Aeroplanes may be faster than trains – but train journeys can be faster than flights. When considering passengers' total travel time, it is, for example, faster to take SJ's high-speed train than to fly between Gothenburg and Stockholm, shows a new report based on data from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
A common perception is that flying is a faster mode of transport than taking the train, and this is often true if the only factor measured is time spent on board. However, if the total journey time from city centre to city centre is considered, a different picture emerges:
In 2024, a train journey between Gothenburg and Stockholm could be made in an average of 3 hours and 5 minutes with SJ's X 2000, while the equivalent journey by plane took 3 hours and 14 minutes.
This is evident in the report that SJ has produced in collaboration with KTH, which is published today.
– The train gains time by having central station locations within walking distance and a widely branched connecting public transport system. Airports, on average, require longer connecting journeys, and furthermore, terminal times are added, says Oskar Fröidh, associate professor in railway systems and head of the Railway Group at KTH.
In order to make a fair comparison of the travel times for SJ's high-speed trains and flying, KTH has therefore taken into account the time that air travellers normally have to spend at terminals and on connecting journeys to get between the airport and the city centre.
Four lines are being compared
Trains and flights are modes of transport that both complement and compete with each other, not least concerning domestic travel. Opinions about the two modes of travel are many, while the factual basis in some areas leaves something to be desired.
The new report therefore studies perceptions and facts about the two modes of transport regarding, among other things, journey times, prices, and the number of departures for four long-distance routes where there is competition between train and air travel:
- Gothenburg–Stockholm
- Malmö–Stockholm
- Sundsvall–Stockholm
- Umeå–Stockholm
More time back
Beyond the Gothenburg–Stockholm line, Sundsvall–Stockholm stands out in the comparison of total journey time.
– There's a quarter of an hour's difference in total travel time from city centre to city centre between domestic flights and SJ's high-speed train on the Sundsvall–Stockholm line, says communications strategist Peter Kraméus, who wrote the report together with Gunnar Alexandersson, transport researcher at the Stockholm School of Economics and a consultant for SJ.
The report shows, among other things, that the longer the distances, the greater the differences in total travel time. However, even here there are other time aspects that travellers can consider when choosing a trip.
– When considering how the travel time can be used, the train journey effectively gives more time back to the traveller than flying does. Up to 90–95 percent of the travel time on SJ's trains can be used for, for example, work, studying, socialising or relaxing. Because a flight is divided into more sub-stages, it doesn't offer the same opportunities, says Peter Kraméus.
Fact: About the report
Using material from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), aviation is compared with SJ's offerings in terms of travel time and prices on four long-distance routes where competition exists: Gothenburg-Stockholm, Malmö-Stockholm, Sundsvall-Stockholm, and Umeå-Stockholm.
KTH has compiled data on the number of departures for each of the four lines.
In order to fairly compare journey times between SJ's trains and domestic flights, the time that air travellers normally spend at terminals and on connecting journeys between the airport and city centre is taken into account. Therefore, the report studies journey times from city centre to city centre, based on data from KTH.
KTH has compared the prices of journeys with SJ's trains and with flights in several different ways:
- Average price for all departures on the travel day for a re-bookable ticket in 2nd class (SJ trains) and economy class (flights), respectively.
- Average price for all departures on the travel day for a second-class ticket (SJ trains) and economy class ticket (flights), including supplements for feeder journeys by airport bus to and from the city centre. For Sundsvall, the price supplement refers to a taxi feeder journey due to a lack of regular public bus transport.
- Lowest price for any ticket on the day of travel. As a rule, that ticket is not re-bookable or refundable.
- Read more in the report Perceptions and facts about trains and planes – A report from SJ – SJ
According to the press release.
