UL invests in more trains and buses

UL's board of directors decided today, December 17, on additional efforts to improve public transit in Uppsala country during the year 2008. Among other things, additional train service will be added, more buses will be deployed on popular routes, and the youth age limit for single tickets will be raised. Because these investments must primarily be financed by increased revenues, ticket prices will be increase effective March 1, 2008.

In a unanimous decision by the board of Upplands Lokaltrafik (UL) today, December 17, several initiatives were approved to improve the current bus and train services in the county of Uppsala. Investments in more buses and trains will be made in order to offer attractive public transit services and to meet the widespread need for transit within the county.

"We have listened to our customers and to the opinions we have received throughout the year," said UL Chairman Fredrick Ahlstedt.

In more concrete terms, the investments will include:

• An additional train will be added once the new timetable takes effect in August. This will allow for an extended timetable on the route Gävle-Tierp, and the new stations in Älvkarleby and Marma will be served by all trains on the route Gävle-Tierp. As early as this summer, service on the route Uppsala-Upplands Väsby will be expanded compared to the status from summer 2007.
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• More buses in service This means additional investments in longer express bus routes with many passengers, more frequent services or larger buses on routes where there is often standing room only, and increased punctuality during rush hour.
  Once the new timetable takes effect in January, the service will be expanded on the routes Uppsala - Sala (route 848), Uppsala - Östervåla (route 844) and Bålsta - Kista (toute 898).
  After the summer, new express bus service will be introduced on a number of routes.
  
• Youth age limit raised for single ticket purchases The age limit will be raised from 16 to 19 years so that same age limit applies for single tickets as for the Youth card.
  
• A new customer service center for information and ticket sales will open at Resecentrum in the beginning of the year.

To finance these efforts, UL needs increased revenues and therefore the Board has decided that a ticket price increase will go into effect on March 1, 2008. On average, fares will increase by about 9.5 percent, although the increase will be different for different cards. Below is a list of price changes for the most common types of tickets

For questions regarding this press release, please contact Klas Wåhlberg at 070-570 35 99 or Sture Jonsson at 018-65 99 08 (070-212 03 85).