The express train in Sweden is called "Snabbtag" - which translates as "express train". It mainly runs on the main routes from Stockholm to Malmö and Copenhagen as well as to Gothenburg and is operated by the Swedish railway company with another sonorous name "SJ- Statens Järnvägar", which translates as (three guesses) "state railway". I travelled one of their routes on an express train: from Malmö to Stockholm.
If you would like to travel this route in the opposite direction, Argon has a block for you.
Tickets
I travelled with Interrail, which only requires a reservation, but of course there are also normal tickets. You can simply buy these on the Website of the SJ buy. Prices start at 299 crowns, the equivalent of around 30 euros.
The regional trains on the route are operated by Snälltåget, and you can buy tickets for them directly on the Snälltåget website.
A SJ snabbtag at Malmö C station.
Reservation/Interrail
With Interrail you only pay the reservation fee of SEK 70, approx. EUR 7. You can also get this online, quite simply here at the SJ.
If you are using the English version of the website, you must select the "Traveller" tab. There, under "Travels with travel card", select the option "Interrail/Eurail".
Timetable (status 2025)
You can even find the timetable in the Travel information from Deutsche Bahn. I usually prefer this website when travelling abroad, as it provides quite reliable information.
DB's express trains have the designation "X2". The departure time from Malmö C is always 07 after the hour. First train at 05:07, last train at 19:07.
The journey time is between 4:24 hours and 4:32 hours, depending on how often the train stops. The train usually stops about 8 times, which is quite a lot for a fast train.
On my journey (Saturday), the train departed from Malmö C station at 8.04am.
There are regional trains from Malmö at 0920 and 1714, which can be used free of charge with Interrail. Journey time 4h55 with 8 intermediate stops. The X2 only achieves the faster journey time due to its tilting technology.
There is also a night train on this route, departing Malmö at 22:17 and arriving in Stockholm at 05:53. Personally, however, this night would be too short for me, and reservations are also compulsory here.
Please note that some trains do not run at weekends or on Saturdays, and sometimes not even on individual days. However, this is displayed by DB under "Transport days".
Trains coming from or travelling to Copenhagen also stop in the underground part of the station. There are signs to this effect in the station. All other trains depart above ground.
In the event of an evacuation, there is even a notice board on the train, but this is just as valid on land as in the tunnel between Malmö and Copenhagen.
Safety first: what to do in the event of an accident!
The journey from Malmö to Stockholm
It's a rainy Saturday morning when my night train from Berlin arrives in Malmö. As it came via the ferry, which has unfortunately not been running since the beginning of 2020, it is currently travelling if then via Hamburg/Jutlandbut not every day. For this reason I took the X2 instead of the regional train, as the EN from Berlin arrived in Malmö at 07:20 and I only wanted to wait until eight o'clock instead of 09:20.
But first, let's take a look around the station.
It's already quite busy, even though most of the shops are still closed.
Interestingly, you can even take a shower here.
And of course I'm particularly interested in the underground tracks. Malmö Central is actually a terminus station, but four tracks were built underground for trains travelling through for the Öresund Bridge.
And then, of course, I take another look at the station from the outside. A unique brick construction that is unrivalled! The bus stop is right in front of the main entrance.
Finally, we are slowly approaching eight o'clock and four minutes (the departure time at the time). The train is ready. On the adjacent track is a Swedish SJ night train locomotive from the Stockholm-Malmö night train. It's a great comparison: night train vs. express train.
On the left the night train from Stockholm, on the right the express train to Stockholm.
Then it's time to board! I look for my seat in 2nd class. I sit in one of two, the seat next to me remains free for the first part of the journey.
Noch bevor ich zum Nickerchen ansetze (die alltägliche Interrail-Reise-Müdigkeit 😉 führe ich euch kurz durch den Zug.
On the one hand, there is 2nd class. Consisting of 2+2 seating, there are both 2-seater and 4-seater seats. The 4-seaters have a fixed table in the centre (which can be enlarged), the 2-seaters have a folding table at the back of the front seat backrest. Overall, the design reminds me a lot of the German ICE. No double-decker, 2+2, four-seater with table and of course there are additional luggage compartments to those above the chairs.
Next we come to the dining car. This has a great design, with chic red armchairs. Compared to Germany, however, there is no real kitchen, but a kind of self-service buffet where you can choose from ready-made dishes, such as sandwiches.
Then comes 1st class. If you would like to read a travelogue specifically about this, then I can recommend the blog of Alexander, who travelled the route from Stockholm to Copenhagen (i.e. in the opposite direction).
Surprisingly, 1st class is seated in 2+1, similar to the ICE. The armchairs seem a little softer, and the armrests are covered with fabric instead of wood as in 2nd class. A free drink is also included in 1st class.
Now it's time for my nap. Unfortunately, I have to say that the train is less suitable for this. The longest time without a stop is just 40 or 50 minutes. Not enough time for a proper nap, as every stop is accompanied by announcements. I'm also a little annoyed that the train stops "at every milk churn". But Sweden is sparsely populated and that seems to be necessary.
It's in a small town like this that my seat neighbour gets on for the rest of the journey. I ask her a few questions in English until she points out that we're actually in the rest area. I hadn't even realised that yet, but I think I dimly remember that you could choose your seat when you made your reservation and that I had done this separately. The rest area is only characterised by a small sign on a sliding door and stands out visually from the normal 2nd class just by the blue instead of green cloths on the seats.
I use the rest of the journey to take in the Swedish countryside. There are a few lakes here and there, but no tunnels, except just before Stockholm. Meanwhile, I switch on my speedometer on my mobile phone. The express train Snabbtag is supposed to travel at up to 210 km/h. Today it's travelling at 207 km/h, but the app isn't always that accurate.
Arrival
I am reminded a little sadly that we are only travelling as far as "Stockholm-Södra"/Stockholm-South today. Normally you go as far as Stockholm-Central, the main railway station, which is also a really beautiful building. I left there three days later. You can see a photo at the very end, as there is now construction work on the connecting line.
And it's even more annoying that you don't get the rail replacement service for free, at least not as an Interail traveller. I even thought that this was pointed out to me when I made my reservation, as I had the choice between a normal reservation and a reservation with a surcharge (a few euros). I still felt a bit cheated, as you can normally travel to Stockholm-Central with the same 7.50 euro reservation. What the heck. I had hoped a little that the lady on the train might be able to help me in Swedish. But when I'm turned back at the barrier and see an interrailer-discriminatory sign, I walk the 2.5 kilometres to the hostel in a huff.
Staying overnight in Stockholm
A hostel is usually the first choice for interrailers. I stayed at the Birka Hostel. One of the few that was still available when I booked just a few days before. To be honest, I can't really recommend it as it's very large and impersonal. The doors were also so loud that you woke up every time someone moved. And the kitchen essentially consisted of a microwave, where you can heat up the amazing ready meals that are available in bulk on every corner. Despite many criticisms, it wasn't the worst hostel I've ever slept in.
When booking earlier, you will find Hostelworld but certainly better.
If you are looking for a hotel or similar, then take a look at Booking.com.
Summary
Even if not everything was perfect in the end, I still can't blame Snabbtag. The delay of four minutes can easily be excused and I hope you also enjoyed the ride!
If you liked my blog, I would be delighted if you used our booking links for your next trip. We will then receive a small commission from rail.cc without the price changing. You'll be supporting posts like this one. We are also happy to help you individually and personally if you ask a question in the comments.
Otherwise, please recommend us to others! See you on the next trip!
And finally, a video from Peter:
Important links
Timetable / journey time 4:30 hours: SJ - Swedish railway
Buy train tickets from 30 EUR: SJ - Swedish railway
You can also get Interrail seat reservations here.
Buy Interrail – official Interrail Pass
Book a hotel: Booking.com
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