Here we have compiled the questions you as a traveler might have before or during your trip with the Norrlandskusten. Updated continuously.

What is changing?

The timetable change mainly affects the stretch Haparanda – Luleå, where there will be fewer trips during both weekdays and weekends. Looking at the different lines, the change means that line 100 will stop serving the Haparanda-Luleå route completely. Instead, the new line 11 will be introduced on the route. Bus line 98 will disappear completely with the changes.
Between Haparanda and Luleå, the trips are reduced from 10 to 6 trips in each direction. During Saturday and Sunday, the frequency of trips is reduced from 6 trips daily to 2 trips daily in each drawing.

How is the coordination of the timetable change done?

Länstrafiken has a continuous dialogue with the Norwegian Public Transport Agency in Norrbotten, which is the coordinator for public transport in the county. As far as possible, the bus trips are adjusted according to how the train runs because they are strictly controlled by track times. A balance is made between connections to trains, other bus lines, work and study commuting.

You say that the train should function as a supplement – but where I live, that possibility does not exist. What do you think there?

The decision on the new timetable for the Norrland coast was made four years ago by Region Norrbotten, which is the financier of the trunk lines. Due to a protracted procurement process, it is only now being implemented.
The decision was made due to the budget that was in place at the time and a saving requirement, it was also justified by the fact that there are trains that operate the route Haparanda-Luleå. Since some of our travelers do not have the opportunity to use the train as a supplement, the political leadership has decided to push for money to avoid the worst deterioration for those who commute daily.

What adjustments have been made to improve for those of us who commute daily?

A first change that was made was that line 11 was procured between Luleå – Haparanda to meet the basic need for work and study commuting. In order to further adapt the timetable, some departure times are now being adjusted ahead of the timetable change.

The adjustments made apply to line 11 with these departures:

• 16.30 from Luleå is postponed to 17.10.
• 17.05 from Haparanda is brought forward to 15.10, and departs from Kalix on 16.10.
• 19.30 from Haparanda is postponed to 20.00.

The adjustments in the new timetable will apply from Monday 12 December.

We who work weekends and odd hours and do not have access to trains, how can we travel sustainably?

We know that the opportunities to travel collectively and reduce one’s climate footprint are important for Norrbotten to be attractive for people to live and work, not least now that the green transition is happening here and we need more. We will therefore continue the work with the timetable and our ambition to develop the traffic offer based on the budget we have.

Current buses are in a bad condition, it is cold and sometimes it has rained, how will it be handled during the winter?

We know that many of the buses are worn and have traveled a long way. It has to do with the fact that the current traffic agreement has been extended and is now going into overtime. A bus may not be used in traffic if it has not undergone certain checks before departure, the bus company must ensure this. During the autumn, we also carried out our own checks of the vehicles, as we have received indications that there are deficiencies.

You say you have a shortage of bus drivers, what are you doing about it?

We procure bus companies and part of the bus company’s responsibility is to staff with bus drivers. We can state that the shortage has affected us and that is of course not good. The signals from the bus company are that they try to resolve the situation as best they can, but sometimes they don’t succeed. For each canceled trip, the bus company pays a penalty of SEK 10,000.

Why is it difficult to recruit bus drivers?

There is a general shortage of drivers in the industry, which has worsened the situation in Norrbotten with canceled tours mainly along the coastlines. According to the Transport Companies, the industry is facing major challenges in the form of increased skills needs, a high proportion of older people in the workforce and a reduced number of individuals with C and D driving licences, which will increase the difficulty of finding the right skills. It is the responsibility of the procured bus company to staff the buses with drivers.

If the bus passes my stop without stopping, am I entitled to compensation if I order a taxi for my then planned journey?

If there is a delay or a trip is canceled (regardless of the reason) where you will be at least 20 minutes late to your final destination, you always have the option to arrange your trip yourself, with your own car, taxi or other transport and bear the cost of it. You can then, afterwards, apply to Länstrafiken for compensation for expenses incurred, for taxis up to SEK 1,208, or your own car SEK 18.50/mile (max. SEK 1,208).
More information: Delay compensation

Why does it take so long before I get feedback from customer service?

There is very high pressure on Länstrafiken’s customer service at the moment. Therefore, the response times may be longer than usual, but we do everything we can to ensure that everyone receives an answer.

Do the new buses along the Norrland coast have integrated child seats in some seats? If so, will these be bookable?

Norrlandskusten will have 17 regular buses from April 1. They will operate lines 100, 20 and 12 in Norrbotten and Västerbotten. All these buses have integrated child seats, two per bus.

Unfortunately, the possibility to book them is not ready until when the traffic starts. That technology will come later in our big ticket cooperation that we work with together with the whole of Norrland. We understand that it becomes difficult when you cannot book the child seats and actually know that you can use them.

What may also be good to know is that the transport company has 17 regular buses for these routes, but also the possibility to bring in replacement buses when, for example, we need reinforcements on a trip or that a bus is temporarily on service. These buses will on the rare occasion most likely not have integrated child seats.
Read more about integrated child seats in our travel terms and conditions: https://ltnbd.se/kundservice/resevillor/