Silverpilen
Encyclopedia
Silverpilen is a Stockholm Metro
train which features in several urban legend
s alleging sightings of the train's "ghost".
. Apart from its color, it was almost identical to the other metro trains in service during its lifespan.
Starting from the point at which it was taken into production in the mid-1960s, up until 1996, Silverpilen was sometimes used as a backup train; particularly during rush hour. The train was used as backup on all the existing Stockholm underground lines, although more commonly on the Red and Green lines.
The interior of the cars were devoid of the usual advertisements and the pale green walls bore signs of partly removed graffiti
. This scruffy look contributed to the reputation of Silverpilen as "different".
The train was used in the 1993 film Sökarna
("The Seekers") a film which took place in Stockholm. In the film, neo-Nazis supporters can be seen abusing immigrants on Silverpilen as it approaches Kungsträdgården metro station. Two people are later killed as they get pushed onto the track by the neo-Nazis and subsequently run over by the train, whose driver is powerless to stop in time.
The background for the ghost stories associated with Silverpilen may be related to the eerie look of Silverpilen if seen arriving late at night to an open-air underground station. People were used to green metro trains and were surprised at the arrival of a silver coloured train: particularly if they had lived in Stockholm all their life and were unaware of the existence of the un-painted unit.
If the traveller was tired or drunk at the time, their imagination might have run away with them. The stories that circulated most widely in the 1980s have been retold by the noted Swedish folklorist Bengt af Klintberg
, and later featured in the December 10, 1997 installment of Det spökar, a television series dedicated to allegedly real ghost stories and haunted house
s.
There are different versions of this urban legend. Some say that the ghost train has only been seen in abandoned tunnels by subway workers. Others say that anyone can see it passing the stations at high speed after midnight. Some even claim that Silverpilen sometimes stops to pick up passengers, who then disappear forever or later "get off" weeks, months or even years after they embarked
. The inside of the train is described as being empty, or as containing one or several ghost passengers.
Some stories connect the ghost train with the abandoned Kymlinge
metro station on Line 11, the blue line. Kymlinge also has a reputation of being a ghost station, with people saying that "Bara de döda stiger av i Kymlinge" ("Only the dead get off at Kymlinge"). The ghost stories of Silverpilen can be compared to those of the ghost ship Flying Dutchman.
Stockholm Metro
The Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines...
train which features in several urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
s alleging sightings of the train's "ghost".
Production and history
The train is usually referred to as being composed of silver aluminum model C5 cars. Only one such train, composed of eight cars, was built; it was manufactured in the mid-1960s as a test unit. In a fleet of hundreds of green metro trains, Silverpilen was the only one of the trains that had not been painted and therefore remained silverSilver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
. Apart from its color, it was almost identical to the other metro trains in service during its lifespan.
Starting from the point at which it was taken into production in the mid-1960s, up until 1996, Silverpilen was sometimes used as a backup train; particularly during rush hour. The train was used as backup on all the existing Stockholm underground lines, although more commonly on the Red and Green lines.
The interior of the cars were devoid of the usual advertisements and the pale green walls bore signs of partly removed graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
. This scruffy look contributed to the reputation of Silverpilen as "different".
The train was used in the 1993 film Sökarna
Sökarna
Sökarna is a 1993 Swedish crime film directed by Daniel Fridell and Peter Cartriers. Liam Norberg stars as Jocke, a young criminal who after serving jail time becomes a successful bank robber and drug dealer...
("The Seekers") a film which took place in Stockholm. In the film, neo-Nazis supporters can be seen abusing immigrants on Silverpilen as it approaches Kungsträdgården metro station. Two people are later killed as they get pushed onto the track by the neo-Nazis and subsequently run over by the train, whose driver is powerless to stop in time.
Urban legends
The silver train was only rarely seen by the average Stockholm dweller. Many people never saw it at all and did not believe that it existed.The background for the ghost stories associated with Silverpilen may be related to the eerie look of Silverpilen if seen arriving late at night to an open-air underground station. People were used to green metro trains and were surprised at the arrival of a silver coloured train: particularly if they had lived in Stockholm all their life and were unaware of the existence of the un-painted unit.
If the traveller was tired or drunk at the time, their imagination might have run away with them. The stories that circulated most widely in the 1980s have been retold by the noted Swedish folklorist Bengt af Klintberg
Bengt af Klintberg
Bengt Knut Erik af Klintberg is a Swedish ethnologist who has become known for his work on modern urban legends and reached a large audience with his books Råttan i pizzan and Den stulna njuren .Klintberg was also co-host Bengt Knut Erik af Klintberg (b. 25 December 1938 in Stockholm) is a...
, and later featured in the December 10, 1997 installment of Det spökar, a television series dedicated to allegedly real ghost stories and haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
s.
There are different versions of this urban legend. Some say that the ghost train has only been seen in abandoned tunnels by subway workers. Others say that anyone can see it passing the stations at high speed after midnight. Some even claim that Silverpilen sometimes stops to pick up passengers, who then disappear forever or later "get off" weeks, months or even years after they embarked
Rip Van Winkle
"Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving published in 1819, as well as the name of the story's fictional protagonist. Written while Irving was living in Birmingham, England, it was part of a collection entitled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon...
. The inside of the train is described as being empty, or as containing one or several ghost passengers.
Some stories connect the ghost train with the abandoned Kymlinge
Kymlinge
Kymlinge is an area of Sundbyberg Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It is mostly a recreational park, part of which is a nature reserve .-History:...
metro station on Line 11, the blue line. Kymlinge also has a reputation of being a ghost station, with people saying that "Bara de döda stiger av i Kymlinge" ("Only the dead get off at Kymlinge"). The ghost stories of Silverpilen can be compared to those of the ghost ship Flying Dutchman.