Skagensbanen

Skagen Line
Overview
Native name	Skagensbanen
Type	Railway
System	Danish railways
Termini	Skagen 57°43′26″N 10°35′32″E / 57.7239°N 10.5921°E Frederikshavn 57°26′28″N 10°32′24″E / 57.4412°N 10.5400°E
Stations	10
Operation
Opened	24 July 1890
Owner	Nordjyske Jernbaner
Operator(s)	Nordjyske Jernbaner
Character	Local railway
Rolling stock	Desiro
Technical
Line length	39.7 km (24.7 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	No
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph)

The Skagen Line or the Skagen Railway (Danish: Skagensbanen) is a 39.7 km (24.7 mi) long standard gauge single track railway line between Skagen and Frederikshavn, Denmark. The railway links the fishing port and seaside resort of Skagen with the Danish rail network.

The railway line opened as a narrow gauge railway in 1890 and was converted to standard gauge in 1924. It is currently owned and operated by the railway company Nordjyske Jernbaner (NJ) which runs frequent local train services from Skagen station to Frederikshavn station with onward connections by DSB to the rest of Denmark.

History

Skagensbanen rail tracks in Bunken Plantation.

Work on the railway line started on July 26, 1889, and the railway was opened on July 24, 1890. Until 1924 it was a narrow gauge railway, and trains could maximum drive 30 km/h (19 mph).

In 1924, the railway line was converted to standard gauge to avoid the need to transfer cargoes of fish in Frederikshavn. As a consequence of the conversion, the layout of Skagen station was extensively changed. As part of the conversion, the right-of-way between Frederikshavn and Rimmen halt was changed so the railway line passed by the coastal town of Strandby instead of Elling.

In 2001, the operating company Skagensbanen A/S (SB) merged with Hjørring Privatbaner A/S (HP) to form the railway company Nordjyske Jernbaner. Headquartered in Hjørring, the company is now responsible for running the Hjørring–Hirtshals and Frederikshavn–Skagen lines.

In 2005 the current Siemens Desiro was set in, and between Skagen and Hulsig, the maximum speed in 120 km/h (75 mph).

Route

Map of the Skagen Line

The Skagen line runs north from Frederikshavn, following the tracks of the Vendsyssel Line out of the city. As the Vendsyssel Line branches west towards Hjørring, the Skagen Line continues north following the curve of the coast line of the Ålbæk Bay, serving the towns of Strandby, Jerup and Ålbæk. From Ålbæk the line continues north, passing through Bunken Plantation and Hulsig Heath before reaching its terminus at Skagen.

Operations

Local trains

An NJ Desiro DMU near Hulsig station.

Nordjyske Jernbaner (NJ) runs frequent local train services from Skagen station to Frederikshavn station with onward connections by DSB to the rest of Denmark.

InterCity service

In a period during the 1990s there were direct InterCity connections between Copenhagen and Skagen, operated by DSB.

Stations

Skagensbanen
Legend Skagen Frederikshavnsvej Højen Hulsig Bunken Aalbæk Napstjært Jerup Rimmen Strandby Apholmen DSB Frederikshavn

• Skagen station
• Frederikshavnsvej halt
• Hulsig station
• Bunken halt
• Aalbæk station
• Napstjært halt
• Jerup station
• Rimmen halt
• Strandby station
• Frederikshavn station

Previous stations

• Højen station — between Frederikshavnsvej Halt and Hulsig Station.
• Elling station - between Rimmen Halt and Frederikshavn Station.
• Apholmen halt — between Strandby Station and Frederikshavn Station.

See also

• List of railway lines in Denmark
• List of gauge conversions
• Hirtshalsbanen

External links

• (Danish) Nordjyske Jernbaner
• (Danish) Skagensiden
• (Danish) Nordjyllands Jernbaner