In my head, I hear Tomas Ledin’s old song from the ’90s, “Genom ett regnigt Europa” [Through a Rainy Europe], as I leave home. I’m sitting on the bus to Lund Central Station, from where I’ll catch the train to Copenhagen Central Station (also known as H). I’m meeting my daughter, who lives in Copenhagen, for a nice lunch nearby (the place is aptly named ‘Mother’ and comes highly recommended). The rain is drizzling. My daughter doesn’t know of Tomas Ledin. The next part of my journey is the DSB train between H and Hamburg, which will take me to Zürich in Switzerland, where I work for a couple of days every year. I have treated myself to a first-class ticket, which is only a few hundred kronor more expensive than a second-class ticket (and my Swiss colleagues are reimbursing my travel expenses, and they have of course approved the costs in advance). I have travelled this route several times before and know that I will have a good opportunity to sit with my laptop and work. Coffee and free Wi-Fi are included, and there are power sockets so that I can charge my computer (having recently read up on Lund University’s information security regulations, I am of course using LU’s VPN 😊). There is usually plenty of space, and it is fairly quiet. Today, however, I find myself in an old train car with six-person compartments. Note to self: next time, book a window seat so that I have access to a table for my laptop. The landscape is beautiful, reminiscent of southern Sweden, and raindrops are flowing down the window. I can feel myself relaxing and going with the flow. I’m working through one thing at a time on my computer and I can also look out of the window and let my thoughts wander. I’m reminded of the old SJ [Swedish Statens Järnvägar] advertisement from the 1980s that compared a pleasant train journey to the chaotic situation on a plane when everyone has to get up and retrieve their bags from the overhead compartments at the same time. ‘SJ – a civilised way to travel’ (look it up on YouTube if you haven’t seen it – it’s brilliant!). So true.
For several years, I have been actively trying to reduce my flying. Having travelled extensively in my role as chair of a large international academic network, as a keynote speaker at conferences and to meetings for collaborative projects, the pandemic and my concern for the environment and climate have led me to mainly choose digital meetings, workshops and conference presentations wherever possible, and to limit my travel to places I can reach by train. I don’t always succeed, but I try. If possible, I much prefer to travel by train rather than by plane – the extra time is ideal for work as I can easily take my computer with me. I plan my trips so that I can complete certain tasks that are particularly well suited to travelling, such as reading, writing and creating PowerPoint presentations.
When I arrive at Hamburg station, the German hub, I am, as always, impressed by the grand building, which is teeming with people, sounds, smells and, of course, trains. I have a couple of hours to spare now, and there is a wide range of food and drink available inside the station and in nearby restaurants. The next – and perhaps the best – part of my journey south is the NightJet night train. I sleep well on trains and find it cosy to crawl into my sleeping compartment. Inside, I find a bed, some water, a pair of slippers, earplugs and a note detailing the breakfast options. I sleep soundly to the thumping and rocking of the train and wake up to find the train staff bringing me my chosen breakfast. Looking out of the window, I can see the green Swiss landscape bathed in bright sunshine.
The night train arrives in Zürich, slightly delayed, and I stroll the short distance from the train station to the hotel, well rested and in good time for my first meeting with colleagues from ETH and the University of Zürich. I could probably have flown earlier in the day for less money, but this feels so much better. I got some work done along the way, which I often find more difficult when flying, I was kinder to the environment and enjoyed my travel experience much more.
Last autumn, I convinced my entire work group of eight people to take the train to Utrecht in the Netherlands for a collegial exchange. That trip turned into an adventure that didn’t quite go according to plan, but that’s another story…
From sunny Europe in June 2025,
Katarina Mårtensson
