Rail transport in Sweden

For high-speed rail, see High-speed rail in Sweden.
Sweden
Skånetrafiken Pågatåg X61 and SJ X55
Operation
National railwaySJ
Infrastructure companySwedish Transport Administration
Major operatorsArlanda Express, Inlandsbanan, Krösatågen, VR Snabbtåg Sverige, Mälartåg, Norrtåg, Storstockholms lokaltrafik (SL), SJ, Snälltåget, Tågab, Vy Tåg, Pågatågen, Värmlandstrafik, Vy, Västtrafik, X-trafik, Øresundståg, Östgötapendeln[1]
Statistics
Ridership264.6 million[2]
System length
Total10,912 kilometres (6,780 mi)[3]
Double track2,058 kilometres (1,279 mi)[3]
Electrified8,186 kilometres (5,087 mi)[3]
Track gauge
Main1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)10,846 kilometres (6,739 mi)[3]
891 mm (2 ft 11+3⁄32 in)66 kilometres (41 mi)[3]
Electrification
Main15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Features
Longest tunnelHallandsås Tunnel (8.7 km)
Longest bridgeÖresundsbron (7.8 km)
Highest elevation601 m a.s.l.
 atStorlien
Lowest elevation30 m b.s.l.
 atStockholm City Station
Map
System map
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Rail transport in Sweden uses a network of 10,912 kilometres (6,780 mi), the 24th largest in the world.[3] Construction of the first railway line in Sweden began in 1855. The major operator of passenger trains has traditionally been the state-owned SJ, though today around 70% of all rail traffic consists of subsidised local and regional trains for which the regional public transport authorities bear responsibility.[4] Passenger traffic has increased significantly since the turn of the millennium,[5] and in 2019 Sweden ranked eleventh in the world (as measured in passenger kilometres per capita) and number three in the European union,[5] as well as number six in the world when measured by passenger share.

In 1988, driven by significant deficits at Swedish State Railways, the Swedish parliament pursued a separation strategy that involved partitioning the ownership of rail infrastructure from train operations. This move, which made Sweden the first European country to undertake such a separation, also involved opening the railway system to private train operators, including open-access operators, and introducing competitive bidding for regional service contracts. [6][7]

Sweden is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Sweden is 74.

  1. ^ Nelldal, Bo-Lennart, Andersson, Josef, Froidh, Oskar. (2018). Kungliga tekniska högskolan. Resandeflöden på Sveriges järnvägsnätAnalys av utbud och efterfrågan på tågresor TRITA-ABE-RPT-1818 URL: http://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1251488/FULLTEXT01.pdf
  2. ^ "Railway passenger transport statistics" (PDF). Europa EU. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Bantrafik 2021" (in Swedish and English). 23 June 2022. p. Table 2.1. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  4. ^ Transportstyrelsen Resandeflöden på Sveriges järnvägsnät Analys av utbud och efterfrågan på tågresor (in Swedish TSJ 2019-2258. Website URL: https://www.transportstyrelsen.se/4978e1/globalassets/global/publikationer/marknadsovervakning/resandefloden-pa-sveriges-jarnvagsnat20190411.pdf
  5. ^ a b Eurostat (2021) Statistics Modal split of passenger transport. Data from 2019. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/t2020_rk310/settings_1/table?lang=en
  6. ^ Spaven, David (November 1993). "Rail Privatization: the Swedish Experiment". Scottish Affairs. 1 (5): 87–95. doi:10.3366/scot.1993.0073. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Sweden, 30 years of railway liberalisation". Mediarail.be - Rail Europe News (in French). 2019-05-19. Retrieved 2024-01-23.