Last train from Sweden to Norway

March 16, 2020

I'm taking the last evening train to Norway before the coronavirus quarantine, leaving from Western Sweden.

News have been chaotic over the weekend, including mandatory two-week quarantine for all arrivals to Norway. Border closures announced by governments, passage without quarantine for cross-border job commuters like me insisted upon by the European Commission. A phone call to Norwegian police and customs authorities yielded the answer: "We do not have received instructions on this, but you are registered in Norway, are you?"

The last train to Oslo boarded only few passengers.

The normally well-used train station on the Swedish side was nearly deserted. A few people met up for the train into what certainly would be a lock-in, possibly a quarantine at home. In a distance by the tracks the train crew waited for the train's arrival. The Swedish small town and most of its surrounding Värmland region are economically tightly tied to Norway and Oslo through student summer jobs, commuters and cross-border shoppers from Norway.

Upon entering Intercity 615 I find the train unusually empty - possibly 20% of the seats are taken, there is plenty of preventive distance between the travelers. For extra isolation, I seated myself in the animal and pets compartment, where normally not many passengers but their reservations. The train drove off west into the night.

Reading Albert Camus' The Plague on the way to corona virus lock-in in Norway.

The train passengers showed a rather unrelaxed tension in their faces. acrefully avoiding eye contact, eveybody moved carefully as if walking on raw eggs through the train. The use of on-board toilet facilities clearly was even less enjoyable than during regular journeys. In the cafeteria coach I bought a drink, carefully keying in the credit card code with fingers protected by gloves. The serving ticket inspector nodded for welcome, having known me for the past four years on my cross-border commuting route. We had a short, joking conversation where I asked whether we would produces the usual delays en route, making sure we'll arrive before midnight when the quarantaie rules will be in effect. A passenger lining up behind me gasped. "What quarantine? Will there be a quarantine in Norway? I have polish workers coming in this week, they will not come if they will end up in quarantine!" He got rather excited, querying the ticket inspector about what he knew about quarantines to come. The inspector only said: "I wonder if they's put us in quarantie, too." 

Next day, there was no more train connection between Oslo and Sweden.