photo: RAILTARGET/TRAVELOGUE: Journeying First-Class with SJ from Stockholm to Lund
The RAILTARGET editors are thrilled to present the ninth volume of the Nordic railway travelogue. So, what's on the agenda today? After spending two days exploring Stockholm, we boarded the high-speed train to Lund and had the chance to indulge in the breakfast they provided.
We remained in Stockholm until Monday morning. By 8:21 a.m., it was time for us to set off for Lund on the X2000 — the same service that earlier ferried us between Gothenburg and Stockholm. One distinction between this SJ-operated service and our previous journey was the seating configuration. On this trip, the quiet compartment was set up in a 2+2 layout (akin to second class), whereas on our journey between Gothenburg and Stockholm, it featured a 2+1 layout, typical of first class. An interesting tidbit: although the tracks around Stockholm can handle speeds of up to 250 km/h, we never exceeded 200 km/h. The reason? The train simply isn't designed to go any faster.
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The RAILTARGET editorial team is back with another installment of the popular travelogue series about the Nordic railway. In this episode, we'll journey…
A delightful perk of travelling first class was the complimentary breakfast. The meal included a hot beverage (either coffee or tea), fruit juice, bread with butter and apricot jam, plain yoghurt, fruit muesli, and savoury pancakes topped with cheese, salad, and tomato. This breakfast is a standard offering on all SJ high-speed trains departing before 9 a.m., and in our case, the service was wrapped up by 9:30 a.m. Additionally, first-class passengers were treated to tea, coffee, water, and small refreshments like fruits and chocolates.
For those seated in the quiet compartment, which comes at a slightly higher fare than the standard double compartment, a more modest breakfast is provided. However, these passengers need to head over to the bistro car, an integral part of the train, to collect their meals.
Ticket verification was intriguing. The conductor simply strolled through the carriages, using his mobile phone to ascertain if anyone occupied a seat they hadn't reserved (reservations were mandatory on this service). For us, time aboard the train flew by, and by 12:34 pm, we alighted in Lund, a charming town home to 100,000 residents.
Our arrival in Lund was met with a surprise. After descending the overpass, we intended to explore the station hall, only to realize it was non-existent! This unexpected turn was certainly a novelty for us. Directly in front of the station, you'll find both bus and tram stops. The station itself boasts 6 tracks, each of which is operational.
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In the seventh installment of RAILTARGET's popular travelogue series, we turn our attention to Stockholm. For the first time in Sweden, we had the pleasure…
Travel Tip: When reserving a seat, you can specify if you prefer to sit facing the direction of travel.