| Inland Railway | |
|---|---|
An Inlandsbanan train |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Railway |
| System | Swedish railway network |
| Termini | Kristinehamn Gällivare |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1908 |
| Owner | Swedish Transport Administration |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 1,288 km (800 mi)[1] |
| No. of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | No |
The Inland Railway (Swedish: Inlandsbanan) is a 1,288-kilometre (800 mi) railway line between Kristinehamn and Gällivare in Sweden[1] It runs through the central parts of northern Sweden, and was built between 1908 and 1937.
In 1907 the Parliament of Sweden decided that the first link between Östersund and Ulriksfors was to be built. The next stage Ulriksfors–Volgsjö (today Vilhelmina) was conceived in 1911; the year after that the Sveg-Brunflo stage was given the go ahead. The northernmost stage Vilhelmina–Gällivare was agreed in 1917. By purchasing the private railway lines between Sveg and Kristinehamn the entire stretch stood clear.
It was to take many years for the workers to finish this line. Originally the line was to be inaugurated in 1924, but due to recession and labour shortages it was not finished until 1937.
The line did not prove profitable and was operated by SJ with a gradually decreasing service until 1992, when it was mothballed. By this time the far southern section from Mora to Filipstad had already been closed.
The remaining track was subsequently sold off to the municipalities along the route. Inlandsbanan AB operate a passenger service for just under 3 months each summer, primarily for tourists. At this time this service consists of one north and one south-bound train on the Östersund–Gällivare section, a journey of around 13 hours, and a single train making the round trip Östersund–Mora–Östersund, taking about 6 hours each way. The line has also been re-opened to freight and sees a small amount, mainly logging traffic. A coach service is provided on the route of the dismantled southern section. The southernmost 40 km (25 mi), Kristinehamn–Nykroppa, has a sparse all-seasons passenger service operated by Värmlandstrafik as part of a line from Kristinehamn to Ludvika.