Arctic Train - Ofoten Line

Welcome to Narvik Station, and to the beginning of your journey on the spectacular Ofoten Railway. Narvik Station opened in 1902 – the same year Narvik officially became a town. Since then, the railway has played a defining role in the history and development of the region. Today, Narvik is a place of striking seasonal contrasts. In winter, the northern lights can dance across the Arctic sky. In summer, the midnight sun brings weeks of continuous daylight, with the sun remaining above the horizon throughout the night. From Narvik, the Ofoten Railway stretches 38 kilometres through the mountains to the Swedish border. From there, the railway continues into Sweden and towards the iron ore fields around Kiruna. Our journey begins close to the fjord, but before reaching the border, the railway will take us into the mountains, through a landscape that has shaped life and travel here for more than a century. Along the way, we’ll share the stories of the people who built and worked on the railway, the communities that grew along the line, and the events that have shaped its history. So settle in, enjoy the journey, and keep an eye on the landscape outside your window. There is a story behind many of the places we are about to pass.

We are now passing the northernmost point of Europe’s mainline railway network. A memorial marking the official opening of the Ofoten Railway once stood here. Today, it can be found at Narvik Station. From here, you can also see the Hålogaland Bridge. Opened in 2018, the bridge is 1,533 metres long, with a main span of 1,145 metres, making it the second-longest suspension bridge in Norway. By carrying the E6 directly across the fjord, the bridge shortened the main road north from Narvik by 18 kilometres and reduced travel time by around 15 to 20 minutes. It also moved traffic away from a road section that had been vulnerable to rockfalls, avalanches and accidents. And to give you an idea of the scale of the bridge: each of the two main cables weighs around 2,000 tonnes. It provides a striking contrast to the historic railway we are travelling on – two impressive engineering achievements, built more than a century apart.

The story of how the Ofoten Railway came to be is quite remarkable. The rich iron ore deposits of northern Sweden had been known for centuries. But with the Industrial Revolution, demand for iron grew rapidly across Europe. The challenge was transportation. The valuable ore around Kiruna was far from the coast, and a reliable way of bringing it to market was needed. Narvik offered the solution. Its sheltered, ice-free harbour made it an ideal place for shipping iron ore onwards to Europe. But first, a railway had to be built through the mountains to connect the mines with the coast. Construction took place in two main periods. The first became known as the English Period, when a British company began building the railway from Narvik harbour towards Katterat. The company initially called the harbour Victoriahavn, but the ambitious project ran into financial difficulties. The company went bankrupt in 1889, and construction came to a halt. Work began again in 1898, this time as a joint state railway project between Norway and Sweden. In 1902, the railway connecting Narvik and Kiruna was finally completed. On the 15th of November that year, the tracks were joined and the first train travelled along the completed line. The Ofoten Railway had become a reality – connecting the iron ore fields of northern Sweden with the harbour of Narvik and markets across the world.

The reason this railway exists can be summed up in two words: iron ore. More than 120 years ago, the Ofoten Railway was built to carry iron ore from the mining areas around Kiruna in northern Sweden, across the mountains to the ice-free harbour of Narvik. And that is still its most important purpose today. Mining has shaped Kiruna for generations, just as the railway and harbour have shaped Narvik. Every day, enormous iron ore trains make their way across the border and down the Ofoten Railway towards the coast. A fully loaded ore train consists of 68 wagons and is around 750 metres long. Altogether, the train can weigh around 8,500 tonnes, including approximately 6,800 tonnes of iron ore products. To move that enormous weight, the trains are hauled by powerful IORE electric locomotives, operating in pairs. With a combined tractive effort of 1,200 kilonewtons, they are among the most powerful electric locomotives ever built. At the harbour in Narvik, the ore is transferred from the trains to large ships and transported onwards to customers around the world. So if you see one of these enormous trains during our journey, you are looking at the reason the Ofoten Railway was built in the first place. The technology has changed enormously since the first trains travelled along this route in 1902, but the purpose remains much the same: carrying iron ore from the mines to the sea – and from there, out into the world.

We are now passing Straumsnes, a former passenger station on the Ofoten Railway. Although passenger trains no longer stop here, Straumsnes still plays an important role. The station area has been upgraded to allow long trains travelling in opposite directions to pass one another. This is particularly important for the heavy iron ore trains travelling between Sweden and Narvik. From Straumsnes, the railway follows the Rombaksfjord, with the mountains rising steeply from the water on both sides. As we travel further inland, notice how closely the railway follows the narrow space between the fjord and the mountains.

Take a moment to look out towards the Rombaksfjord. The fjord may appear narrow from here, but beneath the surface it reaches depths of around 110 metres. Across the fjord, you can see the Rombak Bridge. Opened in 1964, the suspension bridge stretches 765 metres across the water, with a clearance of 41 metres above the fjord. Before the bridge was built, travellers relied on a ferry between Narvik and Øyjord. The new bridge replaced the ferry and became part of the E6 – the main road north through Norway. For more than 50 years, traffic followed this route. That changed in 2018, when the Hålogaland Bridge opened closer to Narvik, creating a much shorter route north. Today, the Rombak Bridge no longer carries the E6, but remains an important local connection across the fjord.

We are now arriving at Rombak Station. Rombak was once a passenger station on the Ofoten Railway, originally known as Sildvik Station. Today, it is still used as a passing point for long trains travelling along the line. Rombak was once home to railway workers and their families. In 1912, a school was established here for the children living along this part of the railway, and remained in use until the school districts of Sildvik and Straumsnes were merged in 1927 As we pass through Rombak, look out for the old water tower beside the railway. It dates back to the days when steam locomotives operated on the Ofoten Railway. The tank could hold around 30 tonnes of water. In winter, a furnace beneath it kept the water from freezing – an essential detail when operating steam locomotives in the Arctic. When the Ofoten Railway was electrified, water towers were no longer needed. The water tower here at Rombak, however, was preserved. Today, it is the only remaining water tower from the steam era of the Ofoten Railway – a reminder of what it took to keep trains running through these mountains more than a century ago. And as we continue, take a look around. Here at Rombak, the railway, mountains and fjord come together in one of the most striking landscapes along the line.

If you look towards the fjord, you can now see the remains of the German destroyer Georg Thiele. The wreck is a visible reminder of the events that took place here during the Second World War. On the 13th of April 1940, Georg Thiele was involved in the naval battles of Narvik. During the fighting, the destroyer launched a torpedo that struck the British destroyer HMS Eskimo, severely damaging her bow. With little ammunition remaining and no way to escape, the crew eventually ran Georg Thiele aground here in Rombaksfjord. More than 80 years later, parts of the wreck can still be seen from the railway. Most of the ship now lies beneath the surface, but the visible remains give us a direct connection to a dramatic chapter in Narvik’s history.

We are now passing Kvitur, where the landscape opens up across the inner Rombaksfjord. Near the mouth of the Sildvik River, you may notice the Sildvik hydropower station, built into the mountainside. It began operating in 1982, using water from the surrounding mountains to generate electricity. This landscape has always presented challenges for those working here. Around Kvitur, the railway passes through tunnels and protective structures built to shield the line from the steep and exposed mountainsides. And people were working in these mountains long before the power station was built. During the construction of the Ofoten Railway, hundreds of railway workers lived along the line, often in simple barracks close to the construction sites. Life could be demanding, especially through the long Arctic winters. The cooks played an essential role in these communities, preparing filling meals for large groups of workers after long days of physical labour. Food had to keep well, with salted pork, dried fish and other preserved foods among the typical supplies. For the people building the railway, these mountains were not just a workplace. For years, they were also home.

Look down towards the end of the fjord, and imagine a small town where today there is almost nothing left. This is Rombaksbotn. During the construction of the Ofoten Railway, Rombaksbotn became the main gateway to the railway works in the mountains. Ships arrived at the quay carrying workers, food, equipment and construction materials. From here, supplies were transported onwards along the construction road to the different work sites along the railway. As the workforce grew, so did Rombaksbotn. In just a few years, a busy community developed here, with around 70 to 80 buildings. There were shops, places to eat and drink, accommodation and other services for the people living and working here. Norwegian and Swedish workers mixed with traders, craftsmen and others drawn here by the opportunities created by the railway construction. But Rombaksbotn had been built around one enormous project. When the railway was completed in 1902, the need for this temporary community quickly disappeared. Workers moved on, businesses closed, and many of the buildings were removed, abandoned or lost to fire. Then, in 1959, a major flood swept through Rombaksbotn. It dramatically changed the landscape and washed away many of the remaining foundations from the old settlement. That is one reason why so little remains today of the community that once stood here. But Rallarveien, the old construction road, still passes through Rombaksbotn, following the route once used to carry people and supplies from the fjord and into the mountains. So when you look down at the quiet end of the fjord today, you are looking at a place that, for a few intense years, was at the very heart of building the Ofoten Railway.

Among the many people connected to the building of the Ofoten Railway, one name has become a legend: Svarta Bjørn – the Black Bear. Today, the name is most closely associated with a young woman named Anna Rebecka Hofstad, who worked as a cook during the construction of the railway. Life for the railway cooks was demanding. They prepared meals, washed clothes, carried water and firewood, and looked after the barracks – often for large groups of workers far from any town or settlement. According to the legend, Anna Rebecka was given the name Svarta Bjørn because of her dark hair, dark eyes and remarkable strength. But the true story of Svarta Bjørn is difficult to separate from the legend. Over the years, stories have been told and retold, and some details of her life remain uncertain. What is certain is what she has come to represent. Today, Svarta Bjørn is a symbol of the women who lived and worked alongside the railway workers during the construction of the Ofoten Railway – women whose contribution was essential, but whose stories were not always told. More than a century later, her legend remains an important part of the history and identity of Narvik and the Ofoten Railway.

We are now approaching Katterat, above the Rombaksfjord. Today, Katterat is a popular starting point for hiking the historic Rallarveien. There is no road connection to the station, so even today, the railway is the main way to get here. But Katterat was once a small and active railway community, where railway workers and their families lived throughout the year. During the days of steam locomotives, Katterat had its own water tower. When the Ofoten Railway was electrified in 1923, a transformer station was built here instead. Much of this railway heritage has been preserved, including the station building from 1922. As railway operations became more modern, fewer people were needed to live and work at Katterat. The community gradually became smaller, and the last permanent resident left in 1963. Today, Katterat is also home to Arctic Train’s Northern Lights Camp, with a large traditional lavvu where guests can experience the Arctic night away from the lights of the town. If you would like to know more about the Northern Lights Train and the camp at Katterat, feel free to ask our crew. Just before reaching the station, we pass through a tunnel with a rather unexpected name – Cape Horn. And no, we haven’t travelled quite that far. The name dates back to the construction of the railway, when several places along the route were given names inspired by locations around the world. As we emerge from the tunnel, keep an eye out for Katteratgubben – an unusual rock formation around four metres high. Its massive top stone has been balancing here since the end of the last Ice Age.

Before the railway could be built, there was another challenge: how do you move people, equipment and supplies through a mountain landscape with no roads? The solution was a construction road – the road we know today as Rallarveien. At the height of the construction period, thousands of Norwegian and Swedish workers were involved in building the railway. Horses and carts carried equipment, food and other supplies into the mountains. During the long Arctic winter, carts were replaced by sleighs, carrying heavy loads through snow, cold and wind. The construction road between Rombaksbotn and Abisko was completed in 1898. Once the railway was finished a few years later, the road was no longer needed and was gradually reclaimed by nature. Today, Rallarveien is a popular hiking trail, where you can follow in the footsteps of the people who built the railway. The trail is also part of the “Norway Across” hiking route, taking hikers from the Swedish border, across the mountains and down to Rombaksbotn by the fjord. And along much of the route, the historic trail and the railway still run side by side.

We are now passing Norddalen, a valley shaped by the Ice Age. Here, the story changes from transport to construction. Much of the work on the railway was done by hand, using drills, hammers and explosives to carve a route through the mountainside. Moving equipment and supplies through this terrain was another challenge. Horses and carts could use Rallarveien, but in places like Norddalen, a more direct solution was needed. In 1899, a cableway was built across the valley, carrying supplies up towards Bjørnfjell. It saved a difficult four-and-a-half-kilometre journey along the construction road. Before the railway was completed, the cableway had transported around 10,000 tonnes of supplies through these mountains. As our train passes through tunnels and along the mountainside today, it is remarkable to think how much of this railway was created through manual labour more than 120 years ago.

We are now approaching one of the most impressive reminders of the early Ofoten Railway – the old Norddal Bridge. The bridge was prefabricated in Germany before its different parts were transported all the way into these mountains. In the winter of 1902, the heavy bridge supports were brought up from Rombaksbotn by horse. Imagine making that journey through snow and steep terrain more than a century ago. For decades, Norddal Bridge carried trains and enormous amounts of iron ore across the valley. Eventually, the railway needed a more modern solution, and in 1988 the line was rerouted around the old bridge. The bridge also has a place in Narvik’s wartime history. In April 1940, Norwegian forces attempted to destroy it to prevent the German advance, but the explosives caused only limited damage. If you have seen the Netflix film Narvik, you may recognise the bridge – the attempt to destroy it is portrayed in the film. Today, trains no longer cross Norddal Bridge, but it remains standing as a protected piece of railway history and one of the most distinctive landmarks along the Ofoten Railway.

We have now reached Søsterbekk. The station was originally located along the old railway route across Norddal Bridge, but was moved here when the new section of the line opened in 1988. As we pass through the area, look out for two old tunnel openings on the north side of the railway. They tell an unusual story about how trains were once operated on this mountain line. One of the tunnels was part of what was known as a runaway track. If a train coming down from the mountains lost its brakes, it could be diverted away from the main line and into this tunnel. The track inside climbed uphill, using gravity to slow the train down. If it still failed to stop, the track continued beyond the tunnel and out towards the marshland. The second tunnel had another clever purpose. Trains could reverse uphill into it, giving them enough room to build up speed before tackling the climb towards the Swedish border. Søsterbekk was also once home to a small railway community. Its sunny position made it a popular place for railway workers and their families to live. Today, the permanent residents are gone, but the old tunnels remain – reminders of some ingenious solutions from an earlier age of the railway.

We are now arriving at Bjørnfjell, close to the Swedish border. The station opened in 1925, replacing earlier stations that had served this part of the railway. It did not take long before people discovered that Bjørnfjell was also an ideal starting point for outdoor adventures. In 1938, Bjørnfjell Tourist Station opened beside the railway, welcoming visitors to the mountains. In its heyday, one popular winter tradition was to ski across the border from Sweden to Bjørnfjell, stop at the tourist station for food and perhaps a beer, and then take the train back to Riksgränsen. We can only imagine that some of those return journeys were rather cheerful. The historic Rallarveien also passes through Bjørnfjell. Today, hikers can follow the old construction road from here down through the mountains towards Rombaksbotn. Around the station, you can still see buildings and traces from the time when Bjørnfjell was home to a much larger railway community. Today, Bjørnfjell is also a popular cabin area, with many people coming here to enjoy the mountains throughout the year. In winter, the area is especially popular for skiing, while summer brings hiking and long days in the mountain landscape. And from here, the Swedish border is just under 2 kilometres away.