According to Dagens Nyheter, a disruption-tracking app called Strul now follows delays and problems across a wide range of transport services, from SL in Stockholm to Swedish air traffic. Its creator, Stefan Eng, came up with the idea while waiting at Solna station for a commuter train that never arrived.
How the app works
Strul is available as an app and as a web version. According to Dagens Nyheter, it covers disruptions in Västtrafik and regional public transport in Skåne, Blekinge and Uppsala. It also tracks all Swedish train operators and all Swedavia airports. Eng says his goal is to show everything that goes wrong in public transport and communications, and that the remaining large regional transport companies are next.
The app also includes a map with position data that shows where buses and trains are. Users can filter the view, for example to see only trains on the green line. Eng has said he built the app and its web version with the help of AI, even though he has no programming background.
SL's response
Natalie Nordenswan, press officer at Region Stockholm's transport administration, told Dagens Nyheter that SL welcomes services like Strul. She said the administration has chosen to make traffic data available through open databases so that external developers can build their own solutions to make travel with SL easier.
The article also asked why SL's own app often gives inaccurate bus arrival and departure estimates. Nordenswan explained that forecasts depend on many technical factors. These include stop distances matching real distances, and buses that are already late at the first stop or are not logged in to the correct trip. She said SL is aware of the technology's shortcomings and is working to make the forecasts more accurate.
Limits for now
Eng acknowledged that Strul is not yet financially self-sustaining. He said that for now his reward is the enjoyment of the project. The details above are the information released by Dagens Nyheter and the people quoted in the article.