Competition is getting tougher for train passengers

The German company already runs a bus in Sweden under the name Flixbus. Now Sweden becomes the first foreign market where the company establishes itself as a train operator, as the Gothenburg Post has previously stated. The plan is to start train operations in the first half of 2020.

- We do not have an exact date yet, but we will be running during the first half of next year, says Peter Ahlgren, CEO of Flixbus Norden to the newspaper.

The company will operate the Stockholm-Gothenburg and Stockholm-Malmö sections. On the road between Gothenburg and the capital, the train also stops in Falköping, Hallsberg and Södertälje.

- We saw that Sweden is a suitable market and that there is a very high demand for trains. There we can see that competitors have increased traffic, says Peter Ahlgren, CEO of Flixbus Norden to GP.

But despite the fierce competition, SJ says that they are looking forward to more players entering the market.

- Statistics show that when new players arrive, Swedish travelers benefit and interest increases in choosing the train. We believe that more people will catch their eye on train traffic and choose a climate-smart alternative, ”says Anton Almqvist-Källén, press communicator at SJ.

What will this effect on prices?

- I don't know what the effect will be on prices. We first see what product they have and what trains they will run. But it is clear that increased competition will ultimately benefit the train passengers, says Almqvist-Källén.