Lysekil Line
| Lysekil Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Tracks during the off-season in Gåseberg | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | Lysekilsbanan | ||
| Status | Seasonally active | ||
| Owner | Lysekil Railway ab, 1910–1939; Swedish government 1939–present | ||
| Locale | Bohuslän, Sweden | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 5 | ||
| Service | |||
| Services | 1 | ||
| Operator(s) | Lysekil Railway ab, 1910–1939; Swedish State Railways, 1939–1988; Swedish Rail Administration, 1988–2010; Swedish Transport Administration, 2010–present | ||
| History | |||
| Commenced | 1911 | ||
| Opened | 14 June 1913 | ||
| Completed | 1913 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 35 km (22 mi) | ||
| Character | At-grade | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Minimum radius | 300 metres (980 ft) | ||
| Electrification | Overhead catenary | ||
| Operating speed | 40 km/h (25 mph) | ||
| Highest elevation | 50 metres (160 ft) | ||
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The Lysekil Line (Swedish: Lysekilsbanan) is a branch railway of the Bohus Line, connecting Smedberg and Lysekil in the Swedish province of Bohuslän. Opened in 1913, it is today a single-track, electrified standard gauge line 35 kilometres (22 mi) long. Most of it is located within the Stångenäset Hundred, closely paralleling county road 162.
Because of the hilly terrain it passes through, it has the steepest grades of any Swedish rail line, up to 2.5% in some sections. This was a result of a decision to save money on explosives during construction. Originally, it was a major freight line for the ports on the western coast along the Skagerrak; although those grades limited the amount of freight it could carry.
Regular passenger service ended in 1983, by which time the road and ferry network along the coast had made it much easier to get to Gothenburg by automobile. Thereafter the line was open only during the summer months, primarily carrying vacationers to Lysekil. That service was stopped entirely in 2015, although the track is still maintained for possible future use.