Remember that using the pendeltåg, tunnelbana, or bus in Stockholm requires an SL ticket.

The works are taking place until August 18th and will continue each summer over the next two years.

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Photo: Melker Dahlstrand/imagebank.sweden.se

Commuter trains

Travellers on the pendeltåg lines should be aware of the disruptions outlined above, since this will mean more passengers at Stockholm Södra and Flemingsberg, and busier trains on this stretch.

Apart from that, there's one key change to be aware of. The route between Sundbyberg and Barkarby will not be running between July 5th and 28th. During this time, passengers will need to take the tunnelbana between Sundbyberg and Hjulsta and/or buses between Hjulsta and Spånga/Barkarby/Jakobsberg.

And it's important to know that, although the pendeltåg doors open automatically through the rest of the year, during summer you need to press the button to open them (this is in order to help maintain a comfortable temperature onboard). The exceptions to this are Stockholm Södra, Stockholm City, Stockholm Odenplan, and Arlanda. Don't miss your stop! 

Tunnelbana

Extensive works are being carried out across the tunnelbana (subway or underground network) to update tracks and platforms and to prepare for work on extending the tunnelbana's blue line.

From July 1st, the red line of the tunnelbana will not run between Slussen and T-Centralen for two weeks until July 15th, and after that the green line will not run between Slussen and T-Centralen for a further four weeks until August 12th. This means that passengers who use one of the affected lines must change to the other one for this stretch of the journey.

Photo: Tomas Oneborg / SvD / TT

No green line trains are stopping at the Fridhemsplan station in Kungsholmen until September 1st. The blue line is not affected, so passengers travelling to Fridhemsplan should switch at T Centralen or take an alternative route.

South of the centre, work is also being carried out at Gullmarsplan in preparation for a new tunnelbana line. This means that line 19 between Globen and Gullmarsplan is not running until August 17th. Passengers can either switch to the tvärbanan (tram) between the two stations, or walk. 

Stations where train and platform changes are taking place are likely to be unusually busy during rush hour, so passengers should be aware of possible delays and check timetables beforehand, as well as signs and loudspeaker announcements at the stations.

 

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