Swedish trains part 108 - Kinnekulle Railway

Описание: In this video, you will be taken to the idyllic Kinnekulle Railway, which connects Håkantorp with Gårdsjö via Lidköping, Mariestad and several small villages in the area around Kinnekulle in Västergötland. The video focuses on traffic along various locations along the line during a weekday in the fall of 2025 (recorded on Thursday, October 23). In addition to the passenger traffic that is currently carried out by Itino railcars of the type Y31, you will also see the anti-slip train in the video. The train, which is operated by Svensk Tågkraft, consists of TMX 1021 followed by carriages with a device that is used to prevent the leaf slip that prevails on the line during the fall.

Between the trains, you will also see the scenic surroundings around the line's stations and stops. Those that appear in the video are Äskekärr, Österäng, Mariestad, Forshem, Hällekis, Trolmen, Råbäck and Lidköping. Kinnekulle itself is a mountain in the area, that is 603 meters high.

The 121 km long, single-track line is part of the narrow-gauge railway network that once existed in Västergötland. The Kinnekulle Line has had standard gauge for many years, but is the only remaining part of the railway network with regular traffic. Other routes that remain today are Skara - Lundsbrunn and Anten - Gräfsnäs, both of which are serviced by museum trains.

The oldest part of the Kinnekulle Line opened in 1877 between Lidköping and Håkantorp (HJL, Lidköping-Håkantorps Järnväg). Then the Mariestad-Forshem-(Gössäter) section opened in 1889 and was built by MKJ (Mariestad-Kinnekulle Railway). The Kinnekulle-Lidköpings Järnväg (KiLJ) opened between Lidköping and Forshem in 1898, and the last part between Mariestad and Gårdsjö was built by VGJ (Västergötland-Göteborgs Järvägar). The line was completed in 1910.

All narrow gauge lines that remained in Skaraborg were bought up by SJ in 1948, and the sections that were not widened to standard gauge during the 1950s and 1960s were closed.

From the 1990s, the Kinnekulle Line was operated by Y1 railcars, which were completely phased out in 2019 and have now been replaced by the Y31. Freight traffic has also occurred on the line, until spring 2024.

What are your favorite destinations along the Kinnekulle Railway?

Recording equipment
Camera: Nikon Z6ii + Nikkor Z 24-200
Microphone: RØDE Videomic Pro +

Parts of the video:

ÄSKEKÄRR/ÖSTERÄNG
00:12 VTA Y31 1417 leaves Äskekärr
00:54 Surroundings in Äskekärr
02:37 STAB TMX 1021 with leaf slip control
03:56 Surroundings in Österäng
04:36 VTA Y31 1417
05:20 Travel aboard VTA Y31 1417

MARIESTAD
06:01 STAB TMX 1021
06:42 VTA Y31 1417
08:16 Surroundings
10:18 View of Lake Vänern - Sweden's largest lake
11:26 VTA Y31 1417
12:06 Exit from Mariestad south
13:17 Stop in Lugnås

FORSHEM/HÄLLEKIS
13:35 VTA Y31 1413 & VTA Y31 1419 meet in Forshem
15:03 Station environment in Forshem
15:51 View towards Kinnekulle
16:08 Surroundings in Hällekis
17:39 VTA Y31 1417

TROLMEN/RÅBÄCK
18:07 VTA Y31 1417
18:49 Idyllic Trolmen and surroundings
20:42 Damming at a railway crossing between Trolmen and Råbäck
20:49 VTA Y31 1403
21:31 Wildlife along the track
22:24 Kinnekulle quarry
22:51 Råbäck station
23:24 VTA Y31 1403

LIDKÖPING
24:03 Lidköping travel center with bus service
24:33 VTA Y31 1417
25:33 VTA Y31 1403
26:22 Surroundings in Lidköping
28:01 Y31 1402, 1412 and 1400 on the staging tracks north of the station. 1400 is the last Y31 railcar in Västtrafik's yellow livery!
28:30 VTA Y31 1418 enters the yard for refueling
30:15 VTA Y31 1418 is refueled
31:02 The carriage is switched to the staging track
32:35 Travel center evening
33:17 VTA Y31 1413

#trainspotting #västtrafik #itino #kinnekullebanan #sweden #railfanning