SJ will continue running the Stockholm–Duved night train under a new Trafikverket contract covering service from 13 December 2026 to 13 June 2027, with options to 2031.

SJ night train beside a station platform at night
An archive photo from November 2016 shows an SJ night train beside a station platform at night. Photo: Trafikverket

Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration, announced on 9 September 2026 that it had signed the agreement with SJ. The service between Stockholm and Duved, via Östersund, keeps its current pattern of one train in each direction every day. SJ has run the route as a year-round service on Trafikverket’s behalf since the summer of 2018.

Six months firm, options to December 2031

The initial period runs from 13 December 2026 to 13 June 2027. After that, the contract can be extended through three options. The first adds two and a half years, followed by two one-year terms, with the final possible period ending on 14 December 2031. Including the six-month initial period, the contract could keep SJ on the route for up to five years.

Stockholm–Duved night train contract: initial period and options
Period Dates Length
Initial period 13 December 2026 – 13 June 2027 Six months
Option 1 14 June 2027 – 9 December 2029 Two and a half years
Option 2 10 December 2029 – 15 December 2030 One year
Option 3 16 December 2030 – 14 December 2031 One year

Only the initial period is fixed; each later period starts only if Trafikverket takes up the corresponding option. The sources differ by one day on the start date: Trafikverket and the main text of SJ’s announcement give 13 December 2026 as the traffic start, while SJ’s contract summary gives 12 December 2026.

Refurbished SJ sleeping compartment with a lower berth and folded upper berth
A refurbished SJ WL4 first-class sleeping compartment photographed in February 2026. Photo: SJ

Whether the extensions are used depends on the funding Trafikverket receives for contracted traffic in the years ahead. Lennart Kalander, head of department at Trafikverket, said the new agreement secures the service, as a first step, until the summer. SJ said the contract has been shaped to the pace at which Trafikverket is allocated money to finance the service.

State support for the Jämtland night train

Trafikverket describes the night trains as important for access to and from Jämtland, serving residents, businesses and tourism in the region. The agency contracts services where commercial traffic on a route is not enough. It names the night trains between Stockholm and Jämtland as one such case. Its traffic agreements also cover rail, air and bus services, as well as ferries to Gotland.

Refurbished SJ six-berth couchette compartment with safety nets and a central table
A refurbished SJ BC4 couchette compartment photographed in December 2025. Photo: SJ

Shorter firm term than the 2020 contract

The previous Stockholm–Duved agreement, awarded to SJ after a public tender, ran from December 2020 to December 2024 and gave Trafikverket a one-plus-one-year extension option. The agency’s list of current contracts shows that the extension options were exercised through 12 December 2026, with annual compensation of around 20 million kronor and 141,768 passengers in 2025.

The Jämtland deal is also shorter than the one Trafikverket awarded for night trains to Upper Norrland in June 2026. That contract gives SJ the Stockholm–Narvik and Stockholm–Umeå services from December 2026 to December 2028. It followed a procurement that Trafikverket cancelled earlier in the year after the bids came in above its financial limits.

Trafikverket night train contracts operated by SJ: passengers and payments
Service Passengers in 2025 Payment to operator
Stockholm–Duved 141,768 About SEK 20 million a year (fixed)
Stockholm–Narvik 475,956 About SEK 290 million in 2025 (open-book)

The 2025 passenger total listed for the Stockholm–Narvik contract was about 3.4 times the Stockholm–Duved total (editorial calculation: 475,956 ÷ 141,768). The two payment models differ, so the amounts are not directly comparable. Figures refer to the contracts in force in 2025. Source: Trafikverket.

Sleeping cars and winter tickets

SJ is refurbishing 11 couchette cars and 46 sleeping cars in total. Several upgraded cars already run between Stockholm and Jämtland. The work will continue through 2030. Sofie Struwe, SJ’s commercial director, said long-term arrangements matter for passengers and for SJ as an operator, not least for further investment in the service.

SJ will start selling tickets for the winter sports period, from 11 January to 4 April, in late October.