Sweden’s passenger rail operator SJ, through its subsidiary SJ Götalandståg, has won the contract to operate regional services in western Sweden (Västtågen*).
The new contract, entitled “Tåg 2027” (translated as the Train 2027 Contract), will be implemented over a period of 11 years, until December 2027. As before, the contract will be carried out through the subsidiary SJ Götalandståg, which will thus continue to serve as the hub of SJ’s contracted operations in western Sweden.
“This is a strong endorsement for SJ as a company and the result of strong commitment, high-quality delivery and the hard work of many people across both SJ AB and SJ Götalandståg. I would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who has contributed – directly or indirectly – to us continuing to be entrusted with operating services within Västtågen,” said Jonas Abrahamsson, CEO of SJ.
Through the continuation of regional services in western Sweden, “we have the opportunity to continue developing the customer experience and transport services, as well as our day-to-day cooperation with regional partners,” added Helena Isaksson, CEO of SJ Götalandståg.
Alstom is SJ’s partner for rolling stock maintenance under the contract. The French company secured, in March 2026, an extension of the current contract to provide maintenance for the Västtågen trains.
Contractual background for regional services in western Sweden
The Västtågen regional network has been operated since 2012 by SJ Götalandståg under public service contracts awarded by the following authorities:
- Västtrafik – from the Västra Götaland region, located on the west coast of south-western Sweden;
- Jönköpings Länstrafik – the authority and operator responsible for public transport in Jönköping County, in south-central Sweden; and
- Hallandstrafiken – the public transport company responsible for managing transport services in the Halland region, located in south-western Sweden.
SJ took over the operation of Västtågen services in 2012 under an emergency contract, at which point SJ Götalandståg was established to manage this activity. Subsequently, in 2014, the operator won the tender for the “Tåg 2015” contract, with a duration of 9 years plus a possible 3-year extension. The following year, SJ further strengthened its position by winning the “Tåg 2016” contract, which included the operation of the Kinnekulle trains, for a period of 8 years plus a 3-year extension option. In practice, both contracts were managed as a single operation through SJ Götalandståg.
Västtågen, or “the west trains”, is the regional rail network serving the area around the city of Gothenburg and other regions in western Sweden (including Halland and Jönköping).
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