KTH: Utbud priser och avreglering 1990-2011 - Trafikanalys

KTH Railway Group have investigated supply and prices on a large selection of railway lines for each
year between 1990 and 2011. In summary, this data clearly shows that the average speed has
increased substantially, first and foremost over longer distances, and that frequency of service has at
the same time increased generally but most in local and regional traffic. Investments in
infrastructure and new trains have resulted in 90% more trains running at least 20% faster. All in all,
this has meant an increase in rail travel of 90% measured in passenger-km between 1991, which had
the lowest level after the introduction of VAT on travel, and 2011, which saw the highest level to
date. Short-haul journeys of less than 100 km have increased by 160% and long-haul journeys by
55%. It is principally traffic in the metropolitan regions and interregional high-speed train traffic that
have increased most.
Prices in commercial traffic have become increasingly differentiated since 1991. During the 1990s,
the X2000 trains were introduced which had higher comfort and shorter journey times which could
compete with the airlines and therefore could have a higher price level. Prices on InterCity trains and
regional trains have been relatively stable, except for when VAT was introduced in 1991. During the
2000s, increasingly flexible pricing has been introduced in SJ’s traffic with low prices also on the
X2000 routes. Price differentiation has increased – from an average of SEK 13 / 100 km to a
maximum price of SEK 35 / 100 km and a lowest price of SEK 2,50 / 100 km. Monthly pass prices on
the (county) traffic associations’ routes have increased most since 1990; they have doubled in
today’s prices but from a very low level.
Deregulation of commercial domestic traffic began tin 2007 with the abolition of SJ’s monopoly on
charter and night train traffic. In 2009 weekend and holiday traffic were also opened up to
competition. Since 1 October 2010, traffic has been fully deregulated, which in reality means train
operation year 2012, since applications for train paths had to be submitted in April 2010 for the
timetable that came into force in 2011.
Veolia (formerly Connex) was the first operator to begin competing with SJ’s commercial traffic.
Veolia began seasonal night train traffic to Jämtland already in 2007, starting on the first day it was
permitted. The company had acquired experience of train traffic in Sweden having been among other
things commissioned by the state to operate the unprofitable traffic to Norrland between 2003 and
2008 and had also purchased some rolling stock of its own.
In 2009 Veolia began operating daytime weekend trains between Stockholm and Malmö and also on
weekdays from October 2010 when it was permitted. Veolia have thus always been first to exploit
the deregulation of the railways. In 2012 Veolia is operating one train pair a day between Malmö and
Stockholm with daytime trains and night trains between Malmö and Jämtland with two train pairs a
week during the winter season. From 2012 Veolia is also operating seasonal traffic with night trains
between Malmö and Berlin via Trelleborg-Sassnitz after SJ discontinued its services on that route.
Veolia has also concentrated on uniform, relatively low prices as an element in its marketing. In June
2012, Veolia introduced a yield-management-system, which means that they have the possibility to
set more varying prices in the same way as SJ.
Skandinaviska Jernbanor (SKJB) began operating its "Blue Train" between Gothenburg and Uppsala
in December 2011 with one train pair a day. The Blue Train can be regarded more as a luxury
alternative with only 1st class carriages, a restaurant carriage and a piano bar carriage. The concept is
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