The Mälartågen have long been plagued by widespread problems and now, after an agreement between Mälardalstrafik and MTR Mälartåg, a new company is taking over the operation, according to Södermanland’s Nyheter.
Katarina Myrberg, press officer at Mälardalstrafik, emphasizes that the measure is being done with the best interests of travelers in mind.
Mälar train passengers have long experienced frustration due to recurring delays and canceled trains, often related to a lack of staff. Mia Rolandsdotter from Nyköping expresses her hopes for improvements, especially regarding punctuality and the availability of qualified personnel. Hanna Öhman, another Mälartåg traveler who has also shared her views with Södermanlands Nyheter, shares similar hopes for improvements in the future.
MTR took over the operation of the Mälartågen during the winter of 2021, as a result of previous problems with delayed and canceled trains from the previous operator, SJ. Since then, the problems have continued, resulting in heavy fines for MTR and a sudden CEO change in October 2022 after 15 troubled months.
Against the background of these challenges, an evaluation of alternatives was already initiated in the autumn of 2023. It was established that continued cooperation with MTR was not possible, which led to the termination of the agreement through an emergency procurement. Public transport company Transdev took over operations from 16 June with an emergency agreement spanning two years.
According to Södermanland’s Nyheter, this means a closer collaboration between Mälardalstrafik and Transdev to minimize the impact on travelers.
