A new train link between Norway and Sweden is launching in early summer 2026, offering passengers an on-board restaurant car and charming coastal views. A daily service will also connect with Copenhagen and Hamburg from May, as well as Berlin trains, meaning Europe is effectively poised to gain a significant four-country addition to its network.
Swedish rail firm Snälltåget is behind the initiative, which promises access not only to the Norwegian capital but also to Sweden’s scenic west coast from 15 June 2026. Departures from Malmö Central set out north daily at 6:38 am and reach Oslo Central Station at 1:13 pm in time for lunch. Southbound trains depart Oslo at 2:48 pm and arrive in Malmö at 9:25 pm.
Stops will include the medieval city of Lund, one of Sweden’s oldest, as well as Helsingborg, Halmstad, the seaside resort town of Varberg, and Trollhättan, near Sweden’s largest lake, Vänern. Although central Gothenburg is not on the route, connections heading there can be made instead at Mölndal or Gamlestaden. The service will also call at Norway’s Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad—voted the country’s most attractive city in 2017.
Before that, starting 4 May 2026, a Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen, and Hamburg route, also operated by Snälltåget, will already be in place when the Oslo-Malmö services start. Travelling south from Malmö across the Øresund to Copenhagen, it will press onwards to Danish cities such as Odense, Kolding, and Padborg, as well as Neumünster and Hamburg in Germany. Bookings are already open until 1 November 2026. Alternatively, from Malmö, passengers can choose to board Snälltåget’s night train to Berlin.
Snälltåget is an interesting case study in the European rail offering, serving mainly the leisure market and with no national partnership contracts dictating traffic or passenger numbers. This helps to explain the seasonal nature of some services, which only run when demand justifies it, during peak holiday periods.
Another aspect of the firm’s operations that attracts attention is its “Krogen” restaurant car, serving bespoke menus on different lines. According to the website, the menu for its Malmö-Stockholm line will include hot meals from Tareq Taylor’s Maten é klar (a chef-inspired Swedish brand of ready meals) and Smak Sak Gastronomy, as well as its own “classic” prawn sandwich and fresh salads. Dining on porcelain amid the romance of the dining carriage is seen as sustainable and integral to the experience. For that reason, dishes cannot be taken to individual train seats, so passengers wishing to dine should remember to book a table when purchasing tickets, or add them on using the “My Journey” app.
