Inlandsbanan

The Inlandsbanan is a Swedish railway running from Kristinehamn in the south to Gällivare in the north, covering a total distance of 1,288 kilometers.

Train travel is gaining popularity in Sweden, both for business and leisure trips. For journeys to the Swedish mountain world, the Snow Train on the Inlandsbanan is a popular and environmentally friendly way to travel. The Inlandsbanan is a cornerstone of Swedish infrastructure, currently undergoing modernization for increased capacity, with the assistance of Cactus Rail.

For over 80 years, freight traffic on the Inlandsbanan has been crucial for the mining and forestry industries in northern Sweden. Since 1993, it has also been an important tourist route. In 2017, Cactus Rail was tasked by the infrastructure manager, Inlandsbanan AB, to introduce a modern remotely operated traffic control system along 1100 kilometers of track. Previously, our train controllers had to be physically present at the operating sites when trains were scheduled to meet.

Increased Capacity
Cactus Rail enables the initial remote operation of the seven most strategically important operating sites: Orsa, Fågelsjö, Röjan, Svenstavik, Sorsele, Arvidsjaur, and Jokkmokk. Instead of traveling between the operating sites, train controllers will be able to remotely operate them from the traffic control centers in Sveg, Hoting, and Storuman.

Extraordinary System Features
The system’s foundation consists of traditional remote interlocking functions, i.e., remote operation and indication of all stations. However, the system offers much more:

• Timetable control with reports: All arrivals and departures are logged and compared to the timetable. Delays (and early departures) are marked in the log and displayed in images.
• Automatic train route setting: Based on timetables and traffic conditions, the system automatically sets train routes for optimal traffic management. Of course, train controllers can take over and perform these maneuvers at any time.
• Reconstruction during disruptions: Everything that happens in the system is saved and archived. For example, if an incident occurs, the operating status can be studied in detail afterward. Event by event can be replayed while simultaneously checking the progression in both images and logs.