West Coast Line (Sweden)
| West Coast Line | |
|---|---|
Halmstad Station | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Swedish Transport Administration |
| Locale | Sweden |
| Termini | |
| Service | |
| Operator(s) | Swedish Transport Administration |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 283 kilometres (176 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Operating speed | 200 km/h (125 mph) |
The West Coast Line (Swedish: Västkustbanan) is a railway line between Gothenburg and Lund, which runs along the West Coast of Sweden. It is electrified all the way. It was originally built in 1880-1995, but it is since 1980 being rebuilt to a fast fairly straight double track railway along a mostly new route, basically a new railway. This was as of 2024 was still not completed, as the part through Varberg and through Helsingborg are both single-track.
In northern Helsingborg the track follows a 150 year old right of way, which has tight curves together with a steep climb. Passing trains must not run faster than 30 km/h during inclement weather. Double track construction takes place between 2020 and 2023. although the track in northern Helsingborg will remain as it is for several more years.
A doubletrack tunnel under the city of Varberg is under construction since 2019.