Arriva wins Swedish rail franchise worth 550 million euros

Arriva has been awarded an eight-year contract to run the Pågatågen train services in Sweden until December 2026. 

The contract was awarded by the transport authority of the Skåne region following an open competitive tender. Arriva has run 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 bid.

Commenting on the contract win, Arriva Group CEO Manfred Rudhart said: “Over 21 million passenger journeys are made every year on the Pågatågen franchise connecting people to some of Sweden’s major cities, including Malmö, Helsingborg, Lund, and Trelleborg. Under the new contract, passengers will benefit from new trains, a more connected service and better service information.”

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.