T-Centralen
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2009) |
T-Centralen  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockholm metro station | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 The Blue Line platforms are more elaborately designed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Norrmalm, Stockholm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 59°19′54″N 18°03′39″E / 59.33167°N 18.06083°E | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Storstockholms Lokaltrafik | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 24 November 1957 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
T-Centralen (Swedish for "The T-Central"; T being an abbreviation for "tunnelbana", the Swedish word for "underground" or "subway") is a metro station that forms the heart of the Stockholm metro system, in the sense that it is the only station where all three of the system's lines meet. That, its central location, and its connections with other modes of transport make it the most used metro station in Stockholm. The station is located in the Norrmalm borough of Stockholm, between Sergels torg (Sergel's Square) and the street of Vasagatan.
On a winter day in 2012, some 330,000[1] passengers travelled to or from this station. It is connected by a pedestrian underpass to the neighbouring Stockholm Central Station across Vasagatan (for national and regional trains, and the Stockholm commuter rail network) and to the Cityterminalen long-distance bus terminal, making it easy to continue a journey started by metro train.
When opened on 24 November 1957[2] the name of the station was "Centralen" ("The Central"), but it was renamed on 27 January 1958, as the metro station often was mistaken for the central railway station to which it is connected. T-Centralen has two separate sets of platforms, connected by a long moving walkway on a mezzanine level.
A new station level is being built under the existing T-Centralen station, as a part of the Stockholm City Line. It will be used for local railway trains, and will have direct escalators to the metro platforms, and it is scheduled to open in 2017. It will probably not be a formal part of the metro station and probably will be called Stockholm City.
First station: Lines 17–19 (Green Line) and 13–14 (Red Line)
This station, located 1.5 km part of T-Centralen are lines 17–19 (Green line) from Gamla stan and Hötorget, and lines 13–14 (Red line) between Gamla stan and Östermalmstorg. The station is located under Klara Church and Åhléns City department store.
The station has two platforms located at different ground levels. The upper level is located 8,5 metres below ground, and serves the northbound Green line and southbound Red line. The lower level is 14 metres below ground, and serves the southbound Green line and northbound Red line, allowing cross-platform interchange between opposite-direction trains between these two lines; Gamla stan and Slussen, the next two stations to the south, are similarly arranged to allow easy transfers between trains going in the same direction.
The station has two entrances. One (TCE S) is located south-west, and has doors at Vasagatan 20, Klara Västra Kyrkogata 20 and an entrance located in Stockholm Central by a pedestrian underpass which was opened on 1 December 1958. The second entrance (TCE N) is located to the northeast, and its doors are located at Drottninggatan, Sergels torg 16 and Klarabergsgatan 48. Due to the number of drug addicts in the surrounding area, the entrance to Klara kyrka and the walkway were closed for a long time, with a massive steel plate blocking the doors. The entrance reopened in 2013.
Second station: Lines 10 and 11 (Blue Line)
The second part of T-Centralen, located 700 meters from the Blue-line terminus of Kungsträdgården, opened on 31 August 1975 as the 79th station. Lines 10–11 (which make up the Blue line) pass through this station from metro stations Kungsträdgården to the east and Rådhuset to the west. The station lies under the Åhléns department store and Centralposten post office.
The station is located 26–32 metres below ground, and has one platform.
This station has two entrances. The first one (TCE X) has its doors at Vasagatan 9 (about 150 metres north of the Central Station, along Vasagatan Street) and, across the street, Vasagatan 36. The second one (TCE N, shared with the first station, above) has its doors at Sergels torg and Klarabergsgatan. Access to the Blue line platform via the latter entrance is by two escalators.
