This was a fun trip down memory lane. I was an exchange student to Luleå in the mid 1980's and took many of these overnight (14-hour) train trips on SJ from Stockholm. The cars are configured as they were then, but in that time the interiors were all wooden. Swedes, and eventually me, would spend hours on those fold-out seats just watching the beautiful countryside pass by. One trip I watched a movie in the last car with maybe 20 seats all facing forward, loads of fun. They even had the water boxes at the time; Sweden has always been ahead of much of the world in the aspect of conservation. Have been there several times since the 80's; the Luleå looks the same from the outside, and yes the town is wonderful. First time I was shocked by the change in direction in Boden; thought I had missed a stop! :-)

It is great that You also showed wheelchair accessibility. Not many travel reviews does that but it is important. :)

Those "Venice chairs" in the restaurant coach, though - I remember when we had those at home in late 1980's / early 1990's. Absolutely horrible to sit on... 😂

@jonneholmstrom5226

3 жыл бұрын

you are absolutely right, these restaurant coaches were built in late 80's and partly restored in the 90's, since then they have more or less just seen maintainence. now however a restoration is planed for them

7:03 The upper lock on the toilet door is a service lock so the computer can lock out users if it notices a technical problem with the toilet (but you still have the knob on the inside so you can escape). It's the same on all Swedish trains AFAIK. It would be nice if they described its function in some way, though.

I grew up in Luleå! During summer of 2020 planes didn't operate due to the pandemic, so I took the sleeper train from Stockholm to visit my mom who still lives there. I was very grateful SJ kept running during that time. I travelled first class which was very nice. You get your own toilet and shower, and breakfast is included.

Little has changed by way of the long distance train services since my last visit to Narvik in 2004/2005. When the train stopped at Luleå, around this time of the year the sun pops up for 30 min around 1130 or 1200 then pops down. It is incredible to watch 30 min of daylight from the train.i just ❤ the entire train journey from Stockholm to Narvik🙂

Merci encore Thibault pour ce trip report. Tu nous fait voyager de partout c'est cool et surtout ce trip report est très agréable. J'ai beaucoup aimé. Merci. Le plus important arrive : bonne année 2020 et bons trains à toi !!!

Nice that you enjoyed your overnight trip. i don't know if you noticed the other passengers in your compartment, but on Swedish trains it's customary to sleep with your head towards the window - I have traveled numerous times on night trains and have never seen anyone sleeping the way you did. Then again - you're of course free to sleep how you like.

After this pandemic is over or at least at a safer level so it’s safe to travel again, I’m dreaming of taking the sleeper train from Gothenburg to Kiruna and then rent a car in Kiruna to go see the mountains again along the E10 towards Narvik in Norway, and of course go over to Norway as well. I could of course take train all the way to Narvik, but I just honestly want to see the Kiruna mountains from a car window and be able to stop as I like and just recharge my mental batteries with the stunning views of the mountains and places I used to visit as a kid when I’d travel up there every summer together with my parents in our caravan. I’m no longer able to sit up and travel that far due to severe chronic pain, so driving up from home is just not possible for me any longer, but I live along Västra Stambanan not too far away from Gothenburg so taking the sleeper train is possible and would just feel so much real than just flying up to Luleå or Kiruna. I want to see the country on the way too, and you do that more from a sleeper train where you spend like 15+ hours than an airplane window where you’re up in the air for about 2 hours total. I’d have to go full sleeper though and not just couchette, being disabled and all I’d need accessible room so I can park my wheelchair safely. I can walk short distances though. One downside with the integrated lift on SJ trains though is that the wheelchair lift is often broken, and not all stations have access to the external lift, so unfortunately it can be a gamble for disabled people to travel with SJ if being 100% wheelchair dependent and not being able to get out of their chair to walk past an obstacle. When I get to go with the sleeper train I’m not dependent on the lift working as I can just walk onboard and lift my chair up, but for many that is not an alternative and I’ve heard of many wheelchair users who essentially just get left on the platform because a lift is broken...

Nice report but for me, I want my own private sleeper compartment. 🤔

@robertcroft8241

3 жыл бұрын

Me Too ! E70 for a space in a 6 berth car ? No way . E130 for a single First class cabin is average around the world in my experience. AMTRAK even better value.

@samomuransky4455

3 жыл бұрын

@@robertcroft8241 130€ for a single deluxe sleeper is way too low for Europe. It is achievable in the east but rare in the western Europe, let alone Scandinavia. My experience (mostly with nightjets) is that single sleeper comes at ~200€ and deluxe is 30-40€ extra. Regarding Scandinavia, I have an Umeå to Gothenburg trip planned the next week and regular single sleeper came at 185€ when booked early.

As you noticed the train offers plenty of room. That's typical for Swedish trains: they are so spacious indeed that a large Swedish couple, if sufficiently in love, can easily promenade the train corridor side-by-side and do not get stuck when the young lady is having coffee and the more innocuous kind of bear wants to pass them in the opposite direction. They are usually electric, the trains that is, though Swedish ladies can sometimes be electric too. As Strindberg once put it: Beware of the fire that lurks beneath the snow... (Quotation from "Rapidly round the bend" by C. Hamilton Ellis)

Rc4 electric units were the basis for the AEM7 units at Amtrak, SEPTA and MARC in the U.S., as well as ALP44 units at New Jersey Transit.

@YaoboyProd2K15

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, the technical specs are the same, but adapted for American crash regulations.

It is a small station but extremely clean, the train is very simple but the essential thing is that it is very clean with essential facilities that ensure a trip in good condition.

You are supposed to use the seat covers as a pillow! That's why the other pillow isn't very thick. Together they are ok. As a Swede that travelled with an ÖBB NightJet Couchette just some week ago I mus say that the Swedish night trains are better. First, they have a restaurant car that the NightJet is lacking. Second, the Swedish couchettes are better: The bed is flat (in the ÖBB car the bed was slightly inclined to the wall) and there is a shelf to put your clothes when you are sleeping.

@ronclark9724

3 жыл бұрын

In America many of the sleeper trains of Amtrak run for more than just the sleeping hours overnight. Many travel through the entire day and require a diner or cafe car. That is not necessarily the case in Europe, where many sleeper trains leave after dinner and arrive at your destination before breakfast...

Fantastic. How beautiful it is to go with this train.

@kirouanemohamedamine7995

3 жыл бұрын

Good morning I'm from Algeria

Actually I leave in Luleå and I clean these these trains, almost everyday.

@ninaoja7892

3 жыл бұрын

Me too

@thomaselers7416

3 жыл бұрын

So why do you leave?

@nattsurfaren

3 жыл бұрын

@@thomaselers7416 It's probably a typo Thomas. Use your imagination *face palm*

@thomaselers7416

3 жыл бұрын

@@nattsurfaren Oh really, I would never ever have thought of that being a possibility. But then again, no! The letters L E A V E, are nowhere near L I V E, A & E are at the opposite side of the keyboard of I. So I guess she really IS leaving Luleå. Safe travels Karast Alvin.

@Nynke_K

3 жыл бұрын

It's good to have you, Karast Alvin! Do you know if the train attendants also clean the toilets during the night?

Kudos to the uploader fir keeping the videos BS-free. The audience appreciates it.

Omg I loved the look of that train, very old but so well looked after and had the benefit of the way trains used to be built - that cafeteria was fantastic, albeit too busy. I often wonder if people from Scandinavia know just how good they have it, so clean, safe and well run. Even taking that into account, don’t understand the concept of stuffing 6 strangers into a compartment on 3 high bunk beds - tho his didn’t look busy thankfully. Also loved how wide train was, as charming as it was, I think I prefer the sleeper trains in uk with private rooms and beds with real bedding. In fairness, 70€ is a good price for any type of bed

@drdewott9154

4 жыл бұрын

I mean then the sleeper cabins are for you, The couchette is like the discount version so to speak. But yeah SJ is one of the best rail companies in all of Europe. It puts DSB in Denmark to absolute shame, offering much better quality and reliability at much better prices as well! Also the coaches aren't exactly as old as you think, they were built in the 80's and 90's.

great journey coverage.. the train looks well maintained and so quite n smooth journey

@Nileshyadav1717-g9b

3 жыл бұрын

Hey bro from India

Some trivia: Nordic passenger trains are among the widest in the world, at about 11.2 feet, with most other European trains at about 9.8 feet (except the UK with its small loading gauge at about 9 feet😂) and the US at about 10 feet.

These trains used to have a cinema-car, or "Bio-Bistro" as they were called. Swedish trains have always been pure luxury, and it is sometimes hard to believe that some of these carriages are from the 60's.

@BengtHansves

4 жыл бұрын

No, they are from the 80´s !

@sm6allegro

4 жыл бұрын

They still use a couple of R12 restaurant carriages. They were renovated 10 years ago, on the inside there is no way to tell you're in a 60's carriage 😂

@KoichiFirst8092

4 жыл бұрын

According to jarnvag.net, cinemas were found on Swedish trains until spring of 2011. Due to increasing popularity of laptops and other portable media players, the "Cinema in train" concept became unpopular.

@TheNails3

4 жыл бұрын

Cinema on a train? Det är fantastiskt!

@amesavis

3 жыл бұрын

no it is not, they look very un-luxurious and old. there is nothing beautiful about them, nor is there any service. even in the cafe has the seats from 1979 we had in my kitchen.

Ahhh la nostalgie des jours sans masque....

Nice trip report. We will travel in november from Stockholm to Narvik with the nighttrain. We will book a sleeper. Sweden is so amazing for traintravel. The App from the SJ is so amazing, better then the apps from the OEBB or DB. With the App from the Austrian Railway it wasn't pissible to show my ticket - because there was no internet connection. Glad that it was possible to show my ticket later. I saved it wirh a screenshoot just in case.

I am from sri lanka,these trains are more luxurious than our trains ,your peoples are more blessed and fortune than us.

0:49 AFAIK it isn't even a ticket office. The first time I came I also found it strange that they didn't have vending machines either

@cyberhawken

4 жыл бұрын

Correct, this is where the stationhosts have their office. You can ask them questions and they guide disabled people etc. There is no ticketoffices anywhere in Sweden sincea couple of years back.

While the compartment might be larger than some others, it still would be cozy for 6 sleepers. And you'd all have to agree on a time to sleep, since the middle bunk disables the seating. It might not work well for me, but for many people it's a viable option. Train service is usually from one city center to another, eliminating a tedious ride to the airport, and in the daylight there's a lot of scenery to see. I assume Sweden's electricity is generated without fossil fuels, so trains are a big environmental plus!

@lkrnpk

3 жыл бұрын

''Sweden's electricity is generated without fossil fuels'' if you don't consider nuclear a fossil fuel then yeah, it's mostly hydro, wind and nuclear nowadays, but 1/3 is still nuclear

Railways have a charm of their own. Air travel is no match. 👍 #BigCity365

Very nice Video👍

Im enjoying a First class Ride at the moment and watching your Trip reports👍🏻👍🏻

Nice trip. In most countries night sleeper trains are must.

You should come back! I'll give you a tour of Luleå and in the event you missed it, the Railway Museum too.

@fraserboyd5977

3 жыл бұрын

Do you know if the overnight train is pretty quiet at the moment? I'm thinking of taking it from Luleå to Stockholm in October but would rather not pay the huge price to guarantee being on my own.

I am very glad you test few of our trains here in sweden the X2000 train are a very nice train to ride with im living in sweden so i now that i love your videos you are best

wow...fantastic Video! I like it!👍👍👍👍

2:01 Liggvagn sounds like Liegewagen in German. That's the wagon where you lay down.

@HB45175

4 жыл бұрын

Yep!

@lazyhunk2

4 жыл бұрын

Yes many words are similar. But the German word "Gift" means "marriage" in swedish

@frankniedermayer3569

4 жыл бұрын

@@lazyhunk2 I didn't know that. I suppose in some marriages they find this less ironic but true🙄

@iuciubbb

4 жыл бұрын

@@lazyhunk2 German: Gift; Swedish: Gift (pron. "jift"); English: Poison. As far as I know. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

@RubberDucc

4 жыл бұрын

@@iuciubbb "gift" means both married and poison in Swedish, it's pronounced almost identical as well.

3:30 Greta stamps her approval. 4:08 the Ikea approach: provide a baffling diagram and leave you to put it together yourself

@federicobaldassarri9151

4 жыл бұрын

AndreiTupolev Tetrapack is not so environment-friendly, they are made with plastic too

@amesavis

3 жыл бұрын

plus charge high taxes for no service

@amesavis

3 жыл бұрын

@@federicobaldassarri9151 true at least bottles are recyclable. this is just cheap, like a juicebox

Maybe you could use one of the seat cushions under the floppy pillow?

I were in lulea years before I miss . I hope i will be there with my wife via this train hopefully. Nice video.

Nice Swedish trip report the couchette slepeer coaches look very good

i am from boden/luleå and i hope you had a nice time in my hometown :) i now live outside uppsala/stockholm :)

@David_D.

3 жыл бұрын

Love to Sweden from Wigan in the UK! 🇸🇪

@olasola1013

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I like the UK! 🇬🇧

@David_D.

3 жыл бұрын

@@olasola1013 You're welcome! But Sweden is better than the UK! 😁

@iiKinqTrollcz

3 жыл бұрын

I love the UK :D

Les trains de nuit c'est le transport du futur, la France devrait investir Super vidéo!

@agermanengineer831

4 жыл бұрын

imaginer un truc comme train de nuit avec la vitesse d'une tgv, on pourrait faire des distances de 3000km ou plus facilement par train (désolé pour mon francais, je suis allemand 😅)

@icenecroz8842

4 жыл бұрын

@@agermanengineer831 C'est vrai que ça pourrait être une bonne idée mais ça aurait un coût économique, création de TGV spéciaux, de grande ligne LGV à travers different pays : Bordeaux-Berlin par exemple ! :)

@AviationReviews

4 жыл бұрын

Oui les trains de nuit sont trop bien.

@Joel-ij5dr

4 жыл бұрын

Je vois bien une automotrice style CAF V200 réaménagé en couchette

@kirouanemohamedamine7995

3 жыл бұрын

Salut

awsome sleeper train....love from india ❤🇮🇳

It's worth to mention that choosing night trains instead of airplanes produces a lot less Co² to the planet and even less when the train is Electric like in a lot of places in Europe. You also get a different experience by traveling by train. #team_trains

@kirouanemohamedamine7995

3 жыл бұрын

Good morning

You have to test Finnish sleeper Helsinki-Rovaniemi! Very nice train

VERY Clean. NO trash; NO Graffiti . I mentally compare this with 30th St. Station in Philadelphia; Pa.; and it's like comparing a Diamond to an Unflushed Toilet. NOT Joking.

nice clean

1:27 if i remember correctly, this was the chosen design for the retired AEM-7 "Toaster"

@williamkack7602

3 жыл бұрын

Yes it was

awesome travel thx

Super trip thanks!!!

2:50 Thank the Swedish loading gauge 😁

@Bregott07

4 жыл бұрын

Yes. Our trains are WIDE AS HELL. Have you seen the Bombardier Regina trains.

@HB45175

4 жыл бұрын

@@Bregott07 Tbh they're not wide enough, can't sit at the outermost places without hurting your feet because of the inward curvature of the train body.

@drdewott9154

4 жыл бұрын

@@HB45175 Yeah in that sence they're overstressing the wideness a bit.

The Black liveried wagons are owned by SJ and the Grey liveried wagons and loco are rented to sj for this operation.

Luleå!!!!!!!!!!! I live here now, sad thing though that the last sleeper train I took to Stockholm ended up arriving 10-11h late in Stockholm and I had a connecting train towards Gothenburg, sad story.

@kirouanemohamedamine7995

3 жыл бұрын

Good morning my love

@Sakuraid

3 жыл бұрын

@@kirouanemohamedamine7995 ???

@kirouanemohamedamine7995

3 жыл бұрын

@@Sakuraid where are you from

@Sakuraid

3 жыл бұрын

@@kirouanemohamedamine7995 The country this sleeper train runs in.

@kirouanemohamedamine7995

3 жыл бұрын

@@Sakuraid ok I'm from Algeria and you?

Super ce trip report ! J'espère que t'es bien arrivé aux US 😉

Super vidéo j'adore les trains de nuit je vais bientôt voyager avec thello je suis impatient.

Yes, a new video 😃

C'est super génial comme vidéo trip . 👍🚄🚂🍻

They seem to take a fairly laid-back approach to lunch then: "It says 12:30 to 13:30, but I don't reckon there'll be anyone this afternoon do you. Waiter! Another beer!" I can't help thinking if someone's going to take a 12 hour journey they'd most likely book in advance rather than turning up at the station at the last minute and hoping to buy a ticket, though.

@urban3921

4 жыл бұрын

I'm quite sure that's not a large enough station that you can buy a ticket from a person at any time anyway. There's possibly a ticket machine for regional trains, but not for this train.

What stabilizer are you filming with? Awesome shots! Is it where you place your cellphone, like a gimbal? Edit: it's saw it is a gimbal, but it's not like mine (DJI Osmo) since you are able to look up and down so fluidly! I always use mine on trips, but I think I need to replace it with your modell 😅 Edit 2: now saw that it IS a DJI Osmo 2 😂 Great video!

Super Video I love couchette trains I will soon go on thello which I am looking forward to.

@ronclark9724

3 жыл бұрын

I prefer my own room. I am fond of Amtrak's roomettes. Good value for the price considering drinks and meals are included for America's long train journeys...

@AviationReviews

3 жыл бұрын

@@ronclark9724 Ok

Finally a Swedish video! Swedish boi is happy now.

@lokstollen124

4 жыл бұрын

Pratar du svenska? 🇸🇪

@Bregott07

4 жыл бұрын

@@lokstollen124 Vad tror du?

@lokstollen124

4 жыл бұрын

Ingen aning

Thank you.

I love Stockholm in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark 🇩🇰

Thanks for the share! I wish there where better options here in the States. I prefer travel by train wherever I can. I hate driving and hate airports even more! Lol

@ronclark9724

3 жыл бұрын

America has Amtrak providing sleeper train services to most of the big cities in the USA. Even to more cities than any European nation outside Russia. America does fall short on regional day trains though...

@TheA.K.

3 жыл бұрын

@@ronclark9724 true, but it has been my experience that the trip is typically broken up by several bus trips. For example, took the train from Tampa, Fl. to Louisville, Ky. and 2/3's of the trip was bus rides.

charming

Nice

Casually hearing someone practicing "the robber's language", lmao

Great report! 👌

6:56 - "Sweden is a safe country you don't have to be worried about your luggage" - Well, maybe it's not as bad as in Poland, but I highly doubt I would dare to leave my luggage unattended. And boy - 12 hours by train only to get to Stockholm feels bad at first, but then one realizes that's around 900 km by car, and you can lay down and take a nap!

RC-6 the locomotive was built before the ALP-44 of NJ Transit and SEPTA 🇺🇸

nice video!

Minute 9:06, these trains may have a local function to connect the passengers of the north with their ,,neighbourhood“ , be sure the passengers using the seatwaggons usually don't ride the whole way...

Just so you know. They are refurbishing these trains too, so they'll be more modern!

Great video!!!

Grande Svezia...!

BC4s were built in the 1980s. I think the ridged sides are to strengthen the body in the cold climate of Sweden. Ex-Soviet carriages, which you should really do, have similar appearance. "Liggvagn" is probably related to the German "Liegewagen".

@carlkolthoff5402

4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, they're both north germanic languages and in many cases quite similar. "Ligg" means "lay" (as in lay down) and "vagn" means "wagon".

@Ynysmydwr

4 жыл бұрын

@@carlkolthoff5402 ...or even "lie" (a pedant writes -- Sorry! 😉). You lay something down (your weapons, for example), but you *lie* (down) on a bed.

@iuciubbb

4 жыл бұрын

If you can speak both German and English, then you likely understand Swedish too. More or less.

When we visited Sweden and had to book a round trip to Åre by train, I used the SJ app and I agree, it was super easy to use and made selecting trains, classes, and fares very simple. I would love to venture this far north!

You mentioned Arlanda Airport train station. I was at the airport 3 yrs ago changing planes after a visit from Bangkok.

You must be the only person in the history of SJ to actually depart and arrive on time.

6:55 Meanwhile I’m Swedish and my friend’s very old trashy bicycle probably worth like 10 Swedish Krones (around $1) got stolen earlier this week

When's the Helsinki - Oulu video coming?

3:15 actually there is 10 power sockets

Fabulous 👌

Don't forget the missouri trains

These cars aren't stainless, they're made out of regular steel and therefore rust if you don't maintain them properly.

@ronclark9724

3 жыл бұрын

Probably why the rolling stock was painted. In America and Canada stainless steel is not painted, except for logos, words and numbers, and possibly stripes. Stainless steel doesn't rust and for that matter fade like paint...

Liggvagn * lay down cart* lol /Swedish fan of yours

@kirouanemohamedamine7995

3 жыл бұрын

Where are you from

nice report, but for me personally, i want a private sleeper compartment

@carpetclimber4027

3 жыл бұрын

@Joost van der Lee The 1st class private sleeper compartments are made for two, so you need a companion or be prepared to pay around €180-200 alone for a ticket for Luleå - Stockholm. But you also get your own toilet, shower and breakfast included in the price. If two people split the price, it's not that bad and an experience.

@joostvanderlee9569

3 жыл бұрын

@@carpetclimber4027 right

@carpetclimber4027

3 жыл бұрын

@@joostvanderlee9569 As a friendly update I actually checked it up for you. As of now in these times, the prices are very low. If you can get through the Covid rules, you can travel really cheap (€130-155). You can look yourself on sj.se where you can switch to English and update the prices yourself whenever you want to go. I would recommend you to wait though, the rail network is in a mess right now.

@joostvanderlee9569

3 жыл бұрын

@@carpetclimber4027 thanks

Great Videos! :) when the lockdown is over, could you do the Full Narvik - Stockholm train ? ;)

@SimplyRailway

4 жыл бұрын

If I can yes :)

@de8dmorozprod

4 жыл бұрын

@@SimplyRailway call me that day, I'm coming 😉

Thank you for the video, it was very interesting and unexpected. Conservative and economical Swedes do not hesitate to operate good-quality, but not new and not fashionable cars, unlike fins.These cars resemble old Soviet brands. Спасибо за видео, оно было очень интересным и неожиданным. Консервативный и экономные шведы не стесняются эксплуатировать добротные, но не новые и не модные вагоны, в отличии от финов.Эти вагоны напоминают старые марки советских.

youre right, nightjet pillows are bad. i used my backpack as pillow.

@ronclark9724

3 жыл бұрын

I bring my own personal pillow with my one small airline sized luggage. Pack light, but bring a comfortable pillow....

Sweden!!!

@Bregott07

4 жыл бұрын

Börk.

I could not sleep in the same compartment with strangers. Just no way. They also wouldn't be very fond of me either as I snore.

How are tetrapacks better for the environment? They seem like they are 4 times as difficult to recycle since they are layers of different materials. Using straight aluminum or glass would be for more environmentally friendly and far easier to recycle.

The railway hamburger place is my favourite

Come to Denmark, Simply Railway 😁

@jirikaspar238

4 жыл бұрын

I wonder what he would say about IC4 :-/

Siempre viajas solo invita jajaja saludos desde México

Nice video..Regards.

(4:54) The bed wasn't manufactured by IKEA, therefore easy to make. - Cheers, Heinz

The seats are also designated for short travel passengers i think

Sleeping on ben ch is prohibited?

Nice dear friend

I work on this trains :)

@fraserboyd5977

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Filiph - I'm thinking about taking this train. Is it pretty quiet in October? Do you think if I book a couchette bed I will likely have the cabin to myself for the whole journey to Arlanda?

@amesavis

3 жыл бұрын

these trains, i work on these trains.

@filiphsandberg1696

3 жыл бұрын

@@amesavis yeah i snow ;)

@l.z.2315

3 жыл бұрын

Min favorit tåg..välgigt bekvämt att resa med👍