Malmbanan

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Malmbanan
Map of Malmbanan
Info
Type	Railway
System	Swedish railway
Terminals	Luleå Narvik
Operation
Opened	1888
Owner	Banverket
Operator(s)	Malmtrafikk CargoNet Veolia Transportation
Character	Passenger and freight
Technical
No. of tracks	1
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
Electrification	15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)

Banverket — Malmbanan

473 Narvik 436 Straumsnes 455 Rombak 446 Katterat 440 Søsterbekk 435 Bjørnfjell Sweden / Norway border 433 Riksgränsen 430 Katterjåkk 426 Vassijaure 423 Låktatjåkka 415 Koppråsen 406 Björkliden 399 Abisko turiststation 397 Abisko Östra 388 Stordalen 375 Kaisepakte 365 Stenbacken 355 Torneträsk 345 Bergfors 336 Rensjön 325 Rautas 315 Krokvik 306 Kiruna lokbangård 305 Kiruna malmbangård 304 Kiruna Central to Svappavaarabanan 297 Råtsi 290 Kalixfors 283 Gäddmyr 276 Sjisjka 272 Lappberg 265 Kaitum 262 Fjallåsen 249 Harrå 237 Håmojåkk 227 Linaälv 214 Sikträsk to Vitåforsbanan to Inlandsbanan 204 Gällivare 191 Harrträsk 184 Ripats 173 Nuortikon 166 Kilvo 156 Nattavaara 144 Koskivaara 134 Polcirkeln 123 Murjek 107 Näsberg 95 Lakaträsk 85 Gullträsk 75 Sandträsk 67 Gransjö 54 Ljuså 44 Holmfors to Haparandabanan 40 Buddbyn 37 Boden avoiding line 36 Boden Central to Vännas 3 Boden avoiding line 28 Säväst 19 Norra Sunderbyn 14 Sunderbyn Sjukhus 9 Gammelstan to Karlsvikshyttan 5 Notviken 0 Luleå Luleå ore docks

Malmbanan is a railway line between Luleå, Sweden, and Narvik, Norway. The part of the line that is on Norwegian territory between Narvik and Riksgränsen is called Ofotbanen. The line is used by the mining company LKAB to transport their iron ore from the mines in Kiruna and Malmberget to the ports in Narvik and Luleå. The railway allows 8600 tonnes train weight and 30 tonnes axle weight. Both figures are higher than any other Scandinavian railway. In a voting about Sweden's most beautiful railway, organised by Banverket in 2006 among railway employees, the route between Torneträsk and the border won by a clear margin.

Contents 1 History 2 Locomotives 3 Couplings 4 See also

[edit] History

The stretch between Gällivare and Luleå was inaugurated in 1888 and the last stretch between Kiruna and Narvik was officially inaugurated by King Oscar II July 14, 1903. The stretch between Kiruna and Riksgränsen was the first major railway line in Sweden to be electrified in 1915.

[edit] Locomotives

To cope with the heavy ore transports this line was first equipped with the most powerful steam locomotives in Sweden and later powerful electric locomotives, the most famous being the Dm+Dm3+Dm that today are being replaced with modern IORE locomotives after serving on the line for over 40 years.

Locomotives

	Name	Service	Power	Number
	SJ Ma/Mb (steam)	1902-?		34
	SJ R (steam)	1908-?	18 ton force	8
	SJ O	1914-?
	NSB El 3	1925-67	2x 2,134 kW	10
	NSB El 4	1925-63	2x 2,088 kW	5
	SJ Dm3	1953-	3x 2,400 kW	97
	NSB El 12	1954-92	2x 2,398 kW	8
	NSB El 15	1967-2004	2x 5,400 kW	6
	SJ Rm	1977-85	3x 3,600 kW	6
	IORE	2000-	2x 5,400 kW	18

Dm+Dm3+Dm -hauled empty ore train at Abisko Östra station on Malmbanan	Abisko Östra (Abisko East) railway station along Malmbanan	Dm3 approaching Kiruna with an empty ore train	IORE from Narvik approaching Kiruna with an empty ore train
Krokvik station along Malmbanan	Ore carriage	Sign at the Arctic Circle	Torne träsk station

[edit] Couplings

The weight of the Malmbanan trains exceed the strength of the common European buffers-and-chain coupler and the Willison automatic centre coupling is used instead.

[edit] See also

• Swedish iron ore during World War II

• Heaviest trains