[DK/SE/NO] DSB applies to operate direct Talgo services Copenhagen - Gothenburg - Oslo

[jamesontheroad]

DSB, Danish State Railways, have applied to Jernbanenævnet, the Danish Railway authority, to operate a new direct passenger service between Copenhagen and Oslo.

PDF copy of the application: https://www.jernbanenaevnet.dk/Media/638645887011839529/Anmeldelse af planlagt ny passagerrute - med overstregninger.pdf?

This application doesn't specify a start date, but it would not be before the winter timetable change in December 2025 at the very earliest. It does specify the intention to use the forthcoming Talgo.

Some fields in the application form have been redacted for business confidentiality, but at the top of page 3 is a redacted indicative schedule which appears to show two columns of departure/arrival times, suggesting that there will initially be two train pairs per day.

A thread on the Danish railway forum jernbane.net on the subject is available here, easily translated in some browsers: https://jernbane.net/forum/threads/112315/#post-429248

 

[duesselmartin]

Certainly a gap waiting to be closed. If there is a decent connection to Hamburg, even better.

 

[JonasB]

That is interesting. It has been rumoured for a while, but it seems like they're are actually considering it. And SJ is also looking at Oslo-Copenhagen once their new high speed trains arrive.

But DSB really should rethink their attitude towards selling food on their trains if they want to consider longer routes.

But jernbane.net is a Norwegian forum. It is however also discussed on the Danish forum jernbanen.dk: https://www.jernbanen.dk/forum1/index.php/topic,1467.msg22328.html#msg22328

 

[Gloster]

It was not so many years ago that DSB was clearly told to stop its foreign adventures and concentrate on its domestic business. So are going to see another circle of expansion, problems and contraction?

 

[YorkshireBear]

Big international gap in my opinion. I was surprised by the nature of my journey to Oslo from Copenhagen on our UK to Bødo trip. Interesting to see if it stacks up financially.

 

[andersj]

It was not so many years ago that DSB was clearly told to stop its foreign adventures and concentrate on its domestic business. So are going to see another circle of expansion, problems and contraction?

Yes, but for tendered contracts which had nothing to do with danish travelers. At one point they operated more services in Sweden than in Denmark, but lost a lot of money because they won with very low bids. In February 2019 DSB pulled out of the last international contract, when they sold their 50% stake in Vias to R.A.T.H.-Gruppe.

Operating an Oslo-Copenhagen-Hamburg service is more aligned with the main objetive of DSB, than providing commuter trains between Frankfurt and Koblenz or in Stockholm.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Over on the Swedish-language Postvagen forum are some posts about SJ, Vy and Snälltåget's applications for train paths in the 2026 Swedish railway timetable. These are not (yet) public documents but they are visible to certain members of the railway community.

TLDR (or DSSDR... "Don't Speak Swedish, Didn't Read")

Starting 28 September 2026, Vy (ex-NSB, Norway) has applied to Trafikverket for two daily round-trips with locomotive-hauled trains from Peberholm (the artificial island of the Øresund crossing, the effective SE/DK border in Swedish timetable planning) to Kornsjö (the Sweden/Norway border). Northbound trains would depart Malmö Central at 07.32 and 16.32, southbound trains arrive in Malmö Central 13.25 and 22.25. It is assumed that these are planned to be the previously discussed Vy/DSB cooperation, using DSB Talgos + locomotives for a twice-daily daytime Oslo-Copenhagen direct service. If the Talgos aren't ready yet maybe with ex-DC IC carriages.

Meanwhile, Swedish SJ has also applied for one daily roundtrip from the Sweden-Norway border to Malmö. These are also for locomotive-hauled trains, starting on 1st May 2026. The northbound train departs 04.28 and the southbound train arrives Malmö 23.00. Those times mean it would be a perfect fit for an Oslo portion to join the existing Stockholm-Berlin EuroNight train.

Snälltåget has also applied for a single roundtrip Peberholm DK/SE to Kornsjö SE/NO starting 1 May 2026, but via Gothenburg-Gamlestaden.

They've also applied for a less-than-daily service Malmö - Storlien border (SE/NO) which "smells" a lot like a seasonal Malmö - Trondheim night train, starting 16 April 2026. The train runs northbound Wednesdays and Fridays and southbound Thursdays and Sundays.

Applications for train paths do not mean these trains will be approved nor do approved applications mean that these companies will run these trains.

 

[RailWonderer]

Over on the Swedish-language Postvagen forum are some posts about SJ, Vy and Snälltåget's applications for train paths in the 2026 Swedish railway timetable. These are not (yet) public documents but they are visible to certain members of the railway community.

TLDR (or DSSDR... "Don't Speak Swedish, Didn't Read")

Starting 28 September 2026, Vy (ex-NSB, Norway) has applied to Trafikverket for two daily round-trips with locomotive-hauled trains from Peberholm (the artificial island of the Øresund crossing, the effective SE/DK border in Swedish timetable planning) to Kornsjö (the Sweden/Norway border). Northbound trains would depart Malmö Central at 07.32 and 16.32, southbound trains arrive in Malmö Central 13.25 and 22.25. It is assumed that these are planned to be the previously discussed Vy/DSB cooperation, using DSB Talgos + locomotives for a twice-daily daytime Oslo-Copenhagen direct service. If the Talgos aren't ready yet maybe with ex-DC IC carriages.

Meanwhile, Swedish SJ has also applied for one daily roundtrip from the Sweden-Norway border to Malmö. These are also for locomotive-hauled trains, starting on 1st May 2026. The northbound train departs 04.28 and the southbound train arrives Malmö 23.00. Those times mean it would be a perfect fit for an Oslo portion to join the existing Stockholm-Berlin EuroNight train.

Snälltåget has also applied for a single roundtrip Peberholm DK/SE to Kornsjö SE/NO starting 1 May 2026, but via Gothenburg-Gamlestaden.

They've also applied for a less-than-daily service Malmö - Storlien border (SE/NO) which "smells" a lot like a seasonal Malmö - Trondheim night train, starting 16 April 2026. The train runs northbound Wednesdays and Fridays and southbound Thursdays and Sundays.

Applications for train paths do not mean these trains will be approved nor do approved applications mean that these companies will run these trains.

At the moment VY operate a few Oslo Malmo trains per day with a 5 car Stadler Flirt with 2+2 seating which is very comfortable but with only a trolley service for a six hour end to end journey the catering seems too little. Also I wonder if the 3+2 ones turn up on that route as well. I know Goteborg - Oslo is more frequent and is about three hours.

I’m any case a loco hauled service with proper catering and better seating will be a decent upgrade and will cross the Oresund as well.

 

[Tester]

At the moment VY operate a few Oslo Malmo trains per day with a 5 car Stadler Flirt

That is very interesting!

Please can you give more details of these - I can't find them.

 

[RailWonderer]

That is very interesting!

Please can you give more details of these - I can't find them.

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2025 » Vy Rt » Rt 107/385 RE20

www.vagonweb.cz

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2025 » Vy Rt » Rt 386/118 RE20

www.vagonweb.cz

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2025 » Vy Rt » Rt 123/395 RE20

www.vagonweb.cz

vagonWEB » Řazení vlaků » 2025 » Vy Rt » Rt 396/134 RE20

www.vagonweb.cz

As far as I know, these are the only two return trips per day. More terminate at Goteborg, more Fredrikstad or Sarpsborg.

 

[stadler]

The extension to Malmo does not start until the 14th of July in just over two months time. Until then all trains on the line terminate at Gothenburg still. Once the new timetable starts on the 14th of July it will be just two Malmo trains a day in each direction. In comparison there are eight Gothenburg trains a day in each direction so changing there will still often be more convenient.

Timetables for the route are available here:

15/12/2024 to 29/06/2025:

https://www.vy.no/files/eyx1eny7/vyno-production/50ee41bda870ff1900e272d960328d28516ea44c.pdf

30/06/2025 to 13/07/2025:

https://www.vy.no/files/eyx1eny7/vyno-production/a21041eae0d5420d216edd260d320a4fcecb795c.pdf

14/07/2025 to 10/08/2025:

https://www.vy.no/files/eyx1eny7/vyno-production/02b2dd8184d538db41c8d4053556b7f835374143.pdf

So the extension of two trains a day in each direction to Malmo is a new thing that does not start for another couple of months.

 

[Richard Scott]

At the moment VY operate a few Oslo Malmo trains per day with a 5 car Stadler Flirt with 2+2 seating which is very comfortable but with only a trolley service for a six hour end to end journey the catering seems too little. Also I wonder if the 3+2 ones turn up on that route as well. I know Goteborg - Oslo is more frequent and is about three hours.

I’m any case a loco hauled service with proper catering and better seating will be a decent upgrade and will cross the Oresund as well.

Having been on these I wouldn't go as far as to say very comfortable! Also every time I've done it there's been no trolley service so an improvement is sorely needed for this route.

 

[jamesontheroad]

DSB has ordered their Talgo sets with no catering provision other than some vending machines. So it's likely that the best we can hope for on daytime trains Oslo-Copenhagen will be some kind of trolley.

 

[JonasB]

DSB has ordered their Talgo sets with no catering provision other than some vending machines. So it's likely that the best we can hope for on daytime trains Oslo-Copenhagen will be some kind of trolley.

For now, but SJ has shown interest in operation Oslo-Copenhagen trains as soon as their new high speed trains are delivered.

 

[JonasB]

VY is looking to lease locomotives, probably for the Oslo-Copenhagen trains with a possible extension to Germany.

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