Thursday, July 6, 2017

Gällivare to Östersund

Today is one of the highlights during my trip, a journey along Inlandsbanan railway from Gällivare to Östersund. There is only one train per day and only during the summer. The trip takes almost all day from morning to the evening. 
 Early in the morning the Y1 diesel rail car is arriving to Gällivare station.
 There are not many passengers here. It is supposed to be a train mostly for tourists, and the price is quite high for the ticket.
 Shortly after departing, we are leaving the electrified Malmbanan (Iron Ore railway) and taking off to Inland Line. The line was completed in 1937.
 There are not many large towns along this line, which was the reason to partial closure of the services.
 The quality of the railway is poor, and there is a need for modernisation.
 Stora Lulevatten lake
 Hydropower at Porjus

 Porjus


 Báhkkojåhkå river


 Many bridges along the way
 Jokkmokk
 First longer stop is at the Arctic circle



 Kerkejaure
 Kitajaur


 Kåbdalis
 Telejåkk
 Varjisträsk
 Iggejaur



 Second longer stop is also a lunch break. There is no bistro at the train, so the train stops at the cooperating dining places, taking orders in advance on the train.
 This stop is at Moskosel, where a rail museum is located.
 History of Inlandsbanan



 Y1 1328 is a railcar from 1981
 Tjappsåive
 Utterträsk
 Ravenjaur
 Memorial of train accident in Akkavare that took place in 1956
 Heritage trains of Arvidsjaur railway association
 Here in Arvidsjaur, Inlandsbanan is connecting with a branch railway to Jörn and Norther main line.

 The train has to both change direction of travel and re-fuel, so there is a longer stop here.
 Meanwhile I'm checking out the older coaches at the station. Here is one manufactured in Södertälje in 1937
 Arlöv, 1934
 Linköping, 1935


 Julträsk
 Reindeers are very common view here in Lappland.

When it's sunny and warm, they prefer to be on the roads instead of the forest due to that it's more windy and it's less mosquitos here. Unfortunately they are not moving away when the train is coming, so out trains was about to hit some of them, and had to break many times which caused a certain delay in our trip.

 Renviken (Raindeer bay) is an appropriate name for this place
 Storavan lake



 Gullön
 At Slagsnäs station, a large group of passengers were waiting for the train. Suddenly our train was full for a while.

 The tourists could see plenty of reindeers

 At Sorsele the train from the opposite direction is waiting.
 Sorsele
 There are not only reindeers on the tracks

 Lomselenäs


 Storuman

 A student from a local music school is playing guitar at the station



 Dinner at Vilhelmina Norra
 Chicken outside the station
 Nice local food dinner


 Vilhelmina


 After Storuman, it is again almost empty in the train
 Meselefors
 Dorotea

 Lappland border to Ångermanland

 Hoting

 A bus line is following the train route


 Österkälen
 Ulriksfors



 Tännviken
 Jämtlands-Sikås
 Norderåsen
 Lit



 After a whole day on the non-electrified Inlandsbanan, we are approaching Östersund, where the line is connecting to Mittbanan. Here is one X62
 Final stop for our train
 Tomorrow I will continue on the next part of the railway to Mora.
 Rd2

1 comment:

  1. Wonderful nature and wonderful line. But the ticket price seems to be unreasonably high.

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