Alvhem-Lilla Edet Railway

Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line

The Alvhem–Lilla Edet railway is a standard gauge railway line in Sweden, approximately 15 kilometres long. It was built by Lödöse–Lilla Edets Järnvägsaktiebolag between Alvhem on the Gothenburg–Falun railway line and Lilla Edet in Älfsborgs län.

Lödöse–Lilla Edets Järnvägsaktiebolag

The main line of the Bergslagsbana between Gothenburg and Kil was originally planned to run entirely along the Göta älv. During construction, however, a more easterly route was chosen from the former Lödöse station. As a result, when the Bergslagsbana opened in 1877, some places were left without a railway connection.

Therefore, the Lödöse–Lilla Edets Järnvägsaktiebolag was founded, which opened up these places with a branch line from Lösöse from August 1906. The Lödöse station was renamed Alfhem (later Alvhem) and a new Lödöse station was built on the new line. The construction costs calculation from 1910 shows costs of 724,041 krone with a share capital of 336,800 krone. The company was based in Gothenburg.

This branch line was served by the Bergslageras Järnvägar from the time it opened. Passenger trains pulled by steam locomotives ran until 1933, from which point on the Y6 1 rail bus from Nydqvist och Holm, which had been specially purchased for this route, was used. From 1943, Hilding Carlsson rail buses were used. This enabled the railway to compete with the street buses for several years.

Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line Nationalisation

Bergslageras Järnvägar, the operator of this route, had been integrated into the Trafikförvaltningen Göteborg–Dalarne–Gävle (GDG) since 1919. The decision of the Swedish Riksdag on 17 May 1939 on the general nationalisation of railways in Sweden laid the foundation for the takeover of the GDG. In 1947, the BJ and with it the Lödöse–Lilla Edets Järnvägsaktiebolag were transferred to a state-owned company with the same name, but called TGDG, which finally merged into the SJ a year later.

Passenger traffic continued to decline after the takeover by SJ, so that it was discontinued in 1952. Since then, only a few special trains have operated.

Freight traffic mainly served the forestry industry, the sulphite factory in Göta and the paper factory in Lilla Edet. Alvhem station has been unoccupied since 1970. Since then, through freight trains have been used between Sävenäs and Lilla Edet with locomotives of the T21 series, which were later replaced by the T44 series.

After the tracks to Lilla Edet station had not been used for several years, they were dismantled in 2010 and the station area was redesigned. Parking spaces were created at the station and a cycle path was created on most of the track bed. The service track ends in Lilla Edets Bruk behind the connecting switch. It is not possible to transfer there and can only take place on the Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget premises.

Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line

Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line Route Number: 74
Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line Route Length: 15 km
Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line Track Width: 1435 mm (standard gauge)
Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line Maximum Speed: 40 km/h

Alvhem–Lilla Edet Railway Line Route Map

             Industrial Connections
15.2     Lilla Edet (from 1939)
14.7     Lilla Edets godsbangård ("Lilla Edet" until 1939)
14.2     Kyrkvägen (demand stop)

            End of Route

13.2    Lilla Edets bruks lastspår (SCA)
12.3    Göta norra (demand stop)
11.5    Gota
10.6    Gläfsnäs (demand stop)
10.1    Tunge-Torp
9.0      Kärra (demand stop)
7.9      Garns skola (needs stop)
6.6      yarn
5.6      Eckern
4.6      Eckerna södra (on-demand stop)
3.3      Lödöse by (demand stop)
2.7      Lödöse (formerly station)
1.6      Gossagården (on-demand stop)

            Gothenburg–Falun railway line from Falun

0.0       Alvhem (personnel stop from 1906 to 1970)

            Railway line Gothenburg–Falun to Gothenburg