Sweden's Daily Updates: Latest News on a Tuesday
In a significant development, the Swiss government has announced a new night train service between Malmö and Basel, via Copenhagen, starting from April next year. The Swiss government has allocated 47 million francs (€50m) for this venture, which will cover track and energy costs, costs of rolling stock, and personnel costs for the night train service. This new route is the only planned new route for Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), with the company focusing primarily on improving the quality of existing night trains and ordering new rolling stock for night trains to Hamburg and Vienna. However, the night train service is not yet certain, as it requires approval from the Swiss Parliament at the federal budget vote in December.
Meanwhile, in Sweden, there has been a notable increase in the number of people using pawn shops. According to Peter Sundström, the CEO of Pantbanken Sverige, people of all ages are pawning their valuables. In the first half of 2025, Swedish pawn shops paid out loans totaling nearly 900 million kronor, a 28% increase from the same period last year. Items not collected are sold in the pawn shop or at auction. Approximately 85% of people who take loans from pawn shops repay them and collect their valuables. The loans issued by pawn shops rose by 12% to 86,000 in the first half of 2025.
The reasons behind this increase in pawn shop usage remain speculative, but economic uncertainty, reduced access to traditional credit, or increased financial hardship could be contributing factors. Changes in pawn shop usage might affect consumer spending patterns and reflect shifts in credit accessibility. However, without current data or studies specific to Sweden, these explanations remain general and speculative.
In other news, an unusual incident occurred at the Liseberg theme park in Sweden, where the Kållerado flume ride was closed due to a family of ducks that got lost. Staff were able to catch the ducklings in a net and reunite the family in the nearby Mölndal river after an hour and a half.
In Sweden, employers are required to pay the first two weeks of sick pay, and the state covers the rest. However, the laws in Sweden regarding sick leave do not distinguish between necessary medical procedures and cosmetic surgeries, a point that the Swedish national agency for small business owners, Småföretagarnas Riksförbund, is calling for the issue to be revisited, as it places a significant financial burden on employers.
The Swiss government has reduced the amount allocated to long distance rail under the CO2 act from 30 million francs a year to just 10 million francs a year. This decision has been met with criticism from parties on the left, while parties on the right are critical of even this reduced level of spending.
In conclusion, while the Swiss government prepares for a new night train service, Sweden grapples with an increase in pawn shop usage and the financial implications it may have. The situation with cosmetic surgeries and sick leave in Sweden is also under scrutiny, as it impacts employers financially. These developments highlight the ongoing challenges and opportunities in the transportation and financial sectors in both countries.
- Amidst the increase in pawn shop usage, people in Sweden might be seeking alternative solutions for their personal-finance needs, due to economic uncertainty or reduced access to traditional credit.
- In an effort to manage costs, the Swiss government has reduced the allocation for long-distance rail under the CO2 act, which may impact the finance of improving and expanding rail services, including the planned night train service.
