| Western Main Line | |
| Start: | Stockholm |
| End: | Göteborg |
| Owner: | Swedish state |
| Speed: | 200kph |
| Map Name: | map_name |
| Map State: | uncollapsed |
The Western Main Line (Swedish: Västra stambanan) is the main state-owned railway line between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. Its construction began in 1856 and it opened for service in 1862.[1]
Maintained by the Swedish Transport Administration, the Western Main Line is electrified and consists entirely of double track, except the four-track sections between Gothenburg Central Station and Olskroken (2disp=orNaNdisp=or), in Järna (5disp=orNaNdisp=or), and south of Stockholm, between Flemingsberg and Stockholm South Station, about 14km (09miles). The last section between Stockholm South Station and Stockholm Central Station runs mainly on a two track bridge. Before the Stockholm City Line was opened in 2017, the bridge was a serious bottleneck, as all trains had to use the same tracks.
The maximum speed on the line is 200km/h. This speed is only attained by the X 2000 tilting high-speed trains and some regional trains. The InterCity trains are limited to 160km/h due to the rolling stock. A section of the line, between Skövde and Töreboda, is the longest straight section of railway in Sweden, with almost 40km (30miles) of track without a curve, and used in speed trials. The current Swedish speed record of 303km/h was achieved here by a X50 "Regina" EMU. The line has always been known for its high speeds. As early as the 1950s, the Rapid engines travelled the route at 150km/h.
There are plans to build a high-speed line between Stockholm and Gothenburg, south of lake Vättern, Götalandsbanan. The route would be operational somewhere around the mid 21st century, and capable of speeds of more than 300km/h. However, this would only cut the travel time by about 40 minutes (the fastest connection today is a non-stop X 2000 service which covers the 455km (283miles) in 2 hours and 52 minutes, at an average speed of 159km/h), but connect more large cities to the Stockholm–Gothenburg line (Borås, Jönköping, Linköping, Norrköping).