Saltsjöbanan

Saltsjöbanan was built in the early 1890s in connection with the establishment of a seaside resort a relatively short distance from Stockholm, in the archipelago (in the Baltic). The name comes from "Saltsjön," which is a name for the portion of the Baltic that's nearest Stockholm. The new resort was named Saltsjöbaden -- the Saltsjön Baths.

The line was built in record time. Construction of the first 14.4 kilometers (9 miles) of the line was begun in June of 1891, and that stretch was inaugurated on 1 July 1893. The fast pace of construction also contributed to making this the most expensive railroad in Sweden, per kilometer, up to that time. This first portion, opened in July 1893, had a temporary terminal in Stockholm at Tegelviken (Fåfängan). Because of the difficult tunneling work involved, the permanent city terminal at Stadsgården was not opened until 23 December 1893.

That city terminal remained until December of 1936, when the new terminal at Slussen in Stockholm was opened. This is the central terminal that is still in use today, although it has been extensively rebuilt.

Saltsjöbanan has been a pioneer in many areas of Swedish railroading. It was one of the first railroads in Sweden to use high platforms; it was the first standard-gauge Swedish railroad to be electrified (inaugurated 18 May 1913; Roslagsbanan, a narrow-gauge Stockholm-area suburban railroad, was the first railroad in Sweden to be electrified); it was the first railroad to use remote traffic control, built one of the first double-track railroad segments in Sweden, and was relatively early in using radio communication with trains.

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