FlixTrain starts ticket sale in Sweden
FlixTrain is starting the ticket sale of it’s new service on the route Stockholm – Gothenburg starting May 2021. It is the first expansion of the open-access operator’s services outside of its home country Germany.
The journey between Stockholm and Gothenburg, the route on which FlixTrain will initially operate, will take 3 hours and 25 minutes. Trains will depart 38 times a week with 2-3 departures per day and direction with stops in Södertälje, Hallsberg, Skövde or Falköping. The trains can accommodate up to 562 passengers spread over six carriages. The trains all run on renewable electricity.
“We will have departures during times with the highest demand. Taking FlixTrain between Stockholm and Gothenburg is almost as time-efficient as taking a flight, but with significantly less climate impact”, said Peter Ahlgren, FlixBus’ Nordic CEO to Järnvagsnyheter. With a price of 129 Swedish krona (12,71 euros) for a one-way ticket, FlixTrain will be Sweden’s most affordable train company.
Partnership
Just like it’s road counterpart FlixBus, FlixTrain’s business model is based on partnerships with other transport companies. In Sweden, a collaboration has been initiated with Hector Rail. They will be responsible for the actual train journey, such as the locomotives, train drivers, train carriages and onboard employees. FlixTrain will be responsible for marketing, ticket sales and customer support.
“Hector Rail is a stable and knowledgeable partner with solid experience in rail transport. That they also have experience of driving passenger traffic is a bonus. With over 200 knowledgeable train drivers, we feel secure in our choice of partner”, said Peter Ahlgren.
Growing market
FlixTrain submitted an application at the Swedish Transport Administration for operations in Sweden in spring 2019. A year before, he open-access train operator was launched in Germany after successes of FlixBus all over Europe.
The ambition of FlixTrain is is to make train travel accessible to everyone, enabling cheap tickets. “We see that FlixTrain fills a void in a growing market”, said Peter Ahlgren. The company also aims to offer an integrated bus and train network by combining FlixBus and FlixTrain.
Read more:
