Swedish private rail operator Snälltåget launched its new direct daytime train between Stockholm, Copenhagen and Hamburg this week, adding a daytime alternative to the operator’s existing night train between Stockholm, Hamburg and Berlin.
The daytime train, which took off on its maiden voyage on Monday, 4 May 2026, runs in both directions, leaving Hamburg Hbf at 09:51 and arriving at Stockholm Central at 21:17. In the opposite direction, it departs Sweden at 10:43 and reaches its final German destination at 21:57, taking approximately 11 hours and 15 minutes.
Between Hamburg and the Swedish capital, the service stops at Neumünster, Padborg, Kolding, Odense, Copenhagen South, Malmö, Lund, Eslöv, Hässleholm, Alvesta, Nässjö, Linköping, Norrköping, and Södertälje South. Padborg, Kolding and Odense are all new Danish stops for Snälltåget.
One-way fares from Stockholm to Hamburg start at around €45 in second class, while Interrail passes are also valid on the trains.
Private operators move in as Swedish subsidy ends
The launch of Snälltåget’s daytime service along the key line comes as the Germany-Scandinavia corridor moves into a more competitive phase. The Swedish state-backed SJ EuroNight sleeper service between Stockholm, Hamburg and Berlin is due to end in 2026, after the contract between infrastructure manager Trafikverket and SJ was not extended and Swedish funding for year-round operation on the route was withdrawn.
That does not mean the route will disappear. Firstly, RDC Deutschland Group, which currently operates the night train jointly with SJ, has said it will continue the Berlin-Hamburg-Stockholm service after the Swedish subsidy ends, operating it commercially and without public support from Sweden. RDC has said it plans to maintain two daily services on the route.
However, Snälltåget is also positioning itself for this market. Alongside the new daytime Stockholm-Copenhagen-Hamburg train, the operator has stated it would expand its night train offer for the 2026/27 winter season to fill the gap, with details, including the number of departures, to be presented in this spring.