According to SJ, the problem with Easter traffic is due to the fact that the Swedish Transport Administration is behind with track work. This means that SJ does not receive information about which trains can run, which means that they do not release tickets. The routes affected are primarily Stockholm – Gothenburg and Stockholm – Karlstad – Oslo.
A similar situation arose last Christmas and even then the reason was delayed track work and the introduction of a new digital system.
But Bengt Olsson objects to the booking problems only being the Swedish Transport Administration's fault.
"There are a lot of tickets to book already. All traffic to Malmö and Jämtland is completed. But the railway companies work differently, some are working fast and have already posted their summer tickets, others need more time to plan the traffic," he said.
Has other solutions
When SVT tries to book a trip with MTR on the Stockholm-Gothenburg route this Easter, there are several departures to book.
" We are also affected by the Swedish Transport Administration's delayed announcement, but we have made sure to have other solutions, if necessary. Among other things, we can redirect the train journey or put in replacement buses, says Erik Söderberg, Press Manager at MTR.
For SJ, this is not a viable option.
"We have many more lines and more traffic. However, we have accelerated the process of getting staff and trains until we know which trips are drivable, says Peter Krameus, press spokesperson at SJ.
By this weekend, the train companies will be notified of which trains will be able to run as planned.
Bengt Olsson cannot answer whether the same problem will arise this summer as well.
"The goal is to have 18 weeks of foresight, but I can't answer when we achieve that," he says.
Here, the Swedish Transport Administration's Bengt Olsson explains how to solve the train chaos.