Stambanan genom Övre Norrland (Hällnäs - Trehörningsjö)

Today I will start my journey back south along the Stambanan genom Övre Norrland (Main line through Upper Norrland).

 Starting off in Vindeln, and visiting Vindelforsen (The rapids of Vindel river).

 Next stop is Hällnäs station. Main line through Upper Norrland is 626km long between Bräcke and Boden. I will not possibility to visit all railway during this trip, but south of Hällnäs will be covered.

 The station is used to be called Hällnäsmodellen, 43 other station buildings were basically copied after Hällnäs. Most of them are unfortunately demolished today.

 It's green light, and I'm expecting to see a train.

 Here it comes. Daily Arctic Rail Express between Narvik and Oslo is passing by.

 Bombardier Traxx F140 AC2 from Railpool GmbH and hired to CargoNet AS

 ARE train is covering a journey of 1950km and a travel time of 26,5h

 In southern direction it is transporting mainly fresh fish and northward transporting mail, groceries and consumer goods.

Next stop - Tvärålund. There are not many stations for passenger trains here. This one is operated by Norrtåg for services from Umeå to Lycksele and Luleå.

 Information about the danger to play Pokemon Go close to the platform edge.

 What a luck I have today - another ARE train, this time in a northern direction.

 CargoNet operating this train is owned by Norwegian State.

 Next stop is Vännäs, which is one of major stations along this railway. Here is the old railway hotel building.

 Vännäs station

 Commuter service Vännäs-Umeå operated with X11 train from 1991. The train was previously used by Skånetrafiken

 Before completion of Botniabanan, long distance trains to upper north was passing here.

 The reminder of the time when long distance train stopped here.

 Today this is the only passenger train stopping here.

 Vännäs is a major railway junction station for freight trains due to nearby Umeå and Holmsund.

 Green Cargo T44

 Green Cargo Rc4 is arriving from the south

 The train is stopping here for a driver change.

 Bridges over Umeälven river, not far from Vännäs.

 The first bridge from 1910

 The second bridge from 1965

 The railway has many curves and inclines, due to this some trains have to use several locomotives, like this steel train from Luleå to Borlänge with 3 Rc locomotives.

 Here are the 3 Green Cargo Rc4 locomotives

 Green Cargo has 117 locomotives of this type

 Degermyr

 Rd2 locomotive which is an upgrade version of previous Rc2. The upgrade was made by Bombardier in 2007.

 Green Cargo is a freight railway company owned by Swedish state.

 Hörnsjö

 Next stop is one of the major attractions along this route - bridges in Tallberg.

 Just like the bridge over Ume river was replaced by a newer one, the original bridge over Öre river  from 1891 was replaced by two other bridges in 1919 and 1994. Here the second bridge.

 Third bridge is the longest one along the line, it is 338m.

Third and second briges

 Information about the third bridge

 Information about the second bridge

 The second bridge is usually closed, but there is a possibility to access it.

 The first bridge has been transformed from rail bridge into car bridge.

 One of the stations from Hällnäs model, is Nyåker.

 The railway through Nyåker has been duplicated with a new one a bit north of the town. It was built in 1994 and has the longest tunnels along the line - Glödbergstunnel 1680m. However, the old railway was kept for meeting trains.

 Brattsbacka

My last stop for today is Trehörningsjö.