Severe rainfalls have caused notable damage to railways in Västernorrland, Sweden, leading to derailments and major disruptions. The damage is particularly impacting Onrail, a Norwegian train company that transports 250 tonnes of salmon and seafood daily from Narvik to Oslo via Sweden, a faster route for exports to countries like Japan and France.

Due to the railway closures in Västernorrland, freight traffic in northern Sweden is being redirected to the Inlandsbanan, a single-track, non-electrified railway with limited capacity. According to Mikael Eriksson, traffic manager Northern Region at the Swedish Transport Management, priority is being given to freight trains carrying essential goods.

Eriksson stated, “Right now we only have capacity for five freight trains per day. We would have liked to have seen at least two to three freight trains been able to run further on the Inlandsbanan. There are many companies that are affected, but we prioritize the freight trains that, for example, deliver utility products such as food and medicine.”

Henning Ardal, CEO of Onrail, described the situation as less than ideal, even with the alternative route. “the inland railway goes much slower and we cannot transport as much salmon to our customers. We only use it every other day right now. This is something that affects the entire Norwegian fishing industry financially, I would say that we lose at least SEK 20 million every day.”

“I would say that we lose at least SEK 20 million every day.” – Henning Ardal, CEO of Onrail

The current estimate is that the train stoppage will last until September 15, but this may be extended. Henning Ardal hopes the Swedish Transport Administration can expedite the railway’s restoration in Västernorrland.

ardal added, “In Norwegian there is a proverb that reads ‘there is no one who has as bad time as a dead salmon’. It is indeed a good saying that describes this situation. I understand that the Swedish Transport Administration does everything they can, but this affects not only us but the whole world.The Norwegian salmon is very popular.”