The history of Inlandsbanan is not just the story of a 1,290 km long railway line, and of human toil, dedication and dreams. It is also part of the history of Sweden’s development from an agricultural society into an industrial one.

Inlandsbanan’s journey began at the end of the 19th century, with the retreat of the traditional agricultural society in the face of a new era – industrialisation.
One of the most important prerequisites for the emergence of an industrial society was better communications. Overland transport had previously been very difficult, as it required huge amounts of muscle power – either provided by animals or humans.
During Sweden’s industrial revolution, great changes took place. Locks were mechanised, helping to increase traffic on the canals. Steam power started to be used for transport by rail and by sea.
The railways opened up new possibilities. Goods found new customers, the unemployed found work. With the advent of the railways, for the first time overland public transport became profitable.
As early as the 1840s, English companies showed an interest in building and running railway lines in Sweden. In order to control the development of the railways, in the 1850s the Swedish government therefore decided to establish a network of state-run railway lines, known as the main lines. Meanwhile, the state left the construction of regional and local railways to other stakeholders, primarily the private sector and local municipalities.
The government saw the railways as complementing sea freight, and as a way of helping to develop sparsely populated areas. They were therefore not only built through populated areas with towns, lakes and valleys, but also through uninhabited and remote landscapes.

Previously isolated regions were brought into contact with the rest of the country, and the countryside and towns were united by a rapidly and constantly expanding railway network. New towns and communities sprung up along the newly built railways.

The main lines were built in three stages. Over the period 1854–1875, railway lines were built to connect the fastest-growing regions in southern and central Sweden. These were followed, over the years 1880–1905, by the northern main line and the iron ore railway. The third stage lasted from 1907 to 1937 – the thirty years it took to build Inlandsbanan.

Both the public and private sectors believed strongly that northern Sweden was a land of promise, due to the growing timber industry, the mines in the far north and the 188 state-owned waterfalls that were crying out to be used to produce hydropower.

Northern Sweden’s forests would provide pulpwood for several sulphite mills along the railway line. It was thought that with the help of Inlandsbanan, it would be possible to establish big sawmills in the interior. Charcoal would be transported south for the iron industry. Northern Sweden would flourish!

The tracks were only laid after a comprehensive planning process, which involved assessing potential routes in terms of cost, terrain, proximity to inhabited areas, the presence of suitable locations for bridges and the wishes of the inland municipalities.

Work on these sub-sections often started from both directions, with several teams working towards each other. First a gravel embankment was built up along the marked routes. Impregnated timber sleepers were laid down to support the rails, and to provide a fixing for the baseplates and rail spikes. The long iron rails were then laid and fixed together using fishplates and bolts, before finally being nailed into the sleepers. When the rails had been laid, ballast was added to ensure that the track was securely anchored in the embankment.

The work was split into teams, with each team having a main area of responsibility. Although they are generally referred to simply as “railway workers”, the men who carved their way through the heart of Sweden in the country’s biggest ever construction project actually performed a variety of specialist roles: there were surveyors, earth workers, blasters, stone crushers, gravel loaders, track lifters, track layers, brick layers, brakemen, pump workers and lumberjacks.
Initially it was necessary to transport materials and supplies on horseback along overgrown paths. Access roads were only constructed later.
Workers had access to free health care, free medicines and “makeshift baths”, albeit with one exception: “This provision does not cover workers whose sickness is due to alcohol abuse.”
In 1910, wages were approx. 45 öre an hour, which gradually rose to 1 krona and 35 öre an hour in 1937, when the work was completed.

At the beginning, the teams of workers lived in primitive cabins with no home comforts whatsoever. Gradually the living conditions improved. Barracks of approx. 70 m² were built on site, with each one housing 12–16 men and a housekeeper. The workers slept two to a bunk, whilst the housekeeper slept in the kitchen.

Along Inlandsbanan, bridges of varying dimensions were built to cross the many stretches of water that block its path. The big rivers required long, multiple span, riveted steel truss bridges with strong pedestals and foundations, made of cast concrete or stone. Streams and brooks could be crossed with single span bridges, in some cases built entirely of stone.
The station buildings along Inlandsbanan between Sveg and Gällivare were all built of timber, albeit using many different types of wood, and were based on a modular system that made extensions possible.
The operation of the railway required a large number of service buildings. Locomotive depots were constructed at Sveg, Sorsele, Storuman, Arvidsjaur and Jokkmokk.
A railway line that is more than 1,000 km long is naturally a colossal project, but it would nevertheless have been possible to complete it in less than 30 years. Originally the plan was for Inlandsbanan to be completed in 1924, in other words 13 years earlier than its final completion date.

So why did it take so long to build? Well, there were a variety of reasons. These included the first world war, a long recession and occasional shortages of manpower – but also the changing priorities and commitments of politicians during the construction process, battles between different regional interests, the multitude of parliamentary bills and reports needed to agree on a route and – of course – the public finances.
As far back as 1875 the Swedish parliament imposed financial requirements on SJ. No subsidies would be paid to loss-making lines. Profitable lines, on the other hand, would have to lower fares in order to achieve the political goal of the railways: to provide a good foundation for industrial development throughout Sweden. Thanks to the rapid progress of industrialisation, the railways did well and fares were lowered several times.

By the time the construction of Inlandsbanan came up for discussion at the end of the 19th century, no-one was concerned about how the railway would pay for itself. Instead, the main focus was on economic and regional development.
But from the moment Inlandsbanan was inaugurated at Kåbdalis (between Arvidsjaur and Jokkmokk) in 1937, with the Director General of the railway Axel Granholm putting the last fishplate in place, it was already possible to discern how the car culture, road building and bus connections would play an increasingly important role in the transport system of northern Sweden.

Social changes after the second world war, including an explosion in car use, seemed destined to kill off the railways. Inlandsbanan faced growing problems, sections of the line were closed down and traffic declined. Finally, the closure of the whole line seemed imminent.

However, the situation was turned around thanks to growing public support and the efforts of committed activists. At the start of the 1980s, the company Inlandsbanan AB (IBAB) was established by the municipalities along the line, and through various contracts and agreements the foundations were put in place for increasing railway traffic, geared towards modern requirements. Now Inlandsbanan is being developed into an ever more sustainable railway, with the emphasis on freight and tourism. There are scheduled departures throughout the summer season, our locomotives and carriages have been modernised and the line itself is being gradually upgraded.

Over the past decade, there has been a growing focus on the value of Inlandsbanan’s cultural heritage. This more than one thousand kilometre long railway line has preserved an almost perfectly intact infrastructure of technical installations and buildings from the 1940s and 50s, which hark back to the age of steam trains and railcars. Increasing numbers of visitors are being tempted to explore the history, cultural heritage and natural beauty of this route through the interior of northern Sweden.

Text: Lars Abelin

1894
The idea of a western railway line running north-south through northern Sweden is originally proposed by Axel Rappe, the Chief of the General Staff, who wants an inland railway connection between northern and central Sweden as an alternative to the more vulnerable main line closer to the coast.

1897
For the first time, the idea of building a railway line through the interior of northern Sweden is discussed by the Swedish parliament.

1900–1906
Several parliamentary motions are presented in favour of a western railway through the interior of Sweden.

1907
The idea of connecting Lake Vänern in the south with the north of Sweden starts to take shape. Parliament decides to start constructing of the first section. In the autumn of 1907, ground is broken on the 125 km-long Östersund–Ulriksfors stretch.

1911
Work starts on the next stretch, which runs from Ulriksfors to Volgsjön, or Vilhelmina as it is now known. The first section of the line, between Östersund and Häggenås, is opened to traffic on 10 October.

1912
The go-ahead is given for the Sveg–Brunflo stretch.

1917
The decision is taken to build the section from Vilhelmina to Gällivare.

1916–1918
The private railway lines between Sveg and Lake Vänern are nationalised. This completes Inlandsbanan’s current route from Kristinehamn to Gällivare.

1937
On 6 August, after 30 years of construction, Inlandsbanan is inaugurated with great fanfare at Kåbdalis (between Arvidsjaur and Jokkmokk). Kåbdalis is where the construction teams working their way from the north and south finally meet. The inauguration is presided over by Crown Prince Gustav Adolf. The total cost of the project is SEK 136 million (of which 26 million was spent on buying the private railways).

1939
Start of the second world war. Sweden mobilises, and Inlandsbanan is used to transport Swedish conscripts. Between 1940 and 1943, German soldiers are also transported between Trondheim and Narvik in Norway via Östersund, Arvidsjaur and Gällivare in Sweden. The “German trains” run twice a week in both directions. Each week around 12,000 German soldiers are carried on Inlandsbanan.

The 1950s to 1970s
Since the end of the war, much of the Swedish railway network has been struggling financially, and Inlandsbanan is one of the hardest hit lines. Some stretches of the line are closed down. In 1966 the Sveg–Hede branch line is closed, and in 1969 passenger trains stop running on the Mora–Lesjöfors stretch. Almost 25 percent of the Swedish railway network is closed down.

1990–1991
The social democratic government proposes cutting costs by stopping all passenger services on Inlandsbanan, and replacing them with buses. Vocal protests by the general public, organisations, municipalities and provincial governors force the newly elected centre-right government to review the future of Inlandsbanan.

1992
A proposal for “the new Inlandsbanan” is presented. The Swedish parliament decides that Inlandsbanan will remain state-owned, and that the company Inlandsbanans aktiebolag (IBAB, established by 15 municipalities between Mora and Gällivare) will be given the franchise to operate services on the line.

1993
The Wilderness Train is launched on Inlandsbanan, offering exciting adventures, exotic countryside, comfortable travel and good food with a local touch.

2003
Responsibility for tourist services is transferred to a new company – Inlandsbanan Turism AB (which later changes its name to Grand Nordic). The southerly municipalities of Kristinehamn, Vansbro, Storfors and Filipstad join the company.

2004
IBAB continues to run the train services on Inlandsbanan. Freight services form the backbone of its operations, with tourist services during the summer months being the other main source of revenue. The aim of the company remains to ensure the survival of Inlandsbanan.