Tjustbanan

Tjustbanan

Tjustbanan is a 116 km long railway between Linköping and Västervik via Åtvidaberg. The railway is standard gauge (1435 mm gauge) and not electrified. The section closest to Västervik, from Jenny and eastward, is a three-track track that allows trains on the narrow-gauge line (891 mm) from Hultsfred to travel on the same track.

The name Tjustbanan began to be used in the 1990s. The section Linköping - Bjärka-Säby in Linköping municipality is shared with the Stångådalsbanan.

Sweden's first biogas-powered train was run on the Tjustbanan.

The future of the Tjustbanan is an important issue for the region in terms of regional enlargement and the possibility of a strengthened labor market through improved commuting opportunities.

Tjustbanan History

Most of the Tjustbanan consists of the embankment to the Västervik–Åtvidaberg–Bersbo Railway which was built with 891 mm narrow gauge in 1879. This line was widened to standard gauge in 1964.

Tjustbanan Traffic

The stations/stops served by passenger trains are Linköping C, Tannefors (some departures), Basthagen (some departures), Åtvidaberg, Falerum, Överums bruk, Gamleby, Tjustskolan (some departures) and Västervik. Passenger traffic on Tjustbanan and Stångådalsbanan has been managed since 12 December 2021 by SJ on behalf of the regional public transport authorities of the counties concerned. The traffic is conducted under the Krösatågen brand (formerly Kustpilen), with six Y2 motorcar trains and five Y31 motorcars. During the period 2008–2021, the traffic was managed by Transdev.

In April–May 2010, four new trainsets of the Itino type (literally Y31) were delivered for traffic exclusively on the Tjustbanan. Between 18 January 2010 and April–May 2010, all passenger traffic took place with replacement buses.

A larger procurement together with a number of other county transport companies is being made for new trains for delivery around 2024-2025.

Tjustbanan Signal System

The track's signaling system is System R, which means that the driver's driving instructions on parts of the track come via radio instead of via optical signals and ATC beacons. System R is based on the same technology as in the ATC (Automatic Train Control) that is currently used on the Södra main line. The messages for System R come from the radio block center, a switchboard, located in Linköping. However, the three-track track between Västervik and Jenny has regular ATC to enable narrow-gauge trains without System R to run. The Swedish Transport Administration's regulations allow trains without functioning ATC or ERTMS to travel at 80 km/h.

Tjustbanan Overview

Tjustbanan Place: Sweden
Tjustbanan Stretch: Linköping - Västervik
Tjustbanan Connecting Lines:
Södra main line
Stångådal line
Hultsfred-Västervik
Tjustbanan Owner: Swedish State
Tjustbanan Infrastructure Manager: The Swedish Transport Administration
Tjustbanan Traffic Operator: SJ
Tjustbanan Ticket Operator:
Kalmar county traffic
Östgötatrafiken
Tjustbanan Length: 116 kilometers
Tjustbanan Number of Tracks: single track
Tjustbanan Gauge: 1435 millimeters (normal track)
Tjustbanan Maximum permissible axle load: 20/22 tons
Tjustbanan Maximum permitted weight per meter: 6.4 tons/m
Tjustbanan Greatest Slope: 18.5 ‰
Tjustbanan ATC: RATC
Tjustbanan Remote Blocking: Yes, radio
Tjustbanan Signal System: System R
Tjustbanan Top Speed: 110 km/h
Tjustbanan Electrified: No
Tjustbanan Load Profile: A