Björkliden

Day of my trip with Arctic Circle Train - waking up arriving to Gällivare.

 The train is now on the Iron Ore Line (Malmbanan) and we have already passed Arctic Circle.

 It is nice to wake up in a real winter environment.

 Passengers are leaving the train in Gällivare

 WL6 train manufactured 1994

 Now leaving Gällivare for further north trip.

 Passing by Sjisjka station. Our train does not stop, but some train does.

 Sjisjka is a small village with 2-3 houses, and it can not be reached by car, so the train stop is needed here.

 Kiruna station.

 In Kiruna there is a longer stop due to change of the train direction.

 Abisko Östra station.

 Abisko turiststation

 Lapporten (The Lapponian Gate) is seen from Abisko and from Björkliden which is my final destination with this train.

 Abisko viewed from Björkliden

 In Björkliden, one can follow Rallarvägen, the road built by the railway workers around 1902.

 Björkliden has only 20 permanent residents, but thousands of tourists coming here to ski, enjoy the nature and northern lights.

 The reason for building a railway here is this train - Iron Ore train, transporting this product from Kiruna mining to Narvik ice free harbour.

 Iron Ore locomotive is the most powerful in the world.

 Each IORE train is named after stations along the Iron Ore railway.

 Manufactured by Bombardier in 2003.

 Two IORE trains are meeting in Björkliden.

 Some of the staff would like to return back to Kiruna.

SJ Intercity train viewed from Björkliden.

 In Björkliden it is possible to visit Låktajåkka mountain lodge, 1228m above sea.

 Here it is possible to eat, stay the night or just rest.

 9km from Björkliden, and 2 hours by ski.

 Back to Björkliden, visiting Tornehamns Rallarkyrkogård, graveyard for railway builders who died here. The conditions for railway building at 1903 were horrible, many people died from deceases.