The
Stockholm Metro is the
metroA rapid transit, metro, subway, underground, or elevated railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with high capacity and frequency, and which is grade separated from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically either in underground tunnels or elevated above street level...
system in
Stockholm' is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the Riksdag , and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the prime minister. The Monarch resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980 and uses the Royal Palace of...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
. The system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are subterranean and 53 are above ground (surface and elevated) stations. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a colour: the Green, Red and Blue Lines. Each colour line has two or three numbered lines on shared sections through the
Stockholm City CentreStockholm City Centre is the city centre of Stockholm in Sweden. The entire city of Stockholm is also the centre of the Stockholm Metropolitan Area....
.
The metro system is owned by the
Stockholm County CouncilStockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders the counties of Uppsala and Södermanland. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
through
Storstockholms LokaltrafikStorstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
. Operation is contracted to
Veolia TransportVeolia Transport is the international transport services division of the French-based multinational company Veolia Environnement...
until 1 November 2009, after which
MTR CorporationMTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR is the company that owns and runs the MTR metro system...
will take over. The Stockholm Metro was the site of distribution for the first edition of
MetroMetro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41% since launch of the first newspaper edition in 1995. It is a freesheet, meaning that distribution is...
, now a worldwide chain of free newspapers.
History
The decision to build a metro was made in 1941. The following years, some routes were built with near metro standard but operated with trams. The first part of the metro was opened in 1950, when an underground tram line from 1933 was converted to metro standard. This line ran south from
SlussenSlussen metro station is a station of the Stockholm Metro, located in the district of Södermalm. The station is served by the red and green lines. Originally opened in 1933 as an underground tram stop, in 1950 it became the terminal of the first metro line running south to Hökarängen, it was again...
to
HökarängenHökarängen metro station is a station on the green line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Hökarängen, Söderort. The station was inaugurated on October 1 1950. The distance to Slussen is 7.7 km....
. Over the following years, two more lines extending from Slussen (via Gullmarsplan, then Johanneshov) were opened. In 1952, a second system from
HötorgetHötorget is a city square in the center of Stockholm. During the daytime it is the site of a fruit and vegetable market, except on Sundays, when flea markets are arranged....
to the western suburbs was opened. In 1957, the two parts were connected via the Central station and the Old Town, forming the Green Line. The Red Line was opened in 1964, with two lines going from northeast to southwest via the city center. The third and final system, the Blue Line, was opened in 1975, with two lines running northwest from the city center. The latest addition to the whole network, Skarpnäck station, was opened in 1994.
Network
Stations
There are 100 stations in use in the Stockholm Metro. One station,
KymlingeKymlinge is an area of Sundbyberg Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden.In the 1970s there were plans to develop the area, mainly to accommodate government agencies, state-owned enterprises and other offices moving out from central Stockholm....
, was built but never taken into use. One station has been taken out of use and demolished. The
BagarmossenBagarmossen is a working class district in Skarpnäck borough in Stockholm, Sweden. Bagarmossen has 10,264 inhabitants as of December 31, 2007. Bagarmossen is located southeast of the Stockholm City Centre. East of Bagarmossen is the nature reserve Nackareservatet....
old surface station was demolished and replaced with a new underground station there instead, this prior to the metro extension to
SkarpnäckSkarpnäck may refer to:*Skarpnäck borough in Stockholm, Sweden*Skarpnäck , a Stockholm Metro station*Skarpnäck parish, a Church of Sweden parish in Stockholm, Sweden...
.
The Stockholm Metro is well known for its decoration of the stations; it has been called the longest art gallery in the world. This not fully true since some other metros, most notably Moscow, have more stations with art. Several of the stations (especially on the Blue Line) are left with the bedrock exposed, crude and unfinished, or as part of the decorations. At
RissneRissne metro station is a station on the blue line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Rissne, Sundbyberg Municipality. The station was inaugurated on August 19 1985. The distance to Kungsträdgården is 10.4 km....
, an informative wall fresco about the
history of Earth's civilizationsThe history of the world is the recorded memory of the experience, around the world, of Homo sapiens. Ancient human history begins with the invention, independently at several sites on Earth, of writing, which created the infrastructure for lasting, accurately transmitted memories and thus for the...
runs along both sides of the platform.
Lines
- The Green line has 3 line numbers and 49 stations: 12 subterranean (nine concrete, three rock) and 37 above ground stations. The track is 41,256 metres long. It opened 1 October 1950 (between Slussen and Hökarängen stations). It is used by 451,000 riders per workday or 146 million per year (2005).
- The Red line has 2 line numbers and 36 stations: 20 subterranean (four concrete, 16 rock) and 15 above ground stations. The track is 41,238 metres long. It opened 5 April 1964. It is used by 394,000 riders per workday or 128 million per year (2005).
- The Blue line has 2 line numbers and 20 stations: 19 subterranean (all rock) and one elevated station. The track is 25,516 metres long. It opened 31 August 1975. It is used by 171,000 riders per workday or 55 million per year (2005).
Trains are operated from 05:00 to 01:00, with extended all night service on weekends. All lines have trains every 10 minutes during daytime, reduced to every 15 minutes in early mornings and late evenings, and every 30 minutes during nights. Additional trains in peak hours gives a train every 5–6 minutes on most stations, with 2–3 minutes between trains on the central parts of the network.
| Line |
Stretch |
Travel
time |
Length |
Stations |
| T10 |
Kungsträdgården Kungsträdgården metro station is a station of the Stockholm Metro, located in the district of Norrmalm. It is the end station of the blue line and was opened on October 30 1977, as the 91st station. The platform is located around 34 meters under the ground....
– HjulstaHjulsta metro station is a station on the blue line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Hjulsta, northern Stockholm. The station was opened on August 31 1975....
|
23 min |
|
14 |
| T11 |
Kungsträdgården Kungsträdgården metro station is a station of the Stockholm Metro, located in the district of Norrmalm. It is the end station of the blue line and was opened on October 30 1977, as the 91st station. The platform is located around 34 meters under the ground....
– AkallaAkalla is a station in the Stockholm Metro in the Akalla district of Stockholm. The station was opened in 1977, and this is the final stop on Line 11 of the Blue Line....
|
22 min |
|
12 |
| T13 |
Norsborg Norsborg metro station is the end station on the red line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Norsborg, Botkyrka Municipality. The distance to Slussen is 20.8 km. The station was opened in 1975....
– RopstenRopsten metro station is the end station on line 13 on the red line of the Stockholm Metro, located in the district of Ropsten. The station was opened in 1967....
|
44 min |
|
25 |
| T14 |
Fruängen Fruängen metro station is the end station on line 14 of the red line of the Stockholm Metro, located in the district of Fruängen. The station was opened in 1964. The distance to Slussen is 8.1 km....
– Mörby centrumMörby centrum metro station is the end station on line 14 on the red line of the Stockholm Metro, located by Mörby centrum shopping mall, Danderyd Municipality. The station was inaugurated on January 29, 1978....
|
33 min |
|
19 |
| T17 |
ÅkeshovÅkeshov is a station in the Stockholm Metro. The station was opened in 1952, and this is the final stop on Line 17 of the Green Line.As part of Art in the Stockholm Metro project, the station features a bronze sculpture in the ticket hall symbolizing non-violence, and was created by Carl Fredrik...
– Skarpnäck |
43 min |
|
24 |
| T18 |
Alvik Alvik metro station is a station on the green line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Traneberg, Västerort. The station was inaugurated on October 26 1952. The distance to Slussen is 8 km....
– Farsta strandFarsta strand metro station is a station on the green line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Farsta strand, Söderort. It is the end station for line 18. The station was inaugurated on August 29 1971. The distance to Slussen is 10.4 km.-External links:...
|
37 min |
|
23 |
| T19 |
Hässelby strand Hässelby Strand metro station is a station on the green line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Hässelby Strand, Västerort. It is the end station for line 19. The station was inaugurated on November 19 1958. The distance to Slussen is 18.6 km....
– HagsätraHagsätra metro station is a station on the green line of the Stockholm Metro, located in Hagsätra, Söderort. It is the end station for line 19. The station was inaugurated on December 1 1960. The distance to Slussen is 10 km.-External links:*...
|
55 min |
|
35 |
| Entire metro network |
|
100 |
Technology
Rolling stock
There are two main types of
carA railroad car or railway carriage is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
s in the Stockholm Metro. The newer C20 stock, and the older C1–C15 stocks which are collectively referred to as the Cx stock. A train typically consists of two or three cars of the C20 stock, or four, six or eight cars of the Cx stock. A full length train—three C20 cars, or eight Cx cars—is about in length, and takes about 1,250 passengers, of which about 380 can be seated. The Blue Line as well as the Red Line (from
StadionStadion metro station is a station on the red line of the Stockholm Metro, located in the district of Östermalm, near Stockholms Stadion. The station was opened in 1973.-External links:*...
to
Mörby CentrumMörby centrum metro station is the end station on line 14 on the red line of the Stockholm Metro, located by Mörby centrum shopping mall, Danderyd Municipality. The station was inaugurated on January 29, 1978....
) was built with longer platforms to allow running trains consisting of ten Cx cars. When the C20 was introduced, it appeared that trains consisting of four C20 cars would not fit completely on these platforms.
There are 271 cars of the C20 stock, and around two hundred Cx stock cars. The green line only uses the new cars, and they are used most of the time on the Red and Blue Lines. However, during rush hours, the older cars can occasionally be seen. Of the older cars the stocks C6, C14 and C15 are still in use.
Historically the metro is converted from a tramway and the older sections were run as tramway for a few years. The naming convention for rolling stock comes from this, where A are motorised trams, B are unmotorised trams (trailers) and C are metro cars.
C20 stock cars
The C20 car is double-
articulatedArticulated cars are rail vehicles which are consist of a number of smaller, lighter cars which are semi-permanently attached to each other and which share common trucks. They are much longer than single passenger cars, and on the TGV Réseau, for example, 8 cars are joined this way...
, in length, in width, in height, and weighs . The car takes 126 seated passengers, and 288 standing passengers. The C20 stock cars were built between 1996 and 2004.
A single prototype car designated C20F stock is in use. Built on
Bombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Bombardier Inc.. Bombardier Transportation is the world’s largest company in the rail equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters is in Berlin, Germany....
's FICAS technology, it has a lighter body, much thinner side walls, and more space compared to the regular C20, by using a sandwich-like composite construction of the body. The C20F weighs , other exterior measurements are the same as for the C20. The C20F has the same number of seats as the C20, but has space for 323 standing passengers.
Cx stock cars
The name Cx refers to all the older types C1–C15. The only cars of the Cx stock still in use are C6, C14 and C15. They are to in length, in width, to in height, and weigh 23 to 29 metric tons. The cars take 48 seated passengers, and 108 to 110 standing passengers. They were built in the 1970s and 1980s.
Infrastructure and safety
The Stockholm metro runs electrically using a
third railA third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost fully...
with a nominal operating voltage of 650
VThe volt is the SI derived unit of electromotive force, commonly called "voltage". It is also the unit for the related but slightly different quantity electric potential difference...
DCDirect current is the undirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also be through...
on the Green and Red Lines, 750 V DC on the Blue Line.
The maximum speed is on the Red and Blue Lines, on the Green Line ( at the platforms). Maximum acceleration and deceleration is 0.8 m/s
2. The reason for the lower speed limit on the Green Line is due to tighter curves than on the other lines, because the Green Line was built with cut and cover under streets in the inner city, while the other lines are drilled at deeper depth.
To allow close-running trains with a high level of safety, the metro uses a continuous signal safety system that sends information continually to the train's safety system. The signal is picked up from the rail tracks through two
antennasAn antenna is a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic waves. In other words, antennas convert electromagnetic waves into electrical currents and vice versa. Antennas are used in systems such as radio and television broadcasting, point-to-point radio communication, wireless...
placed in front of the first wheel
axleAn axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. In some cases the axle may be fixed in position with a bearing or bushing sitting inside the hole in the wheel or gear to allow the wheel or gear to rotate around the axle. In other cases the wheel or gear may be fixed to the axle, with...
and compared with data about the train's speed. Automatic braking is triggered if the train exceeds the maximum permitted speed at any time. The driver is given information about the speed limit through a display in the driver's cabin; in C20 stock, and in Cx stock outfitted for operation with the new signal system installed on the Green Line, this is a speedometer with a red maximum speed indicator (needle), while the traditional display in the Cx stock is a set of three lights indicating one of three permitted speeds (high, medium, lLow). The system allows two trains to come close to each other but prevents collisions occurring at speeds greater than . More modern systems also ensure that stop signals are not passed.
Another possibility is
automatic train operationAutomatic train operation ensures partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.Most systems elect to maintain a driver to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies....
, which helps the driver by driving the train automatically. However, the driver still operates the door controls and allows the train to start. ATO is as of 2006 only available on the Green line, where a new signal system was installed in the late 1990s. This signal system, together with the C20 rolling stock, permits the use of ATO.
Graffiti
Since the mid 1980s, the Stockholm Metro has been seriously affected by
graffitiGraffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
. Previously a train on which graffiti had been painted could remain in service for weeks and graffiti could remain in place at stations for months if not for years. Nowadays, however, trains with graffiti are taken out of service immediately and graffiti at stations is regularly cleaned up within a few days. The cost of graffiti and other types of
vandalismVandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
has been calculated at approximately
SEKThe krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. It is locally abbreviated kr. The plural form is kronor and one krona is subdivided into 100 öre . The currency is sometimes informally referred to as the "Swedish crown" in English...
100 million per year.
During the 1990s, the
Stockholm Transit SystemStorstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, , commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County....
(SL) started outsourcing protection to private security firms, some of which have been accused of using unlawful methods such as the use of plain clothes guards and heavy-handed treatment of vandals arrested, and even heavy-handed treatment of ticketless riders trying to escape. Since 2005, the Stockholm Police have assigned a special task force (
Klotterkommissionen) to address the issues. The mainstay among the private security contractors in the fight against graffiti is the
Commuter Security GroupCommuter Security Group is a Swedish security guard company, with its headquarters in Solna. Their main task is to hunt graffiti artists and prevent vandalism on commuter trains and subwaystations....
.
Future
There are a few realistic plans for extensions in the Stockholm Metro in the near decades.
- A one-station branch
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
on the green line from Odenplan``Odenplan is a plaza located in the district Vasastaden in central Stockholm, Sweden, named after the old Norse god Oden. Odenplan is also the name of the subway station located here. It opened in 1952...
to Karolinska/Norra station. This metro extension outperforms the alternatives in a cost-benefit analysisCost-benefit analysis is a term that refers both to:* helping to appraise, or assess, the case for a project or proposal, which itself is a process known as project appraisal; and* an informal approach to making decisions of any kind....
. An early estimate of the cost is SEK 1.4 billion1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 10
9....
, and a build time of 3–5 years, which is also dependent on coordination with other constructions in the area, e.g. the CitybananThe Stockholm City Line is a railway tunnel beneath central Stockholm in Sweden that is currently under construction, which will be used by the Stockholm commuter rail network. The project was proposed by the national railways, Statens Järnvägar in 1988 and has, after initially being disregarded...
commuter rail tunnel.
- Extension of the blue line from Kungsträdgården
Kungsträdgården metro station is a station of the Stockholm Metro, located in the district of Norrmalm. It is the end station of the blue line and was opened on October 30 1977, as the 91st station. The platform is located around 34 meters under the ground....
to NackaNacka is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality. Nacka is located to the East of Stockholm City.- Twin towns : Keila, Estonia...
with three possible end points: Nacka centre (SEK 7–7.5 billion), Orminge (SEK 10.5–11 billion), or Gustavsberg (SEK 15.5–16 billion). An alternative to the metro extension would be to improve on the existing bus traffic; another, to double-track the lightly loaded SaltsjöbananSaltsjöbanan is a suburban rail system between Stockholm and Saltsjöbaden in Nacka, Sweden. The rail system is 18.5 kilometres in length and contains eighteen stations in use. An average of 19,600 journeys are made on an ordinary workday. The railroad is mainly single track, and despite being...
commuter railway and connect it to the TvärbananTvärbanan is a light rail line in the suburbs of Stockholm, Sweden. Its name literally translated into English is Crossways line. It links together many bus and rail lines crossways through its connections with the southern and western subway branches of the Stockholm Metro and the Stockholm...
light railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line.
External links