History of rail transport in Sweden

The history of Sweden's railways has included both state-owned and private railways.

Private railways

The early years 1845-1914

In 1845 the Swedish count Adolf Eugene von Rosen received permission to build railways in Sweden. He started building a railway between the town of Köping and Hult (a small port at Lake Vänern). Köping-Hults railway was intended to be the first part of a railway between Gothenburg and Stockholm. Von Rosen's money came from British investors. His money ran out in the 1850s and in 1854 the Swedish Riksdag decided that the Swedish trunk lines (stambanorna) should be built and operated by the state.

The first completed railway in Sweden was a railway beside Lake Fryken in Värmland that opened in 1849 and used horses to draw the trains - steam locomotives were introduced in 1856. The first railway in Sweden that used steam locomotives from the beginning was Nora-Ervalla railway in Närke. Nora-Ervalla opened in 1856. Arboga-Köping (the first part of Köping-Hult) was completed in 1857. The railway to Hult has never been completed.

The railway "Bergslagsbanan" Gothenburg-Kil-Falun, was the longest privately built railway, 478 km, opened 1879.

tate owned railways

The building of the main lines 1855-1891

Sweden started building railways later than many other Europan countries. Sweden hesitated under heavy debate for several years because of the costs and other issues.Following the Riksdag's decision in 1854 a colonel of the Fleet's mechanichal corps, Nils Ericson, was chosen as the leader for the project of building the main lines (stambanorna). His proposal was that the line between Gothenburg and Stockholm (Västra Stambanan) should run south of Lake Mälaren to avoid competition with shipping. He also proposed that the line between Malmö and Stockholm (Södra stamabanan) should go to Nässjö and then on to Falköping, where it would meet up with Västra stambanan. There was a decision that, for military reasons, the railways should avoid the coasts as much as possible.

The railway to Falköping was a temporary solution until Östra stambanan between Nässjö and Katrineholm, which lay further up along Västra stambanan, could be built. Nils Ericson's proposal also included the railway between Stockholm and Ånge (Norra stambanan) and Stambanan genom övre Norrland ("the main line through Upper Norrland") which runs between Bräcke and Boden. A railway between Oslo and Laxå (Nordvästra stambanan) was also planned. Laxå lies on Västra stambanan.

The first parts of Västra and Södra stambanan were opened in 1856. In 1862 the whole of Västra stambanan was opened and in 1864 Södra stambanan was opened in its entirety. Nordvästra stambanan was opened in 1871 and Östra stambanan in 1874.

Norra stambanan opened in 1881 and Stambanan genom övre Norrland opened in 1894. A railway called Norrländska tvärbanan between Trondheim and Ånge opened in 1885.

When Ericson resigned in 1862 his authority was divided between two agencies - Byggnadsbyrån (The Building Bureau) and Trafikbyrån (The Traffic Bureau). In 1888 the agencies were combined againas Kungliga Järnvägsstyrelsen (The Royal Railway Committee).

Further expansion 1891-1937

The railway building continued in 1891 when the construction of Malmbanan (the iron ore railway which runs between Luleå and Narvik) began. It was finished in 1902.

In 1896 the state bought all railways on the west coast and began constructing Bohusbanan (the Bohuslän railway) between Gothenburg and Strömstad. It was intended to continue to Oslo but the dissolution of the Swedish-Norwegian Union stopped the construction of the line and Strömstad became the end of the line.

In 1907 the first part of The Inland Railway ("the Inland Railway") was started. In 1909 the train ferry line between Trelleborg and Sassnitz was opened, making it possible to travel directly between Berlin and Stockholm.

In 1914 the railway between Norrköping (at Östra stambanan) and Järna (at Västra stambanan) opened, making the trip between Malmö and Stockholm shorter.

In 1917 a railway between Boden and Haparanda was finished, and two years later a bridge was built over the river Torne to connect Haparanda with the Finnish town of Tornio.

In 1937 The Inland Railway was completed.

Electrification of the main lines 1923-1951

Malmbanan's electrification began in 1915.