North Bothnia Line
Encyclopedia
The North Bothnia Line is a proposed high-speed rail
way line between Umeå Central Station
and Luleå Central Station
in Sweden
. The line would be 270 kilometres (167.8 mi) long and be a northern extension of the Bothnia Line, which opened in 2010. The planned extension is expected to improve accessibility between larger cities along Sweden's coast and handle 1.6 million passengers per year.
Currently the area is served by the Main Line Through Upper Norrland, which is located inland and with branch lines connected to the various towns along the coast. To the north, the line will connect with the Main Line Through Upper Norrland and onwards along the Haparanda Line to connect to the Barents Region
and the Finnish railway network
. It will also connect to the Iron Ore Line. The project is estimated to cost 23 billion Swedish krona
(SEK).
The line will connect to Stockholm via the Bothnia Line, the Ådalen Line
and the East Coast Line. The Main Line Through Upper Norrland has a maximum permitted train weight of 1100 tonnes (1,082.6 LT) per Rc locomotive, while the North Bothnia Line will be built for 1600 tonnes (1,574.7 LT) and will reduce transport distance by 70 to 110 km (43.5 to 68.4 ) for many freight routes. An upgrade of the Main Line has been considered, but because of the curvy right-of-way most of the line would have to be built in an all-new right-of-way, which would raise costs to about the same as the North Bothnia Line. In addition, the Main Line's inland route makes it unsuitable for regional passenger services and gives longer distances. Travel time from Umeå to Luleå for passenger trains will be 90 minutes, compared to over 4 hours for buses or trains today.
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
way line between Umeå Central Station
Umeå Central Station
Umeå Central Station is a railway station in Umeå, Sweden.The station was designed by architect Folke Zettervall and built between 1895-96. In 2001, it was declared a byggnadsminne. Redevelopment of the area began in July 2010...
and Luleå Central Station
Luleå Central Station
Luleå Central Station or Luleå C is a railway station located on the Main Line Through Upper Norrland in Luleå, Sweden. The station is owned by Jernhusen and is the terminal of the line....
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The line would be 270 kilometres (167.8 mi) long and be a northern extension of the Bothnia Line, which opened in 2010. The planned extension is expected to improve accessibility between larger cities along Sweden's coast and handle 1.6 million passengers per year.
Currently the area is served by the Main Line Through Upper Norrland, which is located inland and with branch lines connected to the various towns along the coast. To the north, the line will connect with the Main Line Through Upper Norrland and onwards along the Haparanda Line to connect to the Barents Region
Barents Region
The Barents Region is a name given, by political ambition to establish international cooperation after the fall of the Soviet Union, to the land along the coast of the Barents Sea, from Nordland in Norway to the Kola Peninsula in Russia and beyond all the way to the Ural Mountains and Novaya...
and the Finnish railway network
Rail transport in Finland
The Finnish railway network consists of a total of 5,919 km of railways built with Russian gauge track. Passenger trains are operated by the private state-owned VR Group. They serve all the major cities and many rural areas, though railway connections are available to fewer places than bus...
. It will also connect to the Iron Ore Line. The project is estimated to cost 23 billion Swedish krona
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
(SEK).
The line will connect to Stockholm via the Bothnia Line, the Ådalen Line
Ådalen Line
The Ådalen Line is a railway line between Sundsvall and Långsele in Sweden. At Sundsvall, the line intersects with the Central Line and the East Coast Line. At Långsele, the line intersects with the Main Line Through Upper Norrland. It also connects to the Bothnia Line-History:Traditionally the...
and the East Coast Line. The Main Line Through Upper Norrland has a maximum permitted train weight of 1100 tonnes (1,082.6 LT) per Rc locomotive, while the North Bothnia Line will be built for 1600 tonnes (1,574.7 LT) and will reduce transport distance by 70 to 110 km (43.5 to 68.4 ) for many freight routes. An upgrade of the Main Line has been considered, but because of the curvy right-of-way most of the line would have to be built in an all-new right-of-way, which would raise costs to about the same as the North Bothnia Line. In addition, the Main Line's inland route makes it unsuitable for regional passenger services and gives longer distances. Travel time from Umeå to Luleå for passenger trains will be 90 minutes, compared to over 4 hours for buses or trains today.