Western Main Line


The Western Main Line is the main state-owned railway line between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden and it began construction in 1856 and 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 South Station, about. The last section between Stockholm South 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 SJ 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

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, but connect more large cities to the Stockholm–Gothenburg line.