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'They spent so much on this new station, how can it be broken already?': Stockholmers and tourists react to public transport chaos

Annabelle Leith
Annabelle Leith - [email protected]
'They spent so much on this new station, how can it be broken already?': Stockholmers and tourists react to public transport chaos
The closure of Stockholm's central train stations are causing disruption Photo: Hossein Salmanzadeh/TT

With major public transport problems in Stockholm proving a headache for anyone trying to traverse the city, The Local spoke to tourists and commuters to see how their journeys have been.

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With Stockholm Central station and part of the tunnelbana (metro) already closed, the recent snap decision to close brand new commuter rail station Stockholm City for emergency repairs means many people are forced to completely change their journey in order to get where they need to be. And the heatwave that has taken over Sweden hasn't exactly helped the situation.

READ ALSO: Stockholm City shut for 'safety reasons'

"I'm angry because they’ve spent so much money on this brand new station (Stockholm City) so how can it be broken already? There was already problems with the trains so when I heard about this I thought ‘Oh no, not this too!’” Lovisa Lind from Kungsholmen in Stockholm says.

"It's a very big problem for people with jobs every day who now have to go a completely different route which can be stressful on your way to work."

READ ALSO: How you'll be affected by Stockholm public transport disruption this summer

Sari Tötterman from Huddinge feels lucky she doesn't have to travel to work at the moment.

"I'm having to take the bus now instead of going to (central metro station) T-Centralen. If I had work and I had to change to this journey in 30 degree heat when I was already stressed on a time limit then I would be very irritated by that, but I'm on vacation so I have more time and no need to be stressed."

Hanna Batres from Södertalje has just come back from a cruise and had to get the metro to Mariatorget then walk to Stockholm Södra with her luggage, rather than take the direct route she has previously.

She is relatively calm about the matter however. "It doesn't bother me as much as I am on vacation. But if I was working then it would affect me much more and really annoy me."

Rimsha Hilmi from Stockholm, a guide giving information to travellers and helping them with directions, reveals how people have been reacting to the public transport disruptions.

"We have had a few angry people which I understand because if you want to go one way you now have to go a whole other route and direction."

Timothy Vermeire has travelled all the way to Sweden from Belgium. 

"We've been travelling on a train for 33 hours, now we need to get to Stockholm City to hire a car so we can drive further north to where we need to get to," he tells The Local, adding that having to figure out a different way to get to where they needed to go to in a foreign country was the last thing he needed.

READ ALSO: Stockholm Odenplan reopens after escalator scare

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