Malmbanan

Infobox rail line
name = Malmbanan


caption = Map of Malmbanan
type = Railway
system = Swedish railway
status =
start = Luleå
end = Narvik
stations =
open = 1888
close =
owner = Banverket
operator = Malmtrafikk
CargoNet
Veolia Transportation
character = Passenger and freight
stock =
linelength =
tracklength =
notrack = 1
gauge = RailGauge|sg
el = 15 kV AC
speed = iron ore trains: 70 km/h (44 mph)
passenger trains: up to 135 km/h (84 mph)
elevation = 540 m|

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.

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.

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.

Apaort from special locomotives, the iron ore trains have some special equipment to allow the high train weights, higher than anywhere else in Scandinavia, and probably anywhere in the European Union. They use special couplers and special brakes. See Heaviest trains.

The railway also has passenger trains (traditional railcars) and normal freight trains, for example with consumer goods to northern Norway or fish export from there. These trains use normal locomotives like the SJ Rc.

Couplings

The weight of the Malmbanan iron ore trains exceed the strength of the common European buffers-and-chain coupler and the Willison automatic centre coupling is used instead. Other freight trains use standard couplings.

See also

* Swedish iron ore during World War II
* Heaviest trains