SJ is the Swedish state-owned passenger rail operator. It runs commercial long-distance and regional trains in Sweden’s open rail market and operates contracted commuter, regional and night train services in Sweden and Norway.
SJ AB was formed on 1 January 2001, when the state enterprise Statens Järnvägar was split into separate companies for passenger services, freight and other activities. It is wholly owned by the Swedish state, with ownership managed by the Ministry of Finance. Jonas Abrahamsson, former CEO of the airport operator Swedavia, has been CEO since 1 February 2026.
In 2025 SJ had net sales of SEK 14,517m, an operating profit of SEK 1,055m and an average of 6,270 employees. Travel in its commercial services rose 2%, and 88% of its trains in Sweden were punctual.
SJ receives no state subsidy for its commercial services and competes with open-access operators on the main lines, including VR Snabbtåg between Stockholm and Gothenburg. Contracted services are tendered by regional transport authorities, Trafikverket and, in Norway, the Norwegian Railway Directorate (Jernbanedirektoratet).
Contracted services
SJ Stockholmståg has run the Stockholm commuter trains under emergency contracts since MTR left in spring 2024, with operation agreed until March 2028. SJ Götalandståg runs Västtågen in western Sweden and has been awarded a new 11-year contract from December 2027.
In Norway, SJ Norge runs Trafikkpakke 2 Nord, which includes Oslo–Trondheim and Trondheim–Bodø. The directorate has extended the contract to December 2030.
Trafikverket has awarded SJ the state-procured night trains from Stockholm to Narvik and Umeå for December 2026 to December 2028, with vehicles supplied by Trafikverket. SJ’s night train to Berlin and Hamburg ended on 31 August 2026 after its Trafikverket contract expired, and RDC Deutschland has run the service since 1 September 2026.
Fleet renewal
In April 2022 SJ ordered 25 Zefiro Express high-speed trains from Alstom for about EUR 650m, with an option for 15 more. The trains, designated X250, are designed for 250 km/h and for services in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
Delivery was planned for 2026, but the trains cannot enter service before December 2027. Deliveries of 25 regional trains ordered from CAF in July 2022 also fall in 2027 and 2028.
Until the new trains arrive, SJ is refurbishing its X2000 high-speed trains and double-deck trains within a vehicle investment programme of about SEK 19bn. In April 2026 it briefly withdrew 13 X2000 sets for wheel inspections after a damaged wheel was found.