Trains and other things: Åsa, Veddige, Laholm, Hässleholm

Today I will follow the West coast line (Västkustbanan).

Starting in Fjärås, a station that was operated until 1972

Västkustbanan was originally consisting of 5 different railways, from the middle of 80's it has been modernised partially, today there are only 2 remaing single track parts left, through Varberg and Helsingborg. Between Göteborg and Lekarekullen (seen here) the railway was rebuilt to have double tracks in 1997.

Ölmevalla church

The railway part between Frillesås-Lekarekulle opened in 2004. Åsa station opened in 2013

Åsa station is operated by Öresundståg and Västtåg in rush hour. There are no services here during weekends

X31

In front of the train is the 1,8km long Åsa tunnel

Train 5521 Sävenäs-Halmstad

Rc4 1138

Åsa town is located a bit away from the new station. Previously the railway was passing through the town right here.

The old Åsa station

Once there were trains here to the right

Varberg to Frillesås part was upgraded to double track at the end of the 90's

Former Frillesås station

Södra Cell Värö paper industry

Paper industry has its own railway track connected to Västkustbanan

Värö

It is planned that a new train station will be built either here or a bit north of Väröbacka town. It will be opened in 2026.

The old railway was passing through two bridges over Viskan river. Here is the first one. The new railway is now located to the right (can be seen here).

The second bridge.

The new railway bridge

Bridges and the old railway path are now used for bicycles

Former Åskloster station

Seems that there was a pizzeria here once

Åskloster station and former location of the railway

The new railway is located close to the old one

The sea is close here

I'm now taking a short detour to Viskadalsbanan and Veddige station

Veddige station was constructed in 1920

The railway is not automated, and has to be controlled manually, which is done from Veddige station among others.

Since the railway is controlled manually, it is practical that two trains are meeting here. This train is arriving from Varberg.

X12 3216

Another train is arriving from Borås.

X12 3219

A person working for Trafikverket has to give green signals to the trains.

I'm back to Västkustbanan. The part between Torebo (near Falkenberg) and Heberg (near Varberg) was modernised in 1993. As a result two former stations was now skipped by the new stretch: Långås and Tvååker (here on the photo).

It has been now 26 years since the railway was passing here and there are hardly any traces left here.

Former Tvååker station

Tyllered

Långås has not station building left, but it should have been somewhere here before.

Near Långås I can spot train 9038 from Halmstad to Sävenäs.

Rc4 1174

The new railway was located next to E6 highway for most of the route between Falkenberg and Varberg.

At Torebo I can spot train 14044 from Malmö to Göteborg

Rm 1259

X55

The old railway through Falkenberg is to the left here, while the new railway is located to the east of the town.

X55

After Falkenberg, the railway is passing near Heberg (the station here on the photo). The railway between Heberg and Torebo was located through central Falkenberg until 2008 until the bypass double track railway was constructed.

Heberg

Heberg station seen from a bridge nearby

Near Heberg I spot train 49599 from Göteborg Skandiahamnen to Karlshamn.

Rc4 1158 from NRFAB, while the train is operated by CFL

Slöinge church far away

Train 5154 Malmö-Sävenäs

Rc4 1312

The new railway between Halmstad and Falkenberg was constructed during many years. Halmstad-Brännarp in 1985, Brännarp-Öringe in 1989, Öringe-Heberg in 1995 and finally Heberg-Torebo in 2008 as I mentioned earlier. Here am I passing the old railway route in Getinge.

Street name is reminding of the old railway.

Former Getinge station

Former railway path

Visiting Brännarp where the first part of the modernised railway was constructed in 1985.

Infranord maintenance vehicle LMV

Rävinge church

X55 in Brännarp

Between Brännarp and Halmstad the new railway took a route next to E6, leaving stations as Harplinge (on the photo), Söndrum and Gullbrandstorp away from the railway.

Harplinge

Railway between Halmstad and Eldsberga was upgraded to double track in the 90's. Here I'm visiting a place near Trönninge. A tower is located here to view the nearby bird reserve.

Hallandsåsen hill

Trönninge church

X31 in Kistinge

At Eldsberga the old railway strech is to the left here on the photo, while the new one (to the right) between Eldsberga and Båstad was constructed in 1996. The old strech to the left is also the the railway called Markarydsbanan. The new railway left behind stations as Skottorp, Vallberga and Laholm.

Eldsberga station

Since the opening of the Hallandsås tunnel in 2015, there is a rush hour service Pågatåg to Halmstad.

X61

I'm on my way to visit Laholm and its former station

Lagan river

Laholm power station

Former railway bridge in Laholm

Former Laholm station, the new one is located 3,5km away

City hall

Stortorget

Vallberga

The old railway path

E6 high way passing over the Hallandsåsen hill

The old railway was passing through the hill as well, until the opening of a long tunnel in 2015

Båstad new station

Entrance/exit of the tunnel

Båstad old station

The track is gone (to the left here)

View from the Hallandsåsen hill

The old railway was passing through Grevie

New station in Förslöv

I'm done with Västkustbanan for this time, and now I'm on my way to Hässleholm, here passing by Spannarp and Söderåsbanan

View from my hotel in Hässleholm

I can even see the station from here

The hotel

At the end of the day I will spend some time at the station of Hässleholm

Hässleholm is one of busiest stations in Sweden except for the big cities. The reason is that the station is connecting the railways from 5 different directions.