Storstockholms Lokaltrafik Explained

Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Native Name:Aktiebolaget Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Native Name Lang:sv
Type:Privately held aktiebolag
Founded:1916
Revenue:19.269 billion SEK(roughly €1.88 billion)
Owner:Stockholm County Council

Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL),[1] or more formally Aktiebolaget Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (Stock Company Greater Stockholm Local Transit), is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County. It was previously known as Stockholms Lokaltrafik.[2]

History

SL has its origins in AB Stockholms Spårvägar (SS), a city-owned public transit company which started in 1915, by the City of Stockholm with the aim to deprivatize the two separate private tramway networks into one more efficient company. SS would in the late 1920s also acquire private motorbus companies. The first part of the Stockholm Metro was opened in 1950. SS was renamed to SL in January 1967 when the metro, local train, and bus operations in Stockholm County were merged into a single organisation under the supervision of Stockholm County Council. The different mass transit systems within the County had until then been run by different organisations, Statens Järnvägar, private companies and companies owned by the local municipalities.

In 1993, SL began to use independent contractors for the operation and maintenance of the different transport systems. For bus traffic the operators own the buses, but for rail bound traffic SL own the trains, and the contractors operate them.

Since 2012, the county council's (now Region Stockholm) traffic board and traffic administration is the regional public transport authority responsible for public transport. SL now serves as a brand name for public transport services provided by various contractors on behalf of the traffic administration. The limited company AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik still exists and manages (apart from the brand) certain contracts and assets.[3]

Tickets

by one measure - single ticket price for a 10km (10miles) journey - Stockholm has the most expensive-to-use public transport in the world.[4]

SL's tickets

SL has two main forms of tickets. Both are used for all SL public transport within Stockholm County.[5]

In either case, the ticket is loaded onto a Green SL RFID card that is scanned at the start of the first journey.

It is possible also to use a contactless payment card (Mastercard, Maestro, Visa and Visa Electron) to buy a single ticket (75 min). As you board a public transport vehicle, you will be required to validate your trip every time by swiping the payment card at the rectangular validators in the front of the vehicle. If you hear a beep and see a green light, your trip has been validated.

Regardless of the ticket used, journeys by the Stockholm Commuter Rail Pendeltåg to Arlanda Airport, or crossing the county border to Uppsala and Knivsta, incur additional costs. Those who make a change from commuter rail to bus at Märsta Station towards Arlanda Airport are not charged additional fees. As mentioned above, the additional cost for using the railway station at Arlanda airport is 120 SEK (can be paid either upon arrival, or in advance - then it needs to be used within 2 hours!). Travelling to Uppsala or Knivsta with SL from Stockholm County requires a valid Uppsala County (UL) ticket in addition to the usual SL ticket.

SL's ticket prices

The prices for the most common tickets are as follows.[5] The discounted fare is for persons under the age of 20, or over the age of 65.

Single journey ticket
Purchase methodAdult fareDiscounted fare
App, contactless payment, ticket machines, ticket booth, ticket agent 26 SEK
SL credits "reskassa" (on SL card) 42 SEK 26 SEK
Bought from a conductor (only on tramline 7)54 SEK 36 SEK
Travel cards
Card nameAdult fareDiscounted fare
SL Card (blank)20 SEK
24-hour travelcard 175 SEK 110 SEK
72-hour travelcard 350 SEK 220 SEK
7-day travelcard 455 SEK 290 SEK
30-day travelcard 1020 SEK 650 SEK
90-day travelcard 2,960 SEK 1,880 SEK
Annual 10,710 SEK 6,830 SEK
Arlanda extension fare 135 SEK
UL/SL combined travelcards
Card nameAdult fareDiscounted fare
24-hour UL/SL 330 SEK 210 SEK
30-day UL/SL 1770 SEK 1170 SEK

Archipelago boats

Archipelago boat traffic is administered by Waxholmsbolaget. Until 29 April 2022, SL tickets that are valid for at least 30 days (30-day, 90-day, and annual travel cards) are also acceptable.[6] It is also possible to pay with SL card credit. The price of ticket depends on length of the journey. Discounted fare is applicable for children under 19, students, and persons 65+. It is possible to buy a return ticket, but the price is the same as for two single journey tickets.[7] Ö-card is for residents only.[8]

Waxholmsbolaget tickets
Card nameAdult fareDiscounted fare
Single journey 56-169 SEK 38-112 SEK
5-day Travelcard535 SEK
30-day Travelcard 950 SEK 640 SEK
6-month Travelcard  1460 SEK
Annual Ö-card600 SEK

Flygbussarna

Flygbussarna provides transportation to four airports in Stockholm. Below are listed prices when tickets are bought online/via app. Adult and youth tickets are up to 20 SEK more expensive when bought by other ways.

Arlanda Airport ↔ Stockholm City
TypeOne wayReturn
Adult 119 SEK 189 SEK
Youth 8-17 109 SEK 169 SEK
Group of 3 299 SEK  
Group of 4 399 SEK  
10 trips (valid 12 months) 1130 SEK  
Bromma Airport ↔ Stockholm City
TypeOne wayReturn
Adult 99 SEK 198 SEK
Youth 8-17 89 SEK 178 SEK
10 trips (valid 12 months) 945 SEK  
Skavsta Airport ↔ Stockholm City
TypeOne wayReturn
Adult 199 SEK 398 SEK
Youth 8-17 179 SEK 358 SEK
10 trips (valid 12 months) 1890 SEK  
Västerås Airport ↔ Stockholm City
TypeOne wayReturn
Adult 199 SEK 398 SEK
Youth 8-17 179 SEK 358 SEK
10 trips (valid 12 months) 1890 SEK  

Contractors

The contractors used by SL are as of July 2019 the following:[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik, SL . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221031122302/https://www.regionstockholm.se/om-regionstockholm/Organisation/bolag/ab-storstockholms-lokaltrafik/ . 31 October 2022 . 4 March 2023 . . Swedish.
  2. Web site: Stockholm Transport . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070615065536/http://sl.se/Templates/SubStart.aspx?id=1906 . 2007-06-15 . 2007-06-03 . AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik.
  3. Web site: 2013-09-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20130927091248/http://sl.se/Global/Pdf/Rapporter/SL_Arsberattelse_2012_SVE_web.pdf. SL:s årsberättelse 2012.
  4. Web site: A fare price?. The Economist. September 24, 2009. 2009-09-24. In Stockholm it costs $4.88 for a single journey of 10km on public transport, the highest cost in a study of 73 cities by UBS, a Swiss bank..
  5. Web site: Fares & tickets . . 2019-01-27.
  6. Web site: Waxholmsbolaget.
  7. Web site: Waxholmsbolaget.
  8. Web site: Waxholmsbolaget.
  9. Web site: 2018-10-01 . Trafikförändringsdokument SL-trafiken 2018/2019 (T19) . 2019-07-16 . . 5 . Swedish . PDF.
  10. Web site: Arriva . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120922100551/http://sl.se/sv/Om-SL/Jobba-pa-SL/Entreprenorer-i-SL-trafiken/Arriva/ . 2012-09-22 . 2012-09-04 . AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik.
  11. Web site: Busslink . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120922103419/http://sl.se/sv/Om-SL/Jobba-pa-SL/Entreprenorer-i-SL-trafiken/Busslink/ . 2012-09-22 . 2012-09-04 . AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik.
  12. Web site: MTR . 2010-01-25 . AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik.
  13. Web site: Nobina . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081220025913/http://www.sl.se/templates/Page.aspx?id=1578 . December 20, 2008 . 2010-01-25 . AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik.