Native name Skagensbanen System Danish railways Opened 24 July 1890 Owner Nordjyske Jernbaner Operator Nordjyske Jernbaner | Type Railway Termini Skagen
Frederikshavn Rolling stock Desiro Character Light rail Stations 10 | |
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Railroad crossing jerup rimmen denmark skagensbanen
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.
Contents
- Railroad crossing jerup rimmen denmark skagensbanen
- History
- Route
- Local trains
- InterCity service
- Previous stations
- References
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
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
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, Hulsig Heath and Skagen Plantation before passing through the western part of Skagen to reach its terminus in central Skagen.
Local trains
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.