Skagen Line

Skagen Line
Skagen Line
Overview
Native name	Skagensbanen
Owner	Nordjyske Jernbaner
Termini	Skagen; 57°43′26″N 10°35′32″E / 57.7239°N 10.5921°E; Frederikshavn; 57°26′28″N 10°32′24″E / 57.4412°N 10.5400°E;
Stations	10
Service
Type	Railway
System	Danish railways
Operator(s)	Nordjyske Jernbaner
Rolling stock	Desiro
History
Opened	24 July 1890
Technical
Line length	39.7 km (24.7 mi)
Number of tracks	1
Character	Local railway
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	No
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map
Route map

The Skagen Line or the Skagen Railway (Template:Lang-da) 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.

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.

Operations

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.

Stations

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Station	Distance from Frederikshavn (km)	Distance from Skagen (km)	Remarks
Skagen	38.8	0
Frederikshavnsvej	38.0	0.8	opened in 1992
Hulsig	28.0	10.8
Bunken	24.5	14.3
Ålbæk	19.8	19.0
Napstjært	15.6	23.2
Jerup	13.0	25.8
Rimmen	9.5	29.3
Strandby	6.3	32.5
Frederikshavn	0	38.8