Arriva wins Swedish rail franchise

European public transport company 476 Arriva has been awarded an eight-year contract by the transport authority of the Skåne region to run the Pågatågen train services in Sweden until December 2026.

Arriva has been running services on the system in Sweden’s southernmost county since 2007 and had already secured a two-year extension on its franchise through to 2018 before its latest contract.

For the first time, Arriva will be responsible for fleet maintenance and for introducing new trains into service. The number of trains will also increase from 66 to 99 trains with more service connections. Alongside this Arriva is developing a new digital mobility portal, Arriva Tågportal, which will enable better coordination of services and improve passenger information.