Inlandsbanan (Inland Railway)

Inlandsbanan AB (Kristinehamn–Mora southern extension: Tågab)
Sweden
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The Journey

Navigate from Kristinehamn Station to Gällivare Station across a span of 1288km.

Scenery Highlights
  • Crossing the Arctic Circle at Jokkmokk (66°33'N) with the official stamp ceremony in the onboard souvenir shop
  • Glacial Lake Siljan circle — the largest impact crater in Europe (~52 km diameter, ~377 million years old)
  • Jokkmokk Sami settlement — winter market capital, Sami parliament (Sametinget) and Ájtte Swedish Mountain and Sami Museum
  • Untamed boreal taiga between Sveg and Östersund — one of the largest roadless forest belts in Europe
  • Porjus hydro-electric station (1915, the world's largest underground hydro plant at the time) on the Lule river gorge
  • Iron-ore LKAB mine landscape near Kiruna — including the world's largest underground iron-ore mine
  • Mora Siljan cycle path (Cykelvänliga Siljan) optional detour
  • Falun copper mine and Great Pit (Stora Stöten) UNESCO World Heritage overlook
  • Aurora borealis (northern lights) sightings possible from late August evenings north of the Arctic Circle
Quick Facts
  • Duration

    14 hours

  • Distance

    1288 km

  • Est. Price

    Moderate-to-expensive: 14-day pass SEK 2,545 (low season) / SEK 3,295 (peak), single express segment Mora–Gällivare ~SEK 1,295, seat reservation 50 SEK/segment, Eurail/InterRail seat-fare supplement ~150 SEK.

Official Booking Provider
Classes & Accommodations

Meals: None (dining car optional, ~120 SEK hot dishes)

Ensuite: No

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Meals: None

Ensuite: No

Engine / Locomotive

Y1 diesel-hydraulic railcars — original Fiat ALn 668-derived units built 1979–1981 by Kalmar Verkstad under Fiat licence; rebuilt 2018 with Volvo DH10A 360 hp engines (some units retain original Fiat 203.01 / IVECO 8210 engines producing ~294 kW)

Locomotive Weight

45–47 tonnes (Y1 railcar); the Inlandsbanan fleet is exclusively self-propelled railcar traction with no separate locomotive-hauled consist

Track Gauge

1,435 mm (standard gauge)

Braking Technology

Air brakes (standard for Swedish rolling stock); rheostatic dynamic braking on the rebuilt Y1 power-car; magnetic track brakes for emergency stop

Route Engineering Challenges

  • 1,288 km non-electrified single-track route through remote boreal interior with no major population centres between Mora and Gällivare (largest stretch is 200 km between Sveg and Östersund with no settlements over 5,000 inhabitants)

  • Crossing the Arctic Circle at Jokkmokk (66°33'N) with harsh winter conditions requiring seasonal-only operation between 16 June and 12 August

  • Heavy winter snow load (up to 2 m of packed snow on the right-of-way) leading to the closure of the inland route for 10 months of the year

  • Long passing-loop spacing in sparsely populated interior requiring Y1 self-propelled railcars to minimise locomotive turnaround and crew changes

  • Boreal forest encroachment on the lightly-used right-of-way — Inlandsbanan AB runs an annual brush-cutting programme in May–June before the summer season opens

  • Wildlife collisions with elk and reindeer — train crews carry firearm lockers and report an average of 4–6 animal strikes per operating season

  • Frozen-ground heave and permafrost thaw settlement between Vilhelmina and Jokkmokk requiring annual geometry correction with a Tamper ECM-7TT track-lifting machine

Railcar length

24.4 m per Y1 railcar (single-car or paired configuration)

Max speed

130 km/h (theoretical); 90 km/h on most inland sections; 40 km/h on passing loops

Seating capacity

68–76 seats per Y1 railcar (reduced to 56 in express configuration with extra luggage rack)

Fleet

Approximately 100 Y1 units built 1979–1981 by Fiat / Kalmar Verkstad; Inlandsbanan AB operates 8–10 units per summer with the remainder leased to other Swedish regional operators

Electrification

Non-electrified throughout the main Inlandsbanan route; the southernmost 35 km Kristinehamn–Nykroppa section is electrified but operated by Tågab diesel traction, not by Inlandsbanan AB

Route character

Single track throughout with passing loops at major stations only; remote wilderness without regular services outside the 16 June – 12 August tourist season

Operational model

Hop-on/hop-off flexible itinerary; passengers break journey as needed across multiple days; mandatory seat reservations 50 SEK per segment

History

Built between 1907 and 1937 as a strategic inland supply route; passenger service declined after the coastal mainline electrification in the 1950s; revived as a tourist railway in 1991 by Inlandsbanan AB (a county-owned consortium of Värmland, Dalarna, Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and Norrbotten counties)

Owner

Inlandsbanan AB (consortium of six Swedish counties); operated as a public-service obligation contract with the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket)

Currency

SEK (Swedish krona)

Schedule

Summer-only: 16 June – 12 August 2026; daily Mora–Gällivare northbound express; Kristinehamn–Mora Wed/Thu/Fri/Sun only

Status

Active — operating as tourist railway with mandatory seat reservations; off-season route is closed to regular passenger service

Languages

Swedish primary; English-speaking train hosts on every express segment; downloadable English-language route commentary via onboard QR code

Train type

Heritage non-electrified summer-only single-track passenger railway operated with self-propelled diesel-hydraulic railcars on a hop-on/hop-off flexible itinerary

Quick Facts
  • Duration

    14 hours

  • Distance

    1288 km

  • Est. Price

    Moderate-to-expensive: 14-day pass SEK 2,545 (low season) / SEK 3,295 (peak), single express segment Mora–Gällivare ~SEK 1,295, seat reservation 50 SEK/segment, Eurail/InterRail seat-fare supplement ~150 SEK.

Official Booking Provider