Story Summary
Nidaros Hockey will travel by train for their away meeting with Vålerenga, a game billed as a contest for top spot after the Trondheim side’s strong start to the EliteHockey Ligaen season.
The journey is part of Nidaros’s continuing partnership with SJ Norge, now in its second year. The club intends to use rail for more of its longer away trips this season and expects the change to reduce emissions by more than 43 tonnes of CO₂ compared with more emissions-intensive travel options.
For forward Anders Jonassen, the train is also a practical part of the build-up to a significant fixture. Jonassen said players can use the journey in different ways, including sleeping, working, studying or playing cards. He plans to play cards, do some work and take a short nap late in the journey to arrive feeling prepared for the game.
Nidaros commercial and marketing manager Daniel Björnberg said SJ Norge’s expanded agreement, which makes the company the club’s first platinum partner, helps the organisation facilitate more climate-friendly travel.
Key Facts
- Nidaros Hockey are travelling by train for an away game against Vålerenga that concerns top spot in the EliteHockey Ligaen table.
- Anders Jonassen said teammates use train journeys to sleep, work, study or relax before games.
- Jonassen said he will use the trip to play cards, work and take a short nap as part of his pre-match routine.
- Nidaros and SJ Norge are working together for a second consecutive year on more sustainable team travel.
- The club expects to reduce emissions by more than 43 tonnes of CO₂ by taking the train on more longer away journeys this season.
- SJ Norge has expanded its agreement with Nidaros and becomes the club’s first platinum partner.
- The partnership also aligns with Nidaros’s TrønderHJERTE community work, including its Pride game and efforts to create inclusive activities for children and young people.
IHM Discussion
The travel plan places a simple but important operational detail around a key league fixture. Rather than treating the journey purely as transit, Nidaros are using the train as time in which players can manage their own recovery and preparation routines.
Jonassen’s description illustrates that flexibility. A player who needs rest can sleep, while others can study, work or switch off with a card game. The common destination remains the same, but the route allows for individual preparation rather than one fixed routine for the group.
The wider significance lies in the scale of the club’s stated environmental target. Nidaros expect rail use on longer trips to save more than 43 tonnes of CO₂ over the season, while SJ Norge’s enhanced commercial commitment gives the arrangement added stability. The partnership is therefore framed both as a travel choice and as part of the club’s broader community and sustainability work.
Why It Matters
Nidaros are entering an away game with direct table significance, so the manner of travel has a competitive context as well as an environmental one. The club’s players will arrive having had time to follow their own pre-match routines, according to Jonassen.
Away travel is a recurring part of a league season, making repeated choices on longer journeys meaningful. Nidaros’s expected reduction of more than 43 tonnes of CO₂ gives a measurable dimension to the decision to increase train use. The expanded SJ Norge partnership also links the initiative to a commercial relationship that supports the club’s stated sustainability aims.
Mini Q&A
Why are Nidaros travelling by train to face Vålerenga?
The trip is part of Nidaros Hockey’s partnership with SJ Norge and its plan to use rail more often on longer away journeys, while the players can also prepare for the game during the journey.
What did Anders Jonassen say about the train journey?
Jonassen said players can sleep, work, study or play cards on the train. He intends to play cards, work and take a short nap before the game.
What environmental impact does Nidaros expect from increased rail travel?
Nidaros expects to cut emissions by more than 43 tonnes of CO₂ this season compared with more emissions-intensive transport alternatives.
What Comes Next
The next stated checkpoint is Nidaros’s away meeting with Vålerenga, with top spot in the EliteHockey Ligaen table at stake. The club will also increase its use of rail on longer away journeys during the season as part of the SJ Norge partnership.
IHM Final View
Nidaros have attached a clear practical purpose to their rail travel: getting the group to an important away game while giving players room to prepare in their preferred way. With a stated season-long emissions saving of more than 43 tonnes of CO₂ and an expanded partnership behind the plan, the arrangement extends beyond one trip to Vålerenga.