Stockholm City Line (Citybanan) is a 6 km-long commuter train tunnel running between Tomteboda and Stockholm South, with two new stations at Odenplan and T-Centralen.
The Citybanan enables long-distance trains and commuter trains to take different routes through the city of Stockholm. Commuter trains will run on the Citybanan beneath the city, while long-distance trains will run above ground through the Central Bridge before reaching Stockholm Central.
Delays and congestion in rail traffic are a result of the fact that there are not enough rail tracks in Stockholm. At present, all rail traffic – commuter trains, regional trains, long-distance services and goods trains – are operated on only two tracks.
When Stockholm City Line is finished, commuter trains will run on their own tracks in a 6 km-long tunnel. Other rail services will continue to operate on the present tracks. This means that track capacity will be doubled, and trains will be able to run more frequently and punctually. Interchanges will be smoother because the new stations are located close to bus routes and metro lines.
The SEK 16.8 billion (EUR 1.8 billion) Stockholm City Line is being built by the Swedish Transport Administration, Trafikverket, in close cooperation with the City of Stockholm, Stockholm County Council and Stockholm Transport, SL.
This May, Trafikverket awarded two new rail maintenance contracts in Stockholm to Strukton Rail. The first contract concerns the maintenance of the newly constructed Stockholm Citybanan. The second contract concerns the railway through central Stockholm. Both contracts include preventive and corrective maintenance of the tracks, electrical systems and signalling technology, and round-the-clock fault clearing services.
The Citybanan is a completely new six-kilometre long commuter line with double track, running through tunnels under Stockholm’s city centre. The line will be opened for passengers in July 2017.
“Trafikverket redraws the track map in the inner city. In addition to all trains, in the future commuter passengers can get more frequent and punctual travels and also they get two new stations with significantly better exchange possibilities”, says City Line Project Manager, Kjell-Åke Averstad.
New commuter train stations
The two City Line stations, Stockholm City and Stockholm Odenplan, will be important interchange centres and provide new travel opportunities. For those passengers who change between commuter trains and buses or the metro, their travel time will be shorter owing to the proximity of the new stations to other types of transport.
The Citybanan in central Stockholm is located directly beneath T-centralen metro station and replaces Stockholm Central as the station for commuter train services. Stockholm City Station will have two platforms with escalators providing direct access to all metro lines.
On the two tracks south of Stockholm, Citybanan runs about 550 trains per day and 60% of them are commuter trains. City Line commuter trains get two separate tracks, which will double the capacity and allow trains to run more frequent and punctual travels.
by Elena Ilie
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