Western Main Line

Template:Short description The Western Main Line (Template:Langx) is the main state-owned railway line between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. Its construction began in 1856 and it opened for service in 1862.

Maintained by the Swedish Transport Administration, the Western Main Line is electrified and consists entirely of double track, except the four-track sections between Gothenburg Central Station and Olskroken (), in Järna (), and south of Stockholm, between Flemingsberg and Stockholm Södra station, about . The last section between Stockholm Södra station and Stockholm Central Station runs mainly on a two track bridge. Before the Stockholm City Line was opened in 2017, the bridge was a serious bottleneck, as all trains had to use the same tracks.

Operating speed

The maximum speed on the line is . This speed is only attained by the X 2000 tilting high-speed trains and some regional trains. The InterCity trains are limited to due to the rolling stock. A section of the line, between Skövde and Töreboda, is the longest straight section of railway in Sweden, with almost of track without a curve, and used in speed trials. The current Swedish speed record of was achieved here by a X50 "Regina" EMU. The line has always been known for its high speeds. As early as the 1950s, the Rapid engines travelled the route at .

Future plans

There are plans to build a high-speed line between Stockholm and Gothenburg, south of lake Vättern, Götalandsbanan. The route would be operational somewhere around the mid 21st century, and capable of speeds of more than . However, this would only cut the travel time by about 40 minutes (the fastest connection today is a non-stop X 2000 service which covers the in 2 hours and 52 minutes, at an average speed of ), but connect more large cities to the Stockholm–Gothenburg line (Borås, Jönköping, Linköping, Norrköping).

See also

• Southern Main Line

External links

• Järnväg.net page on Västra stambanan Template:In lang