Train between Sweden and UK proposed
 

There is an interesting article in a UK paper this week with the news that Swedish Railways are thinking about getting sleeper trains to go from Sweden (Malmo to be precise) to London setting off in the evening and getting to London in time for a lunch time meeting. It isn’t soon though as they haven’t ordered the trains yet.

Whilst it is a way off I think that I may have a look at catching the train from London to Narvik to see the Northern Lights - it takes a couple of days but gives me a good chance to read and see some of Sweden and shouldn’t be too expensive. I may even be able to tempt She Who Must Be Obeyed onto the trip - not something that she will want to do on a bike trip.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...Mi-E2vTQXgb7x4

I must have missed that but as I rarely read the papers these days it's probably not surprising. I'd guess the railway lines already exist so it's just a matter of working out whether there's a market there and, if so, getting hold of some rolling stock. We'd certainly consider it - particularly if it goes to Malmo as we have 'in laws' just up the coast in Helsingborg.

As a cheap way of getting to Sweden though it would be up against half a dozen cheap airlines flying into Copenhagen (for the south) and Stockholm (for mid Sweden). But then again price isn't everything and if it avoids the 'Ryan Air + Stanstead' experience for flying and the 'getting lost in the Ruhr' experience for driving I'd be very happy.

That's not what the article says. ;) They are looking at a sleeper service that starts from Malmö and arrives early morning in Cologne. And other fast connections are available between Cologne and Eurostar terminals, letting you get to London. There won't be a direct Sweden-to-London train - among other reasons, because the UK even now is outside Schengen, and requires a full customs check on incoming rail passengers.

Rome2rio says you can do that now. London-Brussels-Cologne-Berlin-Stockholm-Narvik. Takes 2 days.

"Flygskam" is really big in Sweden at the moment (or in the Swedish media anyway - I'm not sure how far down the population 'food chain' its gone). Last month there was a huge (10m high) poster in Stockholm central station promoting train travel's stupendously green credentials (their claim and compared to a single flight) so I suppose going trans Europe with it is a natural next step.

Direct to London though (which, as AnTyx says, it isn't) would be an awkward route to arrange with the UK's 'splendid isolation Mk11' to contend with so maybe Cologne and 'figure the rest out yourself' is understandable. If the connections are slick, the costs reasonable (Vienna - Rome level) and the population buy into it, it may have a future.

If they could just stick a motorail wagon on the back so I could park the bike while they roll through the night that would be like the 1970's all over again. The future is starting to look just like the past but with more speed cameras. :(

I once took the Train from Hamburg/Germany to Copenhague and then Stockholm. The Nighttrain from there to Absiko ( 80 Kilometers from Narvik and Start of the Kungsleden Hiking Trail ) was great and pretty cheap ( ~60€ ). I arrived there in the Morning and was able to use the full day.

I really like the "Autoreisezug" from Hamburg to Austria. It is operated by the Austrian Federal Railway (Österreichische Bundesbahn) and leaves Hamburg every day in the evening. Its more favorable to drive the nearly 1000 Kilometers and you are not sacrificing any vacation days.

Sadly, the German Railway stopped these Services some Years ago. There has been connections to Italy, southern France and so on.

There are some private Companys like "Urlaubsexpress" but they are pretty expensive.

Best Regards
Michael

Michael,

For my 2018 trip I was looking into the Urlaubsexpress but I decided to drive through Germany. Not because of the price but I had been reading the reviews of former passengers and I thought ¨no way¨. Maybe the other company BTE has better material but Lörach was not on my route.

Best regards,
Rögnvaldur