Swedish high-speed X2000 trains grounded after wheel fracture

Swedish rail operator SJ has suspended most of its high-speed X2000 train services early Monday following the discovery of a cracked wheel on one of its units, state broadcaster SVT Nyheter reports.

Departures on key routes, including Stockholm–Malmö and Stockholm–Gothenburg, have been cancelled after a wheel on an X2000 train fractured on Sunday, causing a piece to detach. The incident has triggered an extensive safety inspection of the entire fleet.

“This type of damage requires us to ensure it cannot occur on other wheel sets in the same series,” SJ press officer Lina Edström told SVT. She confirmed that all affected trains will undergo overnight checks before potentially resuming service later Monday morning.

Passengers with disrupted journeys are being notified via SMS and offered the option to cancel their tickets for a refund or rebook on alternative departures. SJ stated it is working to resolve the issue “as quickly as possible.”

The X2000 is Sweden’s flagship tilting high-speed train model, operating on major domestic routes since the 1990s.