Linx
Encyclopedia
Linx AB was a railway company
which operated inter-Scandinavian passenger trains between 2001 and 2004. Established as a joint venture
between the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and the Swedish state-owned SJ
, Linx operated the routes from Oslo
, Norway
, to Stockholm
, Sweden
, and from Oslo via Gothenburg
, Sweden, to Copenhagen
, Denmark
. Services were provided up to ten times per day. However, slow speeds caused by curvy infrastructure in Norway, combined with competition from low-cost airlines, caused the company to lose money, and eventually grounded operations. The services were taken over by NSB and SJ. Linx. The main rolling stock were eleven X2 electric multiple unit
s, although it used Rc
-hauled trains on the Gothenburg–Oslo service. The company was based in Gothenburg.
connection between the countris' capitals. Linx was the train operating part of the agreement, while the governments would have to invest in better rail infrastructure to allow higher speeds.
The company was presented by NSB and SJ on 12 May 2000. The stated plans were to start with the service from Gothenburg to Copenhagen in January 2001, from Oslo to Gothenburg in June, and from Oslo to Stockholm in January 2002. The company would have its head office in Gothenburg and would lease rolling stock from SJ. NSB's chief executive officer
, Osmund Ueland
, became the company's first chair. The company had a share capital
of 10 million Swedish krona
(SEK) and was owned in equal shares by NSB and SJ. The company's first train ran on 7 January, from Gothenburg to Copenhagen. Service from Oslo to Gothenburg started on 17 June.
Because Linx was only to operate profitable routes, it was decided that the company not take over the night train
service from Oslo to Copenhagen. NSB stated that they wanted all inter-Scandinavian passenger transport to be operated by the new company, and therefore decided to terminate the night train from 2 September. Although it was filled during the summer and parts of the winter, there was a low ridership during the rest of the year. However, a lack of engineers forced NSB to terminate the night train service from 20 June. There were protests against the closing of the service, particularly in Norway. Marketing Director Øyvind Rørslett in Linx stated that "we are concentrating on the day trains. We want to develop a holistic concept, where new modern trains are a major part. Night trains do not fit into this concept".
X2 was never introduced on the section from Gothenburg to Oslo. Linx stated that investments for NOK 2 billion were needed on the Østfold Line to reach a travel time from Oslo to Gothenburg of 3 hours and 30 minutes, rather than the more than 4 hours at the time. In contrast, the Norway/Vänern Line on the Swedish side of the boarder meets the necessary standards.
The first service from Oslo to Stockholm ran on 16 June 2002. Initially there were only three daily services, but later in the year, two more daily services were introduced. At the same time, travel time was reduced by 20 minutes, as the trains stopped at only three intermediate stations. Linx operated with different prices on the same route, depending on if the ticket was bought in Norway or Sweden. The company stated that this was in part because of a strong Norwegian krone, in part because Norwegians were willing to pay more, and in part because the sales system in Sweden was more automated.
In July 2003, Linx reduced the number of daily services from Gothenburg to Copenhagen from ten to four. The company stated that this was because of insufficient ridership. Linx had offered tickets with a lower price than Scandinavian Airlines, who operated the airline service between Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
. Ryanair
also provided an airline service, but with fewer departures and with the same center-to-center transport time because it flew from the secondary Sandefjord Airport, Torp and Stockholm-Skavsta Airport
. From 1 September 2003, Norwegian Air Shuttle
started services from Gardermoen to Arlanda, and became a more direct competitor to Linx. From 27 October, Nordic Airlink (later FlyNordic) also started a flight between the same airports. With shorter travel time from center to center and comparable fares, Norwegian and Nordic started taking market shares away from Linx.
From 15 December, NSB took over three of the daily services from Oslo to Gothenburg, by extending three of the InterCity services along the Østfold Line onwards from Halden Station
to Gothenburg. On 24 January 2004, a Linx train derailed at Vestby Station
on the Østfold Line. None of the 50 passengers were hurt in the incident.
On 11 June 2004, NSB and SJ stated that they would discontinue Linx, and would operate the last train on 31 December 2004. The company had never made a profit, and the new low-cost airlines had reduced ridership by up to 40%. The only part of the service which was profitable was the service from Stockholm to Karlstad, which SJ intended to continue. NSB stated that if a new Oslo–Stockholm service was to be introduced, it would require state grants. In September, SJ's CEO Jan Forsberg stated that the problems lay with the infrastructure in Norway. While the speeds where high enough to operate with a profit in Sweden and to Copenhagen, the slow lines in Norway made services to Norway unprofitable. Linx had by then transported 1.3 million passengers, and Forsberg stated that had the company transported 1.7 million people, it would have been profitable.
The closing was criticized by two engineers, who stated that the company actually made a profit, but ended up paying 24% of their revenue in ticket commission to SJ and NSB. In 2003, the company had a revenue of SEK 426.8 million, of which SEK 411 million was from ticket sales. The company had a deficit of SEK 33.8 million, of which NSB covered SEK 8.1 million and SJ SEK 25.6 million. However, NSB took a commission of SEK 10.8 million and SJ SEK 58.5 million. This gave a profit, before provisions, of SEK 35.5 million. In comparison, Narvesen
took a commission of 2.7% for tickets sold by NSB.
The closing of the Oslo–Stockholm service was the first time there was not a train service between the capitals since 1871, when the line opened. In addition, the service cut occurred at the same time as the centennial of the Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden. In 4 November, SJ and NSB stated that they would continue the service, although only in the weekends. They stated that an increased service would either require financial grants from the states, or introduction of duty free sales on-board.
, Kongsvinger Station
, Karlstad Central Station, and Stockholm Central Station
. When the service was launched, a ticket from Oslo to Stockholm cost NOK 563, or NOK 326 if bought at least seven days before departure. Two people under the age of 16 could travel for free when accompanying an adult. Later, minimum prices of NOK 280 were launched, while maximum price for business class was NOK 1300. Tickets were slightly cheaper to purchase in Sweden than in Norway. About 185,000 passengers took the train from Oslo to Stockholm each year.
Travel time from Gothenburg to Copenhagen was 3 hours and 30 minutes. The X2 trains had a speed of up to 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph) on the West Coast Line from Gothenburg Central Station
to Malmö Central Station
, and then ran along the Oresund Line via Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup Station
to Copenhagen Central Station. A ticket from Gothenburg to Copenhagen cost NOK 1119 in business class, NOK 803 in second class, and with reduced prices down to NOK 342 if bought in advance or for weekend travel.
Travel time from Oslo to Gothenburg was slightly more than four hours. Prices varied from NOK 633 for a business class ticket, NOK 355 for a second class ticket to NOK 187 for pre-booked tickets. X2 trains were never introduced on the section from Oslo to Gothenburg. Instead, conventional Swedish trains from the 1960s hauled by Rc locomotives were used. Passengers traveling from Oslo to Copenhagen had to change train in Gothenburg.
s owned by SJ. Forty-three units were delivered to SJ by Kalmar Verkstad between 1990 and 1997. The trains are standard gauge
, have a power output of 3260 kW and a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph). Each train consists of a locomotive, a number of middle cars and an end car. The trains use power supply in Sweden and Norway, and 25 kV 50 Hz AC in Denmark. Linx had two classes: business and second. On business class, a warm meal and drink was included, while in second class, a restaurant car was provided. Seats had a power outlet for laptops, and free wireless Internet
.
Railway company
A railway company or railroad company is an entity that operates a railroad track and/or trains. Such a company can either be private or public...
which operated inter-Scandinavian passenger trains between 2001 and 2004. Established as a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and the Swedish state-owned SJ
SJ AB
SJ is a government-owned passenger train operator in Sweden. SJ was created in 2000, out of the public transport division of Statens Järnvägar, when the former government agency was divided into six separate government-owned limited companies.-Overview:SJ's operations fall broadly into subsidised...
, Linx operated the routes from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and from Oslo via Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden, to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Services were provided up to ten times per day. However, slow speeds caused by curvy infrastructure in Norway, combined with competition from low-cost airlines, caused the company to lose money, and eventually grounded operations. The services were taken over by NSB and SJ. Linx. The main rolling stock were eleven X2 electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s, although it used Rc
Rc
rc is the command line interpreter for Version 10 Unix and Plan 9 from Bell Labs operating systems. It resembles the Bourne shell, but its syntax is somewhat simpler. It was created by Tom Duff, who is better known for an unusual C programming language construct called Duff's device.A port of the...
-hauled trains on the Gothenburg–Oslo service. The company was based in Gothenburg.
History
Linx was established following an informal agreement between the ministers of transport in Norway, Sweden and Denmark to establish high-speed railHigh-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
connection between the countris' capitals. Linx was the train operating part of the agreement, while the governments would have to invest in better rail infrastructure to allow higher speeds.
The company was presented by NSB and SJ on 12 May 2000. The stated plans were to start with the service from Gothenburg to Copenhagen in January 2001, from Oslo to Gothenburg in June, and from Oslo to Stockholm in January 2002. The company would have its head office in Gothenburg and would lease rolling stock from SJ. NSB's chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, Osmund Ueland
Osmund Ueland
Osmund Ueland is a Norwegian civil servant and former CEO of Norges Statsbaner .An engineer by education, he worked for Aker from 1975 to 1990. From 1990 to 1994 he headed the Lillehammer Olympic Organising Committee . In 1994 he was hired as CEO for NSB Gardermobanen; the next year he was...
, became the company's first chair. The company had a share capital
Share capital
Share capital or issued capital or capital stock refers to the portion of a company's equity that has been obtained by trading stock to a shareholder for cash or an equivalent item of capital value...
of 10 million Swedish krona
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(SEK) and was owned in equal shares by NSB and SJ. The company's first train ran on 7 January, from Gothenburg to Copenhagen. Service from Oslo to Gothenburg started on 17 June.
Because Linx was only to operate profitable routes, it was decided that the company not take over the night train
Night Train
Night Train or Nightrain may refer to:*Night train, a train that runs at night, see sleeping car.-Music:*Night Train , an Australian rock bandAlbums*Night Train , an album by the Oscar Peterson Trio...
service from Oslo to Copenhagen. NSB stated that they wanted all inter-Scandinavian passenger transport to be operated by the new company, and therefore decided to terminate the night train from 2 September. Although it was filled during the summer and parts of the winter, there was a low ridership during the rest of the year. However, a lack of engineers forced NSB to terminate the night train service from 20 June. There were protests against the closing of the service, particularly in Norway. Marketing Director Øyvind Rørslett in Linx stated that "we are concentrating on the day trains. We want to develop a holistic concept, where new modern trains are a major part. Night trains do not fit into this concept".
X2 was never introduced on the section from Gothenburg to Oslo. Linx stated that investments for NOK 2 billion were needed on the Østfold Line to reach a travel time from Oslo to Gothenburg of 3 hours and 30 minutes, rather than the more than 4 hours at the time. In contrast, the Norway/Vänern Line on the Swedish side of the boarder meets the necessary standards.
The first service from Oslo to Stockholm ran on 16 June 2002. Initially there were only three daily services, but later in the year, two more daily services were introduced. At the same time, travel time was reduced by 20 minutes, as the trains stopped at only three intermediate stations. Linx operated with different prices on the same route, depending on if the ticket was bought in Norway or Sweden. The company stated that this was in part because of a strong Norwegian krone, in part because Norwegians were willing to pay more, and in part because the sales system in Sweden was more automated.
In July 2003, Linx reduced the number of daily services from Gothenburg to Copenhagen from ten to four. The company stated that this was because of insufficient ridership. Linx had offered tickets with a lower price than Scandinavian Airlines, who operated the airline service between Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
and Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport , is an international airport located in the Sigtuna Municipality of Sweden, near the town of Märsta, north of Stockholm and nearly , by road, south-east of Uppsala....
. Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
also provided an airline service, but with fewer departures and with the same center-to-center transport time because it flew from the secondary Sandefjord Airport, Torp and Stockholm-Skavsta Airport
Stockholm-Skavsta Airport
Stockholm-Skavsta Airport , or Nyköping Airport is an international airport near Nyköping, Sweden, approximately southwest of Stockholm. It is served by low-cost airlines and cargo operators...
. From 1 September 2003, Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA , trading as Norwegian, is the second-largest airline in Scandinavia. In 2010, it transported 13.0 million people. As of October 2011, Norwegian operates a total fleet of 62 aircraft; 17 Boeing 737-300s and 45 Boeing 737-800s...
started services from Gardermoen to Arlanda, and became a more direct competitor to Linx. From 27 October, Nordic Airlink (later FlyNordic) also started a flight between the same airports. With shorter travel time from center to center and comparable fares, Norwegian and Nordic started taking market shares away from Linx.
From 15 December, NSB took over three of the daily services from Oslo to Gothenburg, by extending three of the InterCity services along the Østfold Line onwards from Halden Station
Halden Station
Halden Station is a railway station located in downtown Halden in Østfold, Norway, located on the Østfold Line. The station is served by Norwegian State Railways InterCity Express on an hourly or semi-hourly service from Oslo Central Station, with Halden being the terminal station for all but...
to Gothenburg. On 24 January 2004, a Linx train derailed at Vestby Station
Vestby Station
Vestby Station is a railway station on the Østfold Line located in the village of Vestby, Norway. It is served by commuter trains operated by the Norwegian State Railways running from Spikkestad over Oslo to Moss. The station opened in 1879, and was modernised in the early 1990s...
on the Østfold Line. None of the 50 passengers were hurt in the incident.
On 11 June 2004, NSB and SJ stated that they would discontinue Linx, and would operate the last train on 31 December 2004. The company had never made a profit, and the new low-cost airlines had reduced ridership by up to 40%. The only part of the service which was profitable was the service from Stockholm to Karlstad, which SJ intended to continue. NSB stated that if a new Oslo–Stockholm service was to be introduced, it would require state grants. In September, SJ's CEO Jan Forsberg stated that the problems lay with the infrastructure in Norway. While the speeds where high enough to operate with a profit in Sweden and to Copenhagen, the slow lines in Norway made services to Norway unprofitable. Linx had by then transported 1.3 million passengers, and Forsberg stated that had the company transported 1.7 million people, it would have been profitable.
The closing was criticized by two engineers, who stated that the company actually made a profit, but ended up paying 24% of their revenue in ticket commission to SJ and NSB. In 2003, the company had a revenue of SEK 426.8 million, of which SEK 411 million was from ticket sales. The company had a deficit of SEK 33.8 million, of which NSB covered SEK 8.1 million and SJ SEK 25.6 million. However, NSB took a commission of SEK 10.8 million and SJ SEK 58.5 million. This gave a profit, before provisions, of SEK 35.5 million. In comparison, Narvesen
Narvesen
Narvesen is a Norwegian chain of convenience stores/news agents, and is one of Norway's largest convenience store chains with 440 stores. Narvesen was established in 1894 by Bertrand Narvesen. Narvesen stores also exists in Latvia ....
took a commission of 2.7% for tickets sold by NSB.
The closing of the Oslo–Stockholm service was the first time there was not a train service between the capitals since 1871, when the line opened. In addition, the service cut occurred at the same time as the centennial of the Dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden. In 4 November, SJ and NSB stated that they would continue the service, although only in the weekends. They stated that an increased service would either require financial grants from the states, or introduction of duty free sales on-board.
Service
Travel time from Oslo to Stockholm was 4 hours and 30 minutes, with stops at Oslo Central Station, Lillestrøm StationLillestrøm Station
Lillestrøm Station is a railway station located at Lillestrøm in Skedsmo, Norway. The station serves as the main transportation hub of the eastern parts of Greater Oslo and all trains east of Oslo stop at Lillestrøm...
, Kongsvinger Station
Kongsvinger Station
Kongsvinger Station is a railway station located in downtown Kongsvinger, Norway, on the Kongsvinger Line and Solør Line. The station was built in 1862 as part of the Kongsvinger Lin and designed in Swiss chalet style by Heinrich Ernst Schirmer and Wilhelm von Hanno...
, Karlstad Central Station, and Stockholm Central Station
Stockholm Central Station
Stockholm Central Station is the largest railway station in Sweden. The station is situated in the district of Norrmalm at Vasagatan/Central Plan. Opened July 18, 1871, the station is the largest in Sweden, with over 200,000 visitors daily...
. When the service was launched, a ticket from Oslo to Stockholm cost NOK 563, or NOK 326 if bought at least seven days before departure. Two people under the age of 16 could travel for free when accompanying an adult. Later, minimum prices of NOK 280 were launched, while maximum price for business class was NOK 1300. Tickets were slightly cheaper to purchase in Sweden than in Norway. About 185,000 passengers took the train from Oslo to Stockholm each year.
Travel time from Gothenburg to Copenhagen was 3 hours and 30 minutes. The X2 trains had a speed of up to 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph) on the West Coast Line from Gothenburg Central Station
Gothenburg Central Station
Gothenburg Central Station is the main railway station of Gothenburg and the third largest railway station in Sweden after Stockholm Central Station and Malmö Central Station. The station opened in October the 4th, 1858. Approximately 40 000 travelers visit the station every day. The station is...
to Malmö Central Station
Malmö Central Station
Malmö Central Station is a terminus railway station on the Southern Main Line in Malmö, Sweden opened in 1876. It serves approximately 55 000 passengers every day, making it the second busiest in Sweden behind Stockholm Central Station-History:...
, and then ran along the Oresund Line via Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup Station
Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup Station
Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup Station is a railway station in Tårnby, Denmark, served by DSB’s regional trains including the Oresundtrain network. The nearby Lufthavnen metro station is served by the Copenhagen Metro’s line M2. The reconstructed railway station opened 2007-09-28, and Metro service...
to Copenhagen Central Station. A ticket from Gothenburg to Copenhagen cost NOK 1119 in business class, NOK 803 in second class, and with reduced prices down to NOK 342 if bought in advance or for weekend travel.
Travel time from Oslo to Gothenburg was slightly more than four hours. Prices varied from NOK 633 for a business class ticket, NOK 355 for a second class ticket to NOK 187 for pre-booked tickets. X2 trains were never introduced on the section from Oslo to Gothenburg. Instead, conventional Swedish trains from the 1960s hauled by Rc locomotives were used. Passengers traveling from Oslo to Copenhagen had to change train in Gothenburg.
Rolling stock
On the sections Oslo–Stockholm and Gothenburg–Copenhagen, Linx operated X2 electric multiple unitElectric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s owned by SJ. Forty-three units were delivered to SJ by Kalmar Verkstad between 1990 and 1997. The trains are standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, have a power output of 3260 kW and a maximum speed of 200 kilometres per hour (124.3 mph). Each train consists of a locomotive, a number of middle cars and an end car. The trains use power supply in Sweden and Norway, and 25 kV 50 Hz AC in Denmark. Linx had two classes: business and second. On business class, a warm meal and drink was included, while in second class, a restaurant car was provided. Seats had a power outlet for laptops, and free wireless Internet
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
.