Stockholm commuter rail
Encyclopedia
Stockholm Commuter Rail is the commuter rail
system in Stockholm County
, Sweden
. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm
, and is controlled by Stockholm Transport
; the trains are operated under contract by Stockholmståg. The tracks are state-owned and administered by the Swedish Transport Administration.
, but in 1967, the responsibility for these services was transferred to Stockholm County
, which incorporated it with the ticketing system of Stockholm Transport. New trains were bought, stations were modernised, and the Stockholm commuter rail network was developed with an aim of making it more metro-like.
During the years 1986 to 1996, important improvements were made to the railroads around Stockholm. Single-track stretches were upgraded to double tracks, and some double-track stretches were upgraded to four-track, allowing the commuter trains to run with less interference from other rail services. The service frequency was gradually increased, and from 2001 most stations on the network are served by trains at regular 15-minute intervals, with additional trains during rush hours.
The latest extension to the commuter rail network is the outer stretch between Kungsängen
and Bålsta
that was opened 2001. An in-fill station at Årstaberg was inaugurated in 2006, in order to connect with the then-new Tvärbanan
light-rail
system.
Operation of the Stockholm commuter rail lines has been contracted to private companies since 2000. The network is currently operated by Stockholmståg, a subsidiary of SJ AB
, the former Swedish State Railways company.
|}
There are three lines in the Stockholm commuter rail system. There are two long lines across the county which run through central Stockholm: route J35 runs from Nynäshamn
in the southeast to Bålsta
in the northwest, and J36 connects Södertälje
in the southwest with Märsta
in the north. The shorter route J37 in the southwest connects Gnesta
to Södertälje
. The total track length of the system is 200 kilometres (124.3 mi).
Because of the short station platforms
and the lack of passing loop
s on the single-track
portion of the Nynäs railway south of Västerhaninge
, a train change takes place in Västerhaninge, so that Västerhaninge-Nynäshamn is in reality its own line. Platform lengthening and the construction of passing loops are planned to be completed in fall 2008. However, the line will probably remain divided for some time, in order to sustain a higher level of punctuality in the more central parts of the network.
Trains operate every 30 minutes from 5 am to 1 am every day, with 15-minute intervals during the daytime. Additional trains during rush hours give an average of 7½ minutes intervals for many stations, and trains every 4 minutes on the central parts. Line J37 and outer parts of line J35 are served less frequently, with up to two hours between trains on weekends.
Most trains stop at all intermediate stations, except a few trains during rush hours that skip some smaller stations. 230,000 passengers use Stockholm commuter trains on an ordinary weekday (counting connecting passengers double). This is almost half of the total number of train passengers in Sweden, the Metro and trams not included.
system Tvärbanan
, and three stations have access to the Stockholm Metro
. Several stations are important interchanges to local buses.
Most stations are of a similar style, with an island platform
in a ground-level location with one or two exits, turnstile
s, and a staffed ticket office. A few interchange stations have multiple platforms. The stations south of Västerhaninge
and Södertälje
are smaller, and have no ticket vending facilities; passengers buy their tickets from the train conductor on these parts of the network.
Stockholm Central Station
is by far the biggest station in the network, the largest station in Scandinavia, with more than 50,000 boarding commuter rail passengers per day. This is the main station if changing from long-distance trains or from the metro. The smallest station is Hemfosa, which has approximately 75 boarding passengers per day.
The stations are marked with a J symbol, which just stands for the generic term "järnvägsstation" (i.e. railway station) and is similar to the T symbol used by the Stockholm underground railway stations ("tunnelbanestation").
The ten busiest stations (number of boarding passengers on a normal winter weekday 2005):
The older stock is currently being replaced by new type X60
Coradia Lirex trains from Alstom
. The first was delivered in 2005, and a total of 71 units will be delivered through 2008. A full-length train with two X60 units measures 214 metres (702 ft). Their maximum speed is 160 km/h (99.4 mph).
The Swedish Rail Administration has approved the construction of a rail tunnel through central Stockholm, with a planned opening date in 2017. This new tunnel, known as Citybanan
(‘the city line’), is intended for the exclusive use of the Pendeltåg system, and would split commuter traffic onto separate tracks from long-distance trains while traveling through the city. This would ease the rail systems' congestion problems, and permit Stockholm Transport to schedule more frequent service. Construction of the Citybanan began in 2008. It would also allow more frequent service for other trains, increasing the capacity for large parts of the Swedish rail network since many trains go to and from Stockholm.
In December 2007, reports emerged about a potential future extension of the Stockholm commuter rail system to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
; at present, the airport has an express service from Stockholm C, but at least one change is required to reach it from any other station. Though Stockholm Transport reacted positively to the idea, the implementation of any such project is subject to successful negotiations between Stockholm Transport and Arlanda Express
, who already operate the direct train from Stockholm Central Station to the airport, and have operating rights for the tracks involved. There is already a county-operated train system stopping at Arlanda, it is the Upptåget system run by the Uppsala County
(although the airport is in the Stockholm County
), and the railway operator or the Arlanda railway station claims 75 SEK extra from each Upptåget passenger using the airport station. The same fee can be expected if SL runs trains there. It is the railway and station owner who demands that fee to exist, which shall pay for its construction.
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
system in Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The system is an important part of the public transport in Stockholm
Public transport in Stockholm
Public transport in Stockholm consists of bus, metro, regional/suburban rail, light rail, tram and archipelago boat operation in Stockholm County, Sweden. The bus and rail is organized by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik , SL, which is owned by the Stockholm County Council...
, and is controlled by Stockholm Transport
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
; the trains are operated under contract by Stockholmståg. The tracks are state-owned and administered by the Swedish Transport Administration.
History
Local trains have been operated on the railroads around Stockholm since the late nineteenth century. At the beginning, local rail services were part of the Swedish State RailwaysStatens Järnvägar
The Swedish State Railways or SJ, originally the Royal Railway Board , is a former government agency responsible for operating the state railways in Sweden....
, but in 1967, the responsibility for these services was transferred to Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
, which incorporated it with the ticketing system of Stockholm Transport. New trains were bought, stations were modernised, and the Stockholm commuter rail network was developed with an aim of making it more metro-like.
The latest extension to the commuter rail network is the outer stretch between Kungsängen
Kungsängen
Kungsängen is a locality and the seat of Upplands-Bro Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 7,367 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
and Bålsta
Bålsta
Bålsta is a locality and the seat of Håbo Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 13,430 inhabitants in 2005.Although not in Stockholm County it has the north-western terminus of the Stockholm suburban rail system. Many inhabitants commute to Stockholm. The travel time is 40 minutes by suburban...
that was opened 2001. An in-fill station at Årstaberg was inaugurated in 2006, in order to connect with the then-new Tvärbanan
Tvärbanan
Tvärbanan is a light rail line in the suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden. Its name literally translated into English is Crossways line. It links together many bus and rail lines crossways through its connections with the southern and western subway branches of the Stockholm Metro and the Stockholm...
light-rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system.
SJ AB
SJ is a government-owned passenger train operator in Sweden. SJ was created in 2000, out of the public transport division of Statens Järnvägar, when the former government agency was divided into six separate government-owned limited companies.-Overview:SJ's operations fall broadly into subsidised...
, the former Swedish State Railways company.
Lines
|}
| Line | Stretch | Travel time | Length | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J35 | Bålsta Bålsta Bålsta is a locality and the seat of Håbo Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 13,430 inhabitants in 2005.Although not in Stockholm County it has the north-western terminus of the Stockholm suburban rail system. Many inhabitants commute to Stockholm. The travel time is 40 minutes by suburban... – Västerhaninge Västerhaninge Västerhaninge is a locality situated in Haninge Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It had 14,060 inhabitants in 2005. It is connected to Stockholm by commuter rail.... – Nynäshamn Nynäshamn - References :... |
1:44 | 107 km | 27 |
| J36 | Märsta Märsta Märsta is a suburb of Metropolitan Stockholm, a locality and the seat of Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 23,416 inhabitants in 2008. The town is situated close to Stockholms main international airport, Arlanda. Even if its origins go back to around 500 AD Märsta is a wide spread... – Södertälje centrum Södertälje Municipality Södertälje Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Södertälje.... |
1:21 | 74 km | 24 |
| J37 | Södertälje centrum Södertälje Municipality Södertälje Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Södertälje.... – Gnesta Gnesta Gnesta is a bimunicipal locality and the seat of Gnesta Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 10,318 inhabitants in December 31, 2009.It is on the border to Stockholm County, and a minor part of Gnesta is in Södertälje Municipality... |
0:31 | 30 km | 6 |
| Entire commuter rail system | 200 km | 50 | ||
There are three lines in the Stockholm commuter rail system. There are two long lines across the county which run through central Stockholm: route J35 runs from Nynäshamn
Nynäshamn Municipality
Nynäshamn Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Nynäshamn....
in the southeast to Bålsta
Bålsta
Bålsta is a locality and the seat of Håbo Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 13,430 inhabitants in 2005.Although not in Stockholm County it has the north-western terminus of the Stockholm suburban rail system. Many inhabitants commute to Stockholm. The travel time is 40 minutes by suburban...
in the northwest, and J36 connects Södertälje
Södertälje Municipality
Södertälje Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Södertälje....
in the southwest with Märsta
Märsta
Märsta is a suburb of Metropolitan Stockholm, a locality and the seat of Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 23,416 inhabitants in 2008. The town is situated close to Stockholms main international airport, Arlanda. Even if its origins go back to around 500 AD Märsta is a wide spread...
in the north. The shorter route J37 in the southwest connects Gnesta
Gnesta Municipality
Gnesta Municipality is a municipality in Södermanland County in southeast Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Gnesta, with some 5,000 inhabitants....
to Södertälje
Södertälje Municipality
Södertälje Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Södertälje....
. The total track length of the system is 200 kilometres (124.3 mi).
Because of the short station platforms
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
and the lack of passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
s on the single-track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
portion of the Nynäs railway south of Västerhaninge
Västerhaninge
Västerhaninge is a locality situated in Haninge Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It had 14,060 inhabitants in 2005. It is connected to Stockholm by commuter rail....
, a train change takes place in Västerhaninge, so that Västerhaninge-Nynäshamn is in reality its own line. Platform lengthening and the construction of passing loops are planned to be completed in fall 2008. However, the line will probably remain divided for some time, in order to sustain a higher level of punctuality in the more central parts of the network.
Trains operate every 30 minutes from 5 am to 1 am every day, with 15-minute intervals during the daytime. Additional trains during rush hours give an average of 7½ minutes intervals for many stations, and trains every 4 minutes on the central parts. Line J37 and outer parts of line J35 are served less frequently, with up to two hours between trains on weekends.
Most trains stop at all intermediate stations, except a few trains during rush hours that skip some smaller stations. 230,000 passengers use Stockholm commuter trains on an ordinary weekday (counting connecting passengers double). This is almost half of the total number of train passengers in Sweden, the Metro and trams not included.
Stations
There are 50 stations in the network, two of which are beyond the borders of Stockholm County. Eight stations connect with regional and long-distance trains, one connects with the light-railLight rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system Tvärbanan
Tvärbanan
Tvärbanan is a light rail line in the suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden. Its name literally translated into English is Crossways line. It links together many bus and rail lines crossways through its connections with the southern and western subway branches of the Stockholm Metro and the Stockholm...
, and three stations have access to the Stockholm Metro
Stockholm Metro
The Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines...
. Several stations are important interchanges to local buses.
Most stations are of a similar style, with an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
in a ground-level location with one or two exits, turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
s, and a staffed ticket office. A few interchange stations have multiple platforms. The stations south of Västerhaninge
Västerhaninge
Västerhaninge is a locality situated in Haninge Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It had 14,060 inhabitants in 2005. It is connected to Stockholm by commuter rail....
and Södertälje
Södertälje
Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
are smaller, and have no ticket vending facilities; passengers buy their tickets from the train conductor on these parts of the network.
Stockholm Central Station
Stockholm Central Station
Stockholm Central Station is the largest railway station in Sweden. The station is situated in the district of Norrmalm at Vasagatan/Central Plan. Opened July 18, 1871, the station is the largest in Sweden, with over 200,000 visitors daily...
is by far the biggest station in the network, the largest station in Scandinavia, with more than 50,000 boarding commuter rail passengers per day. This is the main station if changing from long-distance trains or from the metro. The smallest station is Hemfosa, which has approximately 75 boarding passengers per day.
The ten busiest stations (number of boarding passengers on a normal winter weekday 2005):
| # | Station | Boarding passengers |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Stockholm C | 53 800 |
| 2. | Stockholms södra | 16 200 |
| 3. | Älvsjö | 12 100 |
| 4. | Karlberg | 10 600 |
| 5. | Jakobsberg | 10 300 |
| 6. | Flemingsberg | 9 500 |
| 7. | Sundbyberg | 7 600 |
| 8. | Sollentuna | 7 400 |
| 9. | Södertälje centrum | 7 100 |
| 10. | Tumba | 6 800 |
Rolling stock
Three types of rolling stock are currently used on the commuter rail network. The oldest type, X1, was built between 1967 and 1975, and was complemented by a second-generation train, X10, delivered between 1982 and 1993. X1 and X10 units are 50 metres (164 ft) long and are completely compatible with each other. A train consists of two to four units, making the train 100–200 meters long.The older stock is currently being replaced by new type X60
X60 Train
X60 is the designation of Greater Stockholm Transport's new Coradia Lirex-model commuter trains, which as of 2006 are gradually replacing the older commuter trainsets.-Background:...
Coradia Lirex trains from Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
. The first was delivered in 2005, and a total of 71 units will be delivered through 2008. A full-length train with two X60 units measures 214 metres (702 ft). Their maximum speed is 160 km/h (99.4 mph).
Future expansions
Citybanan
The Stockholm City Line is a railway tunnel under construction beneath central Stockholm in Sweden which will be used by the Stockholm Commuter Rail. The line will be long, double track and electrified. It will have two stations: Stockholm City Station will be located directly below T-Centralen,...
(‘the city line’), is intended for the exclusive use of the Pendeltåg system, and would split commuter traffic onto separate tracks from long-distance trains while traveling through the city. This would ease the rail systems' congestion problems, and permit Stockholm Transport to schedule more frequent service. Construction of the Citybanan began in 2008. It would also allow more frequent service for other trains, increasing the capacity for large parts of the Swedish rail network since many trains go to and from Stockholm.
In December 2007, reports emerged about a potential future extension of the Stockholm commuter rail system to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
Stockholm Arlanda Airport , is an international airport located in the Sigtuna Municipality of Sweden, near the town of Märsta, north of Stockholm and nearly , by road, south-east of Uppsala....
; at present, the airport has an express service from Stockholm C, but at least one change is required to reach it from any other station. Though Stockholm Transport reacted positively to the idea, the implementation of any such project is subject to successful negotiations between Stockholm Transport and Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express
Arlanda Express is an airport rail link connecting Stockholm Central Station with Stockholm-Arlanda Airport outside Stockholm, Sweden. Operated by A-Train AB, the trip takes 20 minutes and runs four to six times per hour using seven X3 electric multiple units...
, who already operate the direct train from Stockholm Central Station to the airport, and have operating rights for the tracks involved. There is already a county-operated train system stopping at Arlanda, it is the Upptåget system run by the Uppsala County
Uppsala County
Uppsala County is a county or län on the eastern coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Stockholm, Södermanland, Västmanland, Gävleborg, and the Baltic Sea.- Province :For History, Geography and Culture see: Uppland...
(although the airport is in the Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
), and the railway operator or the Arlanda railway station claims 75 SEK extra from each Upptåget passenger using the airport station. The same fee can be expected if SL runs trains there. It is the railway and station owner who demands that fee to exist, which shall pay for its construction.
See also
- List of suburban and commuter rail systems
- Public transport in StockholmPublic transport in StockholmPublic transport in Stockholm consists of bus, metro, regional/suburban rail, light rail, tram and archipelago boat operation in Stockholm County, Sweden. The bus and rail is organized by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik , SL, which is owned by the Stockholm County Council...