Haparandabanan

Haparandabanan (Swedish name for "Haparanda rail line") is a railway line owned and maintained by the Swedish rail network company Banverket. The line connects the cities of Boden and Haparanda. The branch line from Morjärv to Kalix and Karlsborgsbruk is often considered as a part of the Haparandabanan. The line is 165 kilometers (102.5 miles) in length and it is a freight-only line, no passenger trains.

The line from Boden to Haparanda/Karlsborgsbruk is single track and not electrified. Also there is no automatic train control systems installed. Apart from Boden Central railway station including Buddbyn railway station the only station equipped with centralized traffic control is the Avafors railway station, which is controlled remotely from Luleå railway station. Stations at Morjärv and Haparanda are manned locally when traffic so requires.

Currently (2007) the Banverket is upgrading the line from Buddbyn to Morjärv to Kalix, and is also building an alternate route between Kalix and Haparanda. The line will have electric propulsion after the upgrade.

History

The railway from Boden to Haparanda as built in several sections over the course of 17 years. The first segment to be completed was Buddbyn to Niemisel in 1900, followed by the segment Niemisel to Morjärv in 1902. The railway did not reach Lappträsk until in 1910, and the Swedish–Russian border at Karungi on the west bank of Torne River wasn't reached until in 1913.

Karungi was to become a junction, and the railway reaching northward to Övertorneå was built in 1914, followed by the southern Karungi to Haparanda line in 1915. The only open railway connection between Germany and Russia during World War I went here. Lenin travelled here in 1917 to organise the Russian Revolution. The bridge over the Torne River between Haparanda and Tornio was taken in service in 1919. Before that people had to walk or use horse carriages the short distance between the cities.

The station building was finished in 1918, and was dimensioned based on the traffic during the war. All international travellers had to change trains here because of the break-of-gauge. During World War 2, the traffic was dense again since the Baltic Sea was not safe.It is one of Swedens largest station buildings, but not used at the moment.

The branch line from Morjärv towards Kalix was built in 1961.Traffic between Karungi and Övertorneå was discontinued in 1984, and the line was torn soon thereafter. In 1986 a more direct route was built between Övermorjärv and Östra Flakaträsk, bypassing the Räktjärv station. The old line along with one bridge was demolished soon after the new shortcut was built – however, the old line is still visible on many Swedish maps.

The passenger traffic was ended in year 1992. The connection to the Finnish trains was cancelled already in 1988 when the Haparanda-Tornio-Kemi trains were cancelled. There was a test with tourist traffic between Boden-Haparanda in the summer 2000, but that has not been done again.

External links

* [http://www.jarnvag.net/banguide/Boden-Haparanda.asp Järnväg.net — Haparandabanan] (in Swedish)