Sweden: First Alstom SJ250 High-Speed Train Begins Testing Ahead of Nordic Certification

Testing of the first Alstom SJ250 inter-city electric multiple unit for Swedish operator SJ has begun at the VUZ Velim test centre in the Czech Republic, Railway Gazette International reported on 28 July 2026, as part of a programme to certify the train for operation in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

One of the X250 trainsets arrived at the VUZ Velim test centre on 30 June 2026, according to RollingStockWorld. A series of dynamic and static tests are being carried out there to verify the train's traction parameters, braking effectiveness, electromagnetic compatibility, high-speed performance and safety systems.

SJ ordered 25 of the trains from Alstom in April 2022 under its Project Delta contract, with an option for 15 more, in a deal worth around EUR650 million backed by EUR312 million of European Investment Bank financing. Designated Class X250 and marketed by Alstom as the Avelia Stream Nordic, the trains will run at up to 250 km/h, becoming the fastest in commercial service in Sweden, ahead of the 200 km/h top speed of the existing X2000 fleet.

Each six-car trainset will seat 363 passengers, with fold-out tables, footrests, power outlets and USB ports, a bistro area and dedicated bicycle spaces. Deliveries were originally due to begin in 2026, but entry into passenger service has slipped to December 2027, which SJ has attributed to supply chain disruptions. The trains are planned to enter service on the Stockholm-Goteborg, Stockholm-Malmo and Stockholm-Sundsvall-Umea routes, initially supplementing and eventually replacing the oldest X2000 trainsets.