Tvärbanan

Tvärbanan is a light-rail line in Stockholm, Sweden. Its name literally translates to The transverse line, as it operates crosswise to the otherwise radial metro and commuter rail lines of Stockholm. It links together several transit lines through its connections with the southern, western and northern subway branches of the Stockholm Metro (Tunnelbana) as well as three branches of the Stockholm commuter rail (Pendeltåg). The possibility to travel between southern, western and northern greater Stockholm without having to enter the city centre significantly reduces the number of transit passengers, also reducing the number of trains having to pass through the Old Town bottleneck during peak hours. Near Liljeholmen the track is shared with freight traffic for a short section, this being the only place in Sweden where freight traffic and trams share the same track.

Geographically accurate map of the system.
The tram stop at Liljeholmen with a Bombardier Flexity Swift electric train. The entrance to the Metro station can be seen in the background
A Bombardier Flexity Swift at Sickla Udde

The tramway is separated from roads in most parts, but there are sections in Gröndal, Sundbyberg and Solna where the tracks run on roads among regular road traffic. In Hammarby sjöstad the trams run in a reservation in the centre of the road rather than in mixed traffic, but there are several level crossings.

Traffic on Tvärbanan started in 2000, first between Gullmarsplan and Liljeholmen, then later between Liljeholmen and Alvik, in 2002 between Gullmarsplan and Sickla Udde, and in 2013 between Alvik and Solna centrum. It has later been extended to Solna Station (2014), Sickla (2017) and most recently, Bromma Airport (2021), the last of which being the first part of the new Kista branch. Tvärbanan was used by around 108,000 passengers per weekday in 2019.[1]

The bridges used by Tvärbanan include Alviksbron, Gröndalsbron, Fredriksdalsbron and Ulvsundabron.

Lines

Tvärbanan has two lines (30 and 31). L30 with 26 stops, going from Sickla south of the Stockholm city centre through Gullmarsplan, Årsta, Liljeholmen, Gröndal, Stora Essingen, Alvik west of the city centre, and Sundbyberg to Solna. The part to Solna Centrum opened 28 October 2013, and the final part to Solna Station opened 18 August 2014.[2] The Friends Arena can be reached within 15 minutes' walk from there. A single-stop extension from Sickla udde to Sickla opened on 2 October 2017, allowing for transfers with the Saltsjöbanan.[3]

L31 has only 6 stops, going from the station of Alviks strand, passing through Alvik allowing for transfers to the Green line and Nockebybanan, until continuing to Bromma Flygplats. The line opened on 16 May 2021 and is planned to be extended further in the near future, with construction underway. The line runs on the same track as line 30 except for the branch to Bromma Airport itself. The nearby Bromma Blocks shopping centre is served with a new stop as well.

Line Stretch Length Stops
30 Solna Station – Sickla18.2 km (11.3 mi)26
31 Bromma airport – Alviks strand4.1 km (2.5 mi)6

Main interchange options

Rolling stock
Bombardier vehicle (№474), in 2013.

Thirty-seven Bombardier Flexity Swift low-floor trams run on the line (locally called A32). Six of them (432-437) are second hand and imported in 2010 from the RijnGouweLijn-project in the Netherlands. Fifteen new trams were ordered from CAF (locally called A35) and they started operation in October 2013 on the Solna extension.

Signalling system
CAF vehicle (№474), 2019.

A signalling system monitors and controls the movements of rolling stock on a rail network to ensure safe operation. Tvärbanan previously suffered from a long-standing issue of incompatible and low performing rail signalling systems. The Tvärbanan network featured multiple different signalling systems from different vendors, because when the rail line was built, the signalling systems were tendered separately for each construction stage. A visible example of this was at the Alvik station, which was a break point between two systems. Even though the line runs straight at Alvik, the same train could not be run past the station because of the incompatibility of the systems. Passengers had to switch trains there. The section south of Alvik was closed during the summer of 2017 to upgrade the signalling.[4]

Extension

Construction on a branch line to Kista and Helenelund started in February 2018.[5] The new branch was scheduled to open its first part to Bromma Airport in December 2020,[6] however this was postponed, as approval from Swedavia was needed in order for the trams to be able to run past the airport.[7] In cold weather, sparks arise from the trams' overhead contact line, which could disrupt radio signals in the air traffic control tower at Bromma Airport. Tests needed to be carried out in sub-zero temperatures to gain approval for traffic.[8]

The first part of the new branch opened on 17 May 2021, with trams running on Line 31 between Alviks strand and Bromma flygplats.[9]

Bromma Blocks

Bromma flygplats
  • Årstadal
    Årstadal
  • Tunnel Near Alvik
    Tunnel Near Alvik
  • Tram Near Traneberg Tunnel
    Tram Near Traneberg Tunnel
  • Tram Arriving at Alvik
    Tram Arriving at Alvik
  • CAF A35 Interior
    CAF A35 Interior
  • Stora Essingen
    Stora Essingen
  • Tram Near Traneberg Tunnel
    Tram Near Traneberg Tunnel
  • Johannesfred
    Johannesfred
  • Tram Near Liljeholmen
    Tram Near Liljeholmen
  • Globen
    Globen

See also

References
  1. "Fakta om SL och regionen 2019" (PDF) (in Swedish). Storstockholms Lokaltrafik. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  2. "Påminnelse: Pressinbjudan till invigning av Tvärbanan till Solna station". Pressmeddelande. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  3. Barrow, Keith (2 October 2017). "Stockholm Tvärbanan reaches Sickla station". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  4. "Nytt signalsystem sinkar Tvärbanan". 3 March 2014.
  5. Claesson, Frida (19 February 2018). "Första spadtaget för Tvärbanans nya Kistagren". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  6. "Tvärbanan till Kista och Helenelund" (in Swedish). Stockholm County Council. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  7. "Bussar ersätter på nya spårvagnssträckan till Bromma flygplats | SL". sl.se. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  8. Radio, Sveriges (5 March 2021). "Tvärbanan kan störa på Bromma flygplats – oklart när tågen kan rulla - P4 Stockholm". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  9. Claesson, Frida (16 May 2021). "Nya Tvärbanans första etapp klar – trafikerar Bromma flygplats". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 17 May 2021.
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