SJ can skip Kumla: rescue train hosts lock themselves up

SJ threatens to go through Kumla station

From: Olof Svensson

Published: February 6, 2021 at 7:44 a.m.

KUMLA. The train hosts are attacked with spittoons, fists and kicks. Someone sets a bomb trap on a train car.

The riots in Kumla may now cause SJ to stop staying at the station, a measure that has never been implemented before.

– We are in danger when we go there, it’s crazy, says a train conductor.

The decimeter snow covers the platform and the temperature drops to minus five degrees. Here at Kumla station, SJ trains stop every ten minutes during the day. Now the train company threatens to pass.

– I don’t remember we ever considered this before. It is clear that we take the situation very, very seriously, says SJ business manager Jan Kyrk.

He has worked at SJ for 39 years and lists several serious incidents recently. A train conductor who was run over by a violent man, someone who threw a bomb ladder into a wagon, travelers who refuse to pay and yell at the staff.

– There are order problems in other parts of the country, but there is something very special here, says Kyrk.

He threatens, spits and has a fucking attitude

A train conductor who often works on the route and who wishes to remain anonymous, adds incidents:

– A colleague was hit and started to bleed nosebleeds, another had his glasses broken. Many of us who work do not even want to go check the tickets for fear of being attacked. They threaten, tease, spit and have a shitty attitude, train attendants say.

Kumla has been struggling with problems at the station for a long time. Teens and young adults who interfere, often under the influence of drugs. Even the head of the National Police, Anders Thornberg, has spoken in the local media.

– It has been troublesome around the train station in Kumla and now we have increased surveillance with cameras, he told Sydnärkenytt last fall.

The situation makes up for it

Municipal police Julia Högberg says that Kumla’s geographical location on the train line, between Örebro and Hallsberg, means the city is more vulnerable. Passengers boarding the train at adjacent stations will not have ticket control until Kumla. Those who refuse to pay are asked to get off and then it will be a mess.

An explanation that the mayors have taken note of.

– We really don’t have a clear idea where these people come from, is it Kumlabor or are they being thrown out here? says City Manager Daniel Jansson Hammargren.

He also talks about the disappointment that SJ hasn’t talked about the issues before. When he contacted the municipality last week, it was a complete surprise, he says.

Quickly add:

– I mean it’s a shame that they threaten the SJ staff. This is not how it should be.

Locks me in the cabin

Train hosts Aftonbladet has spoken with say that many of the troublemakers get along well in Kumla. They move in groups and she has the feeling that they are seeking conflict. They try to impress and unleash each other by giving in to the train’s uniformed hosts.

The origin of attacks on SJ staff is usually that they refuse to pay for the trip.

– They are well on their way to school or work. On Friday and Saturday nights, many go to Örebro.

How do the other passages react?

– People get scared and feel insecure. But few want to step in and get involved, which you understand.

Staff are instructed to back off and not enter the conflict situation. The train hosts Aftonbladet spoke with therefore sometimes choose not to go out and check tickets when there is noise.

The risk of being attacked is too great.

– I go straight in and lock myself in the taxi, says the anonymous host of the train.

Don’t you dare report it to the police

And then those who make mistakes can freely wreak havoc?

– Yes, it will. But what should we do? We don’t want to be afraid of getting hit just because we do our job.

In contacts with SJ, the police have emphasized the importance of reporting all incidents to the police, which is also done, although SJ staff are also concerned about this.

– Travelers who have trouble traveling often at all times seem to be free quite often, so it’s easy to find out who reported it to the police. You just feel insecure, says SJ business manager Jan Kyrk.

When Aftonbladet takes the train to Kumla, all is calm. Commuters from work sit quietly with headphones in their ears in the carriages, some people tremble waiting on the platform.

No one has seen the problems

None of the people we interviewed say they saw any major discomfort. Neither passengers nor people working inside the station.

– I haven’t noticed anything, says Esey Semere, 21, who travels to Örebro every day.

– Here and in the waiting room it’s quiet, as I understand it is this only on the trains and on the platform, he says a woman standing at the station’s coffee box.

The municipality and the police take the situation very seriously. The municipal director has asked the police to be more visible at the police station. Something that municipal police Julia Höglund says they will be.

However, more police officers are not relevant.

– I see that we can solve it with the resources we have. If the patrols are there more frequently, we can catch a lot, says Julia Höglund.

Everyone agrees that the SJ threat would hit the city hard.

– Kumla is characterized by commuting to work and many students study elsewhere. That would have important consequences. As a municipality, we can never accept that the trains stop stopping here. We will do our best to keep them staying, says City Councilor Andreas Brorsson (S).

Published: February 6, 2021 at 7:44 a.m.