Saltsjöbanan
| Saltsjöbanan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Commuter rail |
| Locale | , Sweden |
| Termini | Henriksdal Saltsjöbaden/Solsidan |
| Stations | 18 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1 July 1893 |
| Operator(s) | Arriva |
| Depot(s) | Neglinge |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 18.6 km (11.6 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 750 V DC |
| Operating speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
Saltsjöbanan is an electrified suburban rail system between and Saltsjöbaden in Nacka, Sweden. It is 18.5 kilometres (11.5 mi) in length and has eighteen stations in use. An average of 19,600 journeys are made on an ordinary workday. The line is mainly single-track, and is isolated from Sweden's national railway network, although both are built to compatible 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge.
K.A. Wallenberg largely initiated and financed the project. The railway's initial purpose was to offer a quick way for stressed-out Stockholm residents to get to planned beaches and recreational facilities around Saltsjöbaden. The construction of the railway went faster than expected, but turned out to be very expensive, mostly owing to the problems building the last stretch into the city, which involved a lot of tedious work with explosives to even out the ground and to build two long tunnels, one of which was the country's longest at the time of the construction.
Saltsjöbanan was inaugurated on 1 July 1893 and was operated with steam locomotives until 1910 after which the lines were gradually electrified (circa 1 kV DC). The construction of the branch that runs from Igelboda to Solsidan (also called Vårgärdsbanan) was fully contracted to a Danish company, Brøchner-Larsen & Krogh. The branch opened in 1913.
Initially the railway was operated by Järnvägs AB Stockholm-Saltsjön, and carried a great deal of profitable freight traffic. This diminished with time, and by the 1960s it was no longer breaking even, and a complete closure was considered. However, the took over the line in 1969, and today it is owned by (SL).
To this day, the route remains mostly unchanged since the early 1900s, but has seen slight alterations at its outer ends. In the 1940s, the western end was extended by about 400 metres (440 yards), moving its Stockholm terminus from Stadsgården to the more centrally located Slussen interchange. Conversely, the easternmost end, which once ran all the way to the Saltsjöbaden shore, for convenient transfer to ferries, now stops about 200 metres (220 yards) inland. A railway branch also used to go from slightly west of Östervik to a gravel pit in Snörom, a distance of about 3 km. It was however only used for industrial purposes. The branch was decommissioned as early as 1902 and all that remains today is a minor road with the same stretch.
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Wikipedia