Welcome NLT

Welcome to Narvik, and to the Northern Lights Train. As we begin our journey, we’d like to tell you a little about Narvik and the Arctic region we’re travelling through. Narvik lies at 68 degrees north, around 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. The town itself is home to around 14,000 people, while the wider Narvik municipality has a population of around 21,000. Narvik may be a relatively small town, but it has long played an important international role. The town developed around its deep, ice-free harbour and the railway connecting the coast with the iron ore fields of northern Sweden. For more than a century, iron ore has travelled by train across the mountains to Narvik, before continuing by ship to destinations around the world. Narvik is also located beneath the auroral oval – the region around the magnetic North Pole where Northern Lights activity is most frequently seen. During the dark months of the year, this makes the Narvik region an excellent place to experience the Aurora Borealis. Of course, the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon, so we can never guarantee an appearance. Clear skies, solar activity and a little bit of luck all play their part. Tonight, we’ll leave the lights of Narvik behind and travel along the Ofoten Railway towards Katterat. Along the way, we’ll tell you more about the railway, the Northern Lights, and some of the stories people have told about the Aurora through the centuries. So make yourselves comfortable, enjoy the journey – and keep an eye on the sky.