| Sweden | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | |||||
| Operation | |||||
| National railway | SJ | ||||
| Infrastructure company | Swedish Transport Administration | ||||
| Major operators | Arlanda Express,Inlandsbanan,Krösatågen,VR Snabbtåg Sverige,Mälartåg,Norrtåg,Storstockholms lokaltrafik (SL),SJ,Snälltåget,Tågab,Vy Tåg,Pågatågen,Värmlandstrafik,Vy,Västtrafik,X-trafik,Øresundståg,Östgötapendeln[1] | ||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Ridership | 264.6 million[2] | ||||
| System length | |||||
| Total | 10,912 kilometres (6,780 mi)[3] | ||||
| Double track | 2,058 kilometres (1,279 mi)[3] | ||||
| Electrified | 8,186 kilometres (5,087 mi)[3] | ||||
| Track gauge | |||||
| Main | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge | ||||
| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | 10,846 kilometres (6,739 mi)[3] | ||||
| 891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in) | 66 kilometres (41 mi)[3] | ||||
| Electrification | |||||
| Main | 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC | ||||
| Features | |||||
| Longest tunnel | Hallandsås Tunnel (8.7 km) | ||||
| Longest bridge | Öresundsbron (7.8 km) | ||||
| Highest elevation | 601 m a.s.l. | ||||
| at | Storlien | ||||
| Lowest elevation | 30 m b.s.l. | ||||
| at | Stockholm City Station | ||||
| |||||
Rail transport in Sweden uses a network of 10,912 kilometres (6,780 mi), the24th largest in the world.[3] Construction of the first railway line inSweden began in 1855. The major operator of passenger trains has traditionally been the state-ownedSJ, though today around 70% of all rail traffic consists of subsidised local and regional trains for which theregional public transport authorities bear responsibility.[4] Passenger traffic has increased significantly since the turn of the millennium,[5] and in 2019 Swedenranked eleventh in the world (as measured in passenger kilometres per capita) and number three in the European Union,[5] as well as number six in the world when measured by passenger share.
In 1988, driven by significant deficits atSwedish State Railways, the Swedish parliament pursued a separation strategy that involved partitioning the ownership of rail infrastructure from train operations. This move, which made Sweden the first European country to undertake such a separation, also involved opening the railway system to private train operators, includingopen-access operators, and introducing competitive bidding for regional service contracts.[6][7]
Sweden is a member of theInternational Union of Railways (UIC). TheUIC Country Code for Sweden is 74.
Passenger traffic on Swedish railways consists of commercial long-distance lines as well as regional and local trains, which are always subsidised by the regional public transport authorities.[4] As measured by train kilometres, the commercial lines correspond to 28% of the traffic (in 2016), the rest being subsidised local and regional rail traffic.[4]
The major national commercial passenger train operator is state-ownedSJ, which has a comprehensive network of commercially operated routes between the major cities with few, if any, stops in smaller towns. Between the major cities in southern Sweden, SJ operates the high-speed trainX 2000 (200 km/h) on an hourly basis.[8]VR Snabbtåg Sverige operates high-speed trains (200 km/h) between Stockholm and Gothenburg.[9]Snälltåget operates the routeStockholm-Malmö-Copenhagen (Høje Taastrup)-Hamburg-Berlin.[10]Tågab operates servicesGothenburg-Skövde-Karlstad,Gothenburg-Trollhättan-Karlstad-Stockholm,Gothenburg-Falun andKarlstad-Alvesta.[11] Fares in the commercial traffic can be complex and usually vary depending on demand.[1]
The subsidised traffic covering most Swedish railway routes are handled and marketed by the different regional transport authorities, such asSkånetrafiken,Västtrafik andStorstockholms lokaltrafik.[1] Usually, tickets to these trains are sold by the regional public transport authority also holding full responsibility for the trains despite contractingSJ or a private operator, sometimes from another country, to actually run the trains. Many regional train systems, such asØresundståg,Krösatågen,Västtågen,Norrtåg andMälartåg are joint ventures where different regional public authorities are involved.[1]Tram systems are used inGothenburg,Norrköping,Stockholm and, since 2020,Lund. There is ametro system in Stockholm, theStockholm Metro.
While most current railway lines of Sweden were determined and built by the state, and receive their technical upkeep from the public as well, SJ no longer holds a monopoly on operating and owning passenger trains where such can be run profitably on a commercial basis. Large parts of the rail network serve parts of the country which do not generate enough passenger or cargo traffic to make a profit, and on some of these stretches SJ has held ade facto monopoly until recently (2010, see below in this section). Average speed is an important factor regarding profitability (more distance per hour means more income per hour). All subsidised and commercial traffic is operated on state-owned tracks, exceptInlandsbanan,Roslagsbanan andSaltsjöbanan which are locally or regionally owned andArlandabanan which is owned by private interests.
A decision was made in March 2009 to cancel the monopoly for SJ. By autumn 2009, free competition was allowed on Saturdays and Sundays when there is more room on the tracks, and competition was allowed to a full extent by autumn of 2010. In 2019, the Swedish railways were called 'the most deregulated railways in the world'.[12]
Rail traffic is supervised by theSwedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), agovernment agency.
The first Swedish railroad for public transport using horse-drawn carriages, the Frykstads railroad inVärmland opened in 1849.
In 1853 theRiksdag of the Estates (a parliament chamber) decided that the State would buildmain line railways, but that other lines would be built by private enterprises (often with cities as main owners), and in 1856 the first stretch, betweenÖrebro andNora (a private railroad), was opened for traffic.
The main line railways were of major importance for the development of the Swedish industry. The first two main line railways were the Southern, stretching from Stockholm to Malmö in the south, and the Western, to Gothenburg in the west. These line railways were finished between 1860 and 1864. The Northern railway runs parallel to the Baltic coast (but not along it) up toBoden in northern Sweden, and was finished in 1894. TheInland Railway runs fromGällivare in the north toKristinehamn in the center of the country, through the central parts of northern Sweden, and was built between 1908 and 1937. It was a part of the 1853 decision that the railways should avoid coasts, and not make detours to pass medium size cities along the route. The reason for avoiding coasts (most evident for the railway to northern Sweden) was to protect it from military attacks, and because steam boats were already established along the coasts as a much faster transport method than before. Railways built by private companies, e.g.Västkustbanan (1888), were however sometimes built very close to the coast.
The construction of the early main lines provided a fast and safe connection from the mines in the north to the rest of Sweden. It also facilitated business (and private) travel, which had earlier required horse-drawn carriages.Roslagsbanan is the oldest electrified railway line for personnel transportation in northern Europe.Malmbanan, the railway line betweenLuleå, Sweden andNarvik, Norway was inaugurated on 14 July 1903. The stretch between Kiruna and Riksgränsen was the first major railway line in Sweden to be electrified in 1915.
Unlike the roads, railways in Sweden use left-handed traffic for trains (the same as the metro) because Sweden drove on the left until 1967. Railways did not switch because the engines of the time had the driver's seat on the left side and the signals are normally located to the left and hence are easier to see. Only railways in Malmö and further south have planned right-hand traffic due to their connection with Denmark. However, as signals are placed in both directions on all tracks, it is possible to drive both left- and right-sided at the traffic controller's discretion.
There used to be six main lines (stambanor), all nationally owned:
Some lines were upgraded to main lines but have since been downgraded:
The naming rationale was that lines built by the state were main lines, but others, such as by private companies, were not. Mainly 1940–1952, most lines were purchased by the state, making the termmain line less well-defined.
Today, changes have been made in the terminology reducing the number of main lines to four. The northwestern main line is not considered a main line anymore and has been renamedVärmlandsbanan. The southern main line between Nässjö and Falköping has also been downgraded since what was once part of the Eastern main line (Nässjö–Katrineholm) is now considered a part of the southern one. The Norrland cross line is not a main line anymore, but a regional railway. The northern main line south ofOckelbo refers to a shorter way than the line through Avesta. TheEast Coast Line (Ostkustbanan) Stockholm-Sundsvall is now considered a main line, since it has the majority of the passenger traffic into Norrland. TheInlandsbanan was considered a main line for a few decades, but is now a tourist railway only. The main lines are still owned by the state, exceptInlandsbanan, which is owned by the counties it runs through.
Denmark: same gauge, voltage change15 kV AC /25 kV AC – Øresund Bridge
Finland:break-of-gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,524 mm (5 ft) (shortdual-gauge track between the two stations closest to the border, standard-gauge tracks to be removed and 25kV ACoverhead lines to be added in 2025.[13]
Norway: same gauge, same voltage (three electric lines and one non-electric)
Germany:train ferry, same gauge, no electric propulsion on board.Train ferry Malmö–Travemünde, Trelleborg–Sassnitz (Mukran) and Trelleborg–Rostock.[14]
Poland: same gauge,train ferry Ystad–Świnoujście, no electric propulsion on board.Sweden and Norway have the sameAutomatic Train Control (ATC) system and the same voltage, meaning that trains can generally cross the border without being specially modified. Sweden and Denmark have different ATC systems and different voltage, so only specially modified trains can cross the border. TheX31KÖresund trains and some of theSJ X2 (branded X2000) trains and some freight and night train locomotives can do that. Such vehicles are needed for border crossing traffic because the Øresund Bridge is not adopted for change between purely Swedish and purely Danish locomotive, or passengers changing between two such trains.
These train ferries never have electric overhead lines on board, so diesel must be used to get trains onboard/offboard. Generally locomotives are not transported on these ferries, only train cars.
International passenger trains today (2023) operate on these lines:
No passenger trains operate between Finland and Sweden, neither through Haparanda/Tornio nor train ferry to Turku. However trains at Haparanda are planned in 2025.[13] Passenger trains are not allowed on the train ferries.
| Line | Speed | Length | Construction began | Expected start of revenue services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The North Bothnia Line Norrbotniabanan | 250 km/h (155 mph) | 270 km | 2018 (Umeå–Dåva) 2026 (Dåva–Skellefteå) 2033 Planned (Skellefteå–Luleå) | 2026 2032 or 2036–2038 (Dåva–Skellefteå) TBD (Skellefteå–Luleå) |
| The West Link Västlänken | 100 km/h (62 mph) | 6 km | May 2018 | Late 2026 (Central station) 2030 (Full) |
| The East Link Ostlänken | 250 km/h (155 mph) | 160 km | November 2024 | 2035 |
| The Southeast Link Sydostlänken | 160 km/h (100 mph) | 60 km | 2027–2029[15] | ? |
| Gothenburg–Borås double tracks | 250 km/h (155 mph)? | 60 km | Not yet decided | 2038 (estimated) |
| Hässleholm–Lund quad tracks | 250 km/h (155 mph)? | 60 km | Not yet been decided | ≈2040 |
Media related toRail transport in Sweden at Wikimedia Commons
