Narrow-gauge railways in Sweden explained
Sweden once had some fairly extensive narrow-gauge networks, but most narrow-gauge railways are now closed. Some were physically converted to (the latest one the line between Berga and Kalmar in the 1970s) and some remain as heritage railways. The most common narrow gauge, (3 Swedish feet), exists only in Sweden. A smaller gauge network existed, and gauge was used mostly by smaller, industrial railways.Still other but lesser used gauges in the country were,,, and,[1] all converted or removed.
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1,217 mm is equal to 4.1 Swedish feet. Compatible with 4 English feet .
- 42km (26miles), converted to in 1898
- converted to standard gauge.
- 16km (10miles), converted to standard gauge.
- 15km (09miles), converted to standard gauge.
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1,188 mm is equal to 4 Swedish feet.
- 18.2km (11.3miles), closed in 1903.
1099frac=64NaNfrac=64 railway line
- [2] (converted to standard gauge)
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This unique gauge was created by a measure mistake.
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Southern Sweden had a small network, reaching for example Halmstad, Växjö, Torsås, Karlskrona, Ronneby, Karlshamn, and Kristianstad. As most of the railways in the province of Blekinge had this gauge, it was nicknamed "Blekinge gauge" in Sweden. All track is either demolished or rebuilt to .
A few smaller lines also had this gauge:
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See main article: Swedish three foot gauge railways. 891 mm is equal to three Swedish feet.
Two large networks existed, separated by lake Vättern. The western one covered much of the province of Västergötland, from Gothenburg in the southwest to Hjo in the east and Gullspång in the north. The eastern network covered much of the provinces of Småland and Östergötland, stretching from Växjö and Torsås in the south to Örebro in the north. There were also smaller networks on Gotland and in Uppland, as well as separate lines in other regions, among them Öland. Plans for connecting the two main networks were made but never fulfilled.
Some lines were converted to, while most lines have been demolished. In the 21st century, only the Roslagsbanan commuter rail still functions as a commercial railway. There are also tourist or heritage traffic on some lines.
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802mm is equal to 2.7 Swedish feet.
- 97km (60miles), partly closed, partly converted to in 1907.
- 15km (09miles), closed in 1977
- closed in stages after 1940, finally ceased in 1970
- 28.2km (17.5miles), converted to in 1907
- 54.5km (33.9miles), closed in 1953
- 28.86km (17.93miles), closed in 1932
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Numerous gauge agricultural and industrial railways were built. Nowadays a few are in use as tourist railways with steam trains.
- 7km (04miles), defunct[3]
- 2.2km (01.4miles), defunct
- 5km (03miles), 27km (17miles), defunct (part rebuilt as a heritage railway)
- Helsingborg–Råå–Ramlösa Järnväg (HRRJ); 8.2km (05.1miles), converted to standard gauge[4]
- 44km (27miles), defunct[5]
- 60km (40miles), defunct[6]
- near Munkedal in Bohuslän, 5.6km (03.5miles), partly converted to standard gauge, partly remains operating as heritage.[7]
- Nättraby–Alnaryd–Älmeboda Järnväg (NAEJ); 45km (28miles), defunct[8]
- between Bor and Os, Värnamo in Småland, 14.5km (09miles), operating
- 2.3km (01.4miles), private, operating
- 10.8km (06.7miles), operating[9]
- using part of the former Norsholm-Västervik-Hultsfred line, in southern Östergötland between Norrköping and Åtvidaberg, operating
- 17.7km (11miles), defunct[10]
External links
Notes and References
- http://www.trefoten.se/sweng.html List of Swedish narrow gauges
- http://www.filipstadsgille.se/index.php?p=galleri&album=73 Järnvägarna runt Filipstad
- http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng5.htm Anneberg–Ormaryds Järnväg, AOJ
- http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng6.htm Helsingborg–Råå–Ramlösa Järnväg, HRRJ
- http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng9.htm Jönköping–Gripenbergs Järnväg, JGJ
- http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng10.htm Kosta Järnväg (or Kosta–Lessebo Järnväg), KLJ
- http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng11.htm Munkedals Järnväg, MJ
- http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng7.htm Nättraby–Alnaryd–Älmeboda Järnväg, NAEJ (also NAJ and NAÄJ)
- http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng2.htm The ÖSLJ – a Brief history
- https://web.archive.org/web/20050225090407/http://home.swipnet.se/~w-12967/eng12.htm Stavsjö Järnväg
