Stockholm to Narvik Sleeper - ticket release

[ollyexe2808]

Hi,

Posting here because I am hoping someone may have some more information about ticket releases for the Stockholm - Narvik sleeper. Apologies if this is in the wrong area of the forum!

Due to get to Stockholm on the Hamburg - Stockholm sleeper on the morning of 24. May. Plan is to get the Vy service to Narvik that same evening. I understand there are some rail works going on around Northern Norway which are affecting services, so it looks like we have to disembark on the Sweden side and get a bus to Narvik - this isn't a problem.

However, what is a problem is that the tickets aren't on sale yet, despite only being just over two weeks away. As this is part of a wider itinerary, I am trying to work out whether to abandon this part of the trip and go across to Oslo from Stockholm and then up to Trondheim and Bodø (our end goal is Lofoten).

Speaking to Vy, they have just said that:

"Our traffic planning is still working to get these trips up for sale, you have to keep an eye on the website.
If the tickets are not released, the train will not run."

Has anyone else had experience with booking tickets for this service? Is it normal to be waiting so close to the departure date? Does anyone have "insider knowledge" as to what is going on? It looks like they are having a ticket sales upgrade on their website but I can't get a straight answer as to if this is related to this problem or if this is to do with the ongoing engineering works.

Any help gratefully received!

 

[dutchflyer]

Not that long ago there was a lengthy and informative topic on this on community.eurail.com =works also for InterRail. If you have some time at hand-check that first.
What I remember from it was that some types of sleepers are NOT available to passholders and also that release of chance to REServe was only very late-probably to allow for any later changes in that bus-arrangement etc.
No-it is not ´normal´ to only allow it that late, but this is both special case/circumstance AND it also seems that the last year or so in SE they are quite late with opening bookings also for other services. On that forum AnnaB is a SJ-worker and has also somewhere more explanation herself about it.

 

[nwales58]

It's a mess apparently for multiple reasons. See:

https://www.vy.se/en/traffic-and-routes/traffic-info/vy-tag-traffic-info

The second item for train 94 says no sleepers beyond Boden in any case on Fridays from Stockholm even when it does become bookable. That page also explains it is still buses from Björkliden to Narvik, although Vy are now running the day Narvik-Lulea train on the Norwegian side.

Why not carry on by day as it's quite fast now? You can get to Umea that evening then early Umea connects into the day Lulea-Narvik. That (seat reservation compulsory) is bookable on 23/05 and 26/05 so it looks as if engineering work affects the days in between.

For certainty for the Lofoten islands I would go with your other option, Trondheim (or Hell), Bodo then ferry or Wideroe.

My gripe is that I am trying to arrange a trip in the first week of June. Vy were saying 04/06 onwards bookable from 06/05, then 07/05, now it's 08/05. You might think no-one could possibly want to travel that week despite it being the start of Swedish holidays from 06/06.
The alternative Norrtag services also have a massive thinning out up to 10/06, presumably everyone is off work.

 

[rvdborgt]

Not that long ago there was a lengthy and informative topic on this on community.eurail.com =works also for InterRail. If you have some time at hand-check that first.
What I remember from it was that some types of sleepers are NOT available to passholders

This is not the issue here.

On that forum AnnaB is a SJ-worker

She isn't.

It looks like Vy's comment is correct. If you try some other dates, you'll see that for some dates, trains can be booked or are sold out, for other dates, there's only 1 train (usually 21:55 from Stockholm), for some no train, for some not available (yet?).

 

[ollyexe2808]

Thanks all for responses so far.

@dutchflyer - I have had a scan of the Interrail website but as rvdborgt said, this isn't my issue currently. I do appreciate though that some of the comments on this forum do talk about late openings of bookings so that is helpful.

@nwales58 - Thanks, though I am confused because I can see it states "During week 21 train 94 runs according to the planned timetable with departure date Friday May 24th and Saturday May 25th" on the link you sent through? The train in question (train 94, 18:08 departure, 24/05) is showing as running with a bus from Björkliden but a sleeper service until this point - unless I am reading this wrong? It isn't showing for sale though...

I may consider the day option, but then it is just as straightforward to head on up through Norway so may well do that (this is a flight-free trip from Exeter, UK so would rather not fly unless absolutely necessary!).

It is a shame because this is the first time I have done this route - normally we head up to Norway by the Colorline ferry from Kiel - Oslo or other rail lines but wanted to give this way a try. All other trains booked (including the Hamburg - Stockholm sleeper which I was worried about booking) but this part is really frustrating.

I have also been keeping an eye on the Vy.se website and the summer booking update which, as you say, is showing as opening 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and now 8th May.

I may just have to book an alternative given how close we are to the date now.

 

[Gloster]

I have just looked at .banenor.no and it says that the line is closed to passenger trains until further notice, although it is hoped to reopen on 18 June. This is from an update of 3 April.

 

[ollyexe2808]

I have just looked at .banenor.no and it says that the line is closed to passenger trains until further notice, although it is hoped to reopen on 18 June. This is from an update of 3 April.

I believe this is the Norwegian section of the line. The understanding I have is that trains are running to Björkliden and then a replacement bus is running across the border towards Narvik.

 

[nwales58]

... I can see it states "During week 21 train 94 runs according to the planned timetable with departure date Friday May 24th and Saturday May 25th" on the link you sent through? The train in question (train 94, 18:08 departure, 24/05) is showing as running with a bus from Björkliden but a sleeper service until this point - unless I am reading this wrong? It isn't showing for sale though...

I assume they should be available eventually on the days that times are shown.
Currently it's awful, Boden onwards (the day train from Lulea runs most days) is currently only for sale up to 15/05 then no times until 23/05 which is bookable then times but not bookable until 26/05 to 03/06 which are bookable.

If you go back to the traffic information there are two entries for train 94, the second states:

Train 94 with departure on fridays May 3rd, May 10th, May 17th and May 24th will be affected by a change in cart types on the route Boden C-Björkliden.

Due to maintenance on the traintrack on the route Vännäs-Hällnäs, our planning of cart types will be affected on train 94. For this reason train 94 will during this period of time traffic route Boden C-Björkliden with passenger carts solely.

So you would be turfed out of your sleeper cart, if you managed to book it, into a passenger cart around 0600 at Boden.

All I want is to know whether I can get a seat on the day trains in June or risk getting stuck in Gällivare on the days Norrtag isn't running much or put off recreating my 1972 Narvik+Helsinki trip for another year.

 

[nwales58]

Now bookable to 31/07. Ah, not trains 93/94 ...

https://www.vy.se/en/news/spring-ticket-release

How do Swedes cope with this?

 

[ollyexe2808]

Now bookable to 31/07. Ah, not trains 93/94 ...

https://www.vy.se/en/news/spring-ticket-release

How do Swedes cope with this?

Saw this. We have ended up routing via Oslo and Trondheim because we have some itinerary restrictions to keep to.

Such a shame, I was looking forward to that train journey! Will keep an eye out and post an update if I see anything more on this.

 

[rvdborgt]

Now bookable to 31/07. Ah, not trains 93/94 ...

https://www.vy.se/en/news/spring-ticket-release

How do Swedes cope with this?

93/94 looks bookable. I could get to the payment page for train 94 on (IIRC) 18 June or thereabouts. On sj.se no joy (yet).

 

[Gloster]

Be aware that, according to Banenor’s site, 18 June is still only an estimate. The direct Dovrebane to Trondheim should be open on 21 May.