Djurgårdslinjen

THE ORIGINS OF THE HERITAGE TRAMWAY

Stockholm has had tram service since 1877 - trams were initially horse-drawn, but starting in 1901 the horses were retired and the trams replaced with the electric trams of the time. Trams contributed greatly to the growth of the city and were a prominent part of the city scene until 1967, when the tramway was abandoned in connection with Sweden's switch to right-hand traffic, because in Stockholm they were seen as an obstacle to the increasing mass use of automobiles. Most of Stockholm's trams were scrapped when the tramway was abandoned, but some of them got a reprieve in the possession of either the Swedish Tramway Society or Spårvägsmuseet (the Tramway Museum).

In the late 1980s, after much struggle and discussion, it was decided to construct a tramway for heritage service between Norrmalmstorg and Waldemarsudde, a portion of the earlier line 7 that was abandoned in 1967. Using some of the preserved trams, along with second hand trams purchased from Gothenburg, the service began in June 1991. Until 2010 the heritage trams had the line to themselves, but it is now also served by modern trams; this service is known as Spårväg City (the City Tramway), and it has been extended to T-Centralen.

By agreement with Region Stockholm (formerly the Stockholm County Council), Djurgårdslinjen operates to display cultural heritage in motion, in the form of Stockholm's tramway history, with service on the weekends and in summertime using historic trams. Operations are managed in co-operation with Stockholms Spårvägar (Stockholm Tramways), which operates the regular service on Spårväg City.

A HISTORIC HERITAGE

For many years, Djurgårdslinjen has been a highly popular part of Stockholm’s transport scene. What is the background of our success? Probably a combination of our feel for cultural heritage, the sounds and smells of the old trams, and the dedication of our Tramway Society members, who provide good service to our passengers. Our heritage trams also have the other advantages of modern trams. They are environmentallt friendly, have high-capacity, and work well in city traffic. A genuine recipe for success, quite simply. Djurgårdslinjen is primarily owned by Svenska Spårvägssällskapet (the Swedish Tramway Society), a volunteer organisation, and is entirely operated by volunteers.

3,200 METRES OF TRACK

Djurgårdslinjen was opened on a beautiful, though cloudy, summer day in 1991. The line is three thousand two hundred metres long, running between Norrmalmstorg and Waldemarsudde on Djurgården. Service is provided on weekends for most of the year, and during the summer also on weekdays. Djurgårdslinjen, line 7N, provides a well-appreciated reinforcement of the land-based transport to and from Djurgården. The record for people transported on the heritage trams in a single day is over eleven thousand!