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Sweden once had some fairly extensive narrow-gauge networks, but most narrow-gauge railways are now closed. Some were converted to standard gauge (the latest one the line between Berga and Kalmar in the 1970s) and some remain as heritage railways. The most common narrow gauge, 891 mm (2 ft 11 3⁄32 in) (3 Swedish feet), exists only in Sweden. A smaller 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge network existed, and 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge was used mostly by smaller, industrial railways. Still other but lesser used gauges in the country were 693 mm (2 ft 3 9⁄32 in), 802 mm (2 ft 7 9⁄16 in), 1,099 mm (3 ft 7 1⁄4 in), 1,188 mm (3 ft 10 25⁄32 in) and 1,217 mm (3 ft 11 29⁄32 in), all converted or removed.
Contents
1,217 mm (3 ft 11 29⁄32 in) railway lines
1217 mm is equal to 4,1 Swedish feet.
1,188 mm (3 ft 10 25⁄32 in) railway line
1188 mm is equal to 4 Swedish feet.
1,099 mm (3 ft 7 17⁄64 in) railway line
1,099 mm (3 ft 7 1⁄4 in) is equal to 44 Swedish inches
1,093 mm (3 ft 7 in) railway line
This unique 1,093 mm (3 ft 7 in) gauge was created by a measure mistake.
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) railway lines
Southern Sweden had a small 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) network, reaching for example Halmstad, Växjö, Torsås, Karlskrona, Ronneby, Karlshamn, and Kristianstad. As most of the railways in the province of Blekinge had this gauge, it was nicknamed "Blekinge gauge" in Sweden. All track is either demolished or rebuilt to standard gauge.
A few smaller lines also had this gauge:
891 mm (2 ft 11 3⁄32 in) railway lines
891 mm is equal to three Swedish feet.
Two large networks existed, separated by lake Vättern. The western one covered much of the province of Västergötland, from Gothenburg in the southwest to Hjo in the east and Gullspång in the north. The eastern network covered much of the provinces of Småland and Östergötland, stretching from Växjö and Torsås in the south to Örebro in the north. There were also smaller 891 mm networks on Gotland and in Uppland, as well as separate lines in other regions, among them Öland. Plans for connecting the two main networks were made but never fulfilled.
Some lines were converted to standard gauge, while most lines have been demolished. In the 21st century, only the Roslagsbanan commuter rail still functions as a commercial railway. There are also tourist or heritage traffic on some lines.
802 mm (2 ft 7 9⁄16 in) railway lines
802 mm is equal to 2,7 Swedish feet.
600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) railway lines
Numerous 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) gauge agricultural and industrial railways were built. Nowadays a few are in use as tourist railways with steam trains.