Narrow-gauge railways in Sweden

There are several operating narrow-gauge railways in Sweden. Narrow-gauge railways usually run only in the summer season and usually only on weekends. Almost all of them are operated by volunteers. The list does not include miniature railways.

Narrow gauge railways in Sweden:

Anten-Gräfnäs Järnväg (AGJ) – a narrow gauge railway (891 mm) from Anten to Gräfsnäs, near Alingsås. Total length of the route is 12 kilometers. The one-way journey takes 42 minutes. Steam hauled trains are comprised of vintage carriages. Sometimes also historic railbuses run. The trains run mainly during summer holidays.

Anten-Gräfnäs Järnväg (AGJ) – official website

Bläse Kalksbruk – narrow-gauge railway on Gotland located off the beaten track. The nearest public transport stop is located seven kilometers away. The railway once connected the port of Bläse with the quarry, and now is used for tourist purposes. Trains run only in summer season, carrying tourists from the museum up to the old quarry, and back again. The total length of the route is 2,2 km and the return trip takes about 40 minutes.

Bläse Kalksbruk – official website

Böda Skogsjärnväg – forest railway (600 mm gauge) on the island of Öland. Trains run on summer holiday weekends from the last weekend of June to the last weekend of August. The trains carry passengers along four-kilometer route from Fagerrör to Trollskogen. The round trip takes 75 minutes. Diesel and steam hauled.

Böda Skogsjärnväg – official website

Föreningen Ryttarens torvströfabrik – former peat railway in Åkerängsvägen 20 kilometers from Falköping. The railway is located in a remote area, in an abandoned peat mine, which currently houses a peat mining museum. The place has a unique atmosphere and allows you to travel back in time to the middle of the last century. Only about three kilometers of tracks remain of the former ten-kilometer line. The museum is open to public only a few times a year, organized groups can book a visit on any day.

Föreningen Ryttarens torvströfabrik – official website

Föreningen Smalspåret Växjö-Västervik – narrow gauge railway and pedal driven trolleys between Virserum and Åseda (29 km). Historic railbus run occasionally.

Föreningen Smalspåret Växjö-Västervik – official website

Gotlands Hesselby Jernväg – forest railway on the island of Gotland (891 mm). Trains run on Sundays and selected days during summer holidays There is also a small railway museum at Hesselby station, where handcars, photos, tickets and uniforms related to the railway are on display. On days when trains do not run, visitors can hire a pedal driven trolleys.

Gotlands Hesselby Jernväg – offcial website

Jädraås – Tallås Järnväg – narrow gauge railway on the east coast of Sweden. Six kilometers long route between Jädraås to Svartbäcken (891 mm) through forest, 20 km west of Ockelbo in Gästrikland. The steam trains usually run on Sundays from mid-June to the end of August-September.

Jädraås – Tallås Järnväg – official website

Lennakatten – narrow-gauge line from Uppsala to Faringe along sparsely populated forest areas. The length of the route is 33 kilometers. Vintage trains run from Uppsala on selected days during the summer season. The round trip with the accompanying program takes from 3 to 5 hours. Steam and diesel hauled trains or historic railbuses.

Lennakatten – official website

Munkedals Järnväg  – 3.3 km long narrow gauge railway line between Åtorp and Munkedals harbour on the west coast of Sweden north of Göteborg. The 600 mm railway line was closed in 1954. Steam or diesel hauled trains.

Munkedals Järnväg – official website

Ohsabanan – vintage trains running on disused Ohs Bruk – Bor Norra railway line (600 mm). The railway line was built in 1907-10 and closed in 1967. The route is 14.5 km long and vintage trains run on July and August weekends and on selected days from mid-July to August 1. Trains are usually steam hauled. Bor Norra station is located near Bor main line station.

Ohsabanan – official website

Östra Södermanlands Järnväg – narrow-gauge railway located near Stockholm. Very popular among tourists. Trains run in the high season from May to September on weekends and on selected days in July. Trains run on the following sections: Mariefred-Läggesta (11 km) and Läggesta-Taxinge-Näsby (7.5 km). The journey is relatively short, on the first section lasts only 14 minutes, on the second 34 minutes. In addition to seasonal routes, trains also run on selected days throughout the year – Läggesta Station is easily accessible by commuter train from Stockholm.

Östra Södermanlands Järnväg – official website

Risten – Lakviks Järnväg – 600 mm narrow gauge railway in Lakvik, between Åtvidaberg and Björsäter. The former Norsholm – Västervik – Hultsfred railway (891 mm) was closed in 1964 and dismantled. Short section of the line was rebuilt in 1971. Currently, total length of the line is about 2 kilometers. Diesel and steam hauled trains. Risten – Lakviks Järnväg has two passenger cars from the late 1850s, Sweden’s oldest preserved passenger carriages.

Risten – Lakviks Järnväg – official website

Skara – Lundsbrunns Järnvägar – one of the sections of the former Vastergötland-Goteborgs Järnväg. Vintage train rides on an 11.2 km long route from Skara to Lundsbrunns. Trains run during the summer season, mainly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Steam hauled trains or historic rail bus. The one-way journey takes 25 minutes. One of the active steam locomotives was produced in 1898. The Skara The station was once the largest narrow-gauge station in northern Europe, serving trains heading in five different directions.

Skara – Lundsbrunns Järnvägar – official website

Smalsparrsjanvagen Västervik – Hultsfred – narrow gauge railway between Västervik and Hultsfred (60 km) and pedal driven trolley rides on the Hultsfred-Hesjön section (11 km). It is the longest narrow-gauge railway in Scandinavia and one of the region’s greatest tourist attractions. In the summer season, historic railbuses and trains composed of a steam locomotive and retro wagons run along the route. The line opened in 1879 and is maintained thanks to the efforts of numerous volunteers. The one-way trip takes less than two hours.

Smalsparrsjanvagen Västervik – Hultsfred – official website

Wadstena Fogelsta Järnväg – one of the oldest active narrow-gauge railway (891 mm) in Östergötland. The oldest sections of the narrow-gauge line were put into operation in 1874. Currently, only a 9.6 km long section of Wadstena – Fågelsta has been preserved from the of the extensive original narrow gauge network of about 450 km. Occasional railbus excursions and pedal driven trolleys.

Wadstena Fogelsta Järnväg – official website

Related articles:

Train travel in Sweden
Railways in Europe by country

Narrow gauge railways in Sweden
Wadstena Fogelsta Järnväg (Photo: markovskiy, dreamstime.com)