When the City Line is completed in 2017, the track capacity in Stockholm will be doubled, and trains will be able to run more frequently and punctually.
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 the City Line is finished in 2017, 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 City Line is being built by the Swedish Transport Administration in close co-operation with the City of Stockholm, Stockholm County Council and Stockholm Transport, SL.
Two 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.
Stockholm City Station
The City Line 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 and two subsurface station halls with escalators providing direct access to all metro lines.
Stockholm Odenplan Station
The station at Odenplan replaces Karlberg Station. It will be used jointly for commuter train and metro services. The station will be connected underground by escalators. A new entrance will be built at Matteus Church.
Commuter train tunnel in rock and water
The City Line passes for the most part through rock, but in the waters of Söderström between Riddarholmen and Söder Mälarstrand it runs through a submerged concrete tunnel.
Railway bridge at Årsta
In the area between the Årsta bridges and Älvsjö, the rail tracks will have to be reconstructed and adapted to the future commuter train traffic. As part of this work, we are constructing a 1.4 km-long bridge across the tracks at Årsta.
Not only Stockholm
Eight out of every ten rail journeys begin or end in Stockholm. When the City Line is finished, there will be room for twice the number of trains on the tracks through the city. This means that it will also be possible to improve rail connections with the Mälar Valley and the whole of Sweden.