Ofotbanen Railway

One of the great rail journeys of Europe, climbing from the fjord up to the Swedish iron mines through 43 kilometres of tunnels and bridges

The Ofotbanen is the northernmost railway in Norway and one of the most heavily used freight lines in Europe: long trains of iron ore from Kiruna roll down to the Narvik harbour every few hours, year-round. For travellers, the same line is also a magnificent scenic ride. Three or four daily trains run between Narvik and the Swedish border at Riksgränsen, with through services continuing down to Kiruna, Boden, Luleå and (overnight) Stockholm.

The 43 kilometres from Narvik to the border climb through more than 20 tunnels and across half a dozen bridges, with views over the Rombaksfjord that get more dramatic as the train winds up. A popular summer outing is to take the train one way to Katterat or Bjørnfjell and walk back down along the Rallarvegen, the old navvies' supply road that parallels the tracks. Bicycles can be carried on board.

things to do sight railway
A story
The Ofotbanen was built by some 5,000 Swedish and Norwegian *rallare* — railway navvies who lived in shanty camps along the route in conditions described at the time as worse than those in the iron mines themselves. A monument at Vassijaure on the Swedish side commemorates the dozens who died blasting the line through the mountains in 1899–1902.

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