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{{Short description|none}}
As of 2024, [[Iceland]] does not have a public [[railway]] system, although there have been three small short-lived railways in the past. The main reasons for the lack of railways are the small population outside the [[Capital Region (Iceland)|capital region]], the availability of automobile, bus, and air transportation for inter-city travel, and the sometimes-harsh environment.
There were persistent discussions for a railway in the first half of the 20th century, but none of them proceeded. A [[900 mm gauge railways|900 mm]] [[narrow-gauge railway]] was used for the construction of the [[Reykjavík]] harbour from 1913 to 1928, and was occasionally used for other freight transport during its operation. In the 2010s, there were new proposals for a [[light railway]] system in the capital region and an [[airport rail link]] to [[Keflavík International Airport|Keflavík]].
== Reykjavík Harbour Railway ==
Probably the most well-known Icelandic rail project, the Reykjavík Harbour Railway, of {{RailGauge|900mm|lk=on}} [[narrow gauge]], operated discontinuously from 1913 until 1928 for the construction of the harbour breakwaters. Its first main operation phase was from 1913 to 1917, when the first phase of the harbour was finished. The second period of operation was from 1920 to 1922 when Kolabakki (now Austurbakki) quay was constructed. The third and final period was from 1925 to 1928 when Faxagarður quay was constructed and landfill alongside the shore (where Sæbraut is today).<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Háskólabókasafn |first=Landsbókasafn Íslands- |title=Tímarit.is |url=https://timarit.is/page/5271850 |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=timarit.is |language=is}}</ref>
===
[[File:Map of Reykjavík Harbour Railway.jpg|thumb|Reykjavík Harbour Railway from 1920 by N. P. Kirk]]The railway system initially operated a network of around 10 km of track, from a quarry outside the city, [[Öskjuhlíð]], from which it ran a short distance to a junction, [[passing loop]], and sidings. The junction was located just south of a large field which became the [[Reykjavík Airport|Reykjavík city airport]]. From there, one line ran to the west, around the western edge of the city, before proceeding along the newly constructed western harbour pier to the island of Effersey. A [[headshunt]] there allowed trains to reverse along a further line, built out onto the outer harbour wall, and extended as that wall itself grew longer.
From the first junction a second line ran east around farms to a locomotive depot just outside the city, located close to where the National Hospital, [[Landspítali]], is today. The railway was extended in 1920, when the second phase of the harbour was constructed. The {{convert|1.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} extension from the depot was constructed, which ran on to a further junction where a short branch line led into a secondary quarrying site. The main line continued to a further junction on the edge of the docks. From there, one line ran along the quayside Kolabakki (where one of the locomotives is today preserved on display, by Austurhöfn), whilst the other ran out along the eastern harbour wall.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kirk|first=N. P.|year=1902|title=Map of Reykjavík Harbour Railway|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Reykjav%C3%ADk_Harbour_Railway.jpg|journal=Minjasafnið|language=en}}</ref>
The railway was operated by two [[steam locomotive]]s built by the [[Jung engine company]] of Germany, both of which have been preserved. Built in the 1890s in Germany, they worked briefly in Denmark before being imported to Iceland in 1913 for the harbour railway project. Locomotive ''Pioner'' is now a static exhibit at the Icelandic Folk Museum at Arbær, [[Árbær Museum]], whilst locomotive ''Minør'', after many years of storage in a [[Nissen hut]] under piles of rubbish, is now an open-air static exhibit in Reykjavík.<ref name=":0" /> A scale model of part of this railway, showing one of the locomotives at work, is displayed in the Reykjavík Maritime Museum. ''Minør'' was the first to be withdrawn, whilst ''Pioner'' (which had received a replacement boiler in 1910 to extend its life) continued to operate until the railway closed in 1928.▼
The final size of the network was approximately {{convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} with a gauge of {{RailGauge|900mm|lk=on}} [[narrow gauge]] and a rail weight of {{convert|22.5|kg/m|lbs/yd|abbr=on}}. The steepest sections were 1:40 gradient and the tightest curves had a radius of {{convert|55|m|yd|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":1" />
===The rolling stock===▼
The last remains of railway track were dismantled in 1940-1945 after the [[British invasion of Iceland]] during the construction of [[Reykjavík Airport]]. Today none of the track remains.
▲[[Image:RHR-Minor.JPG|thumb|right|Locomotive ''Minør'' as preserved today]]The railway was operated by two [[steam locomotive]]s built by the [[
The locomotives had an operating pressure of {{convert|180|psi|MPa|abbr=on}} and a power of around {{convert|150|hp|kW|abbr=on}}. The locomotives ran at a maximum of {{convert|50|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.
The main vehicles on the railway was a fleet of 60 four-wheeled [[open wagon]]s. Two types of wagons were operated, one for large boulders and another for sand with [[Open wagon#Side-tipping wagons|fully-opening sides]] for loading and unloading. The wagons were not outfitted with brakes. Some of the wagons were modified and outfitted with rudimentary benches to transport workers and dignitaries for some press events, regular passenger transport was prohibited for safety reasons. All of the wagons were sold to Poland when the operations of the railway ceased. The typical operation used a rake was 20 wagons with around 7 to 8 trips a day on the western branch and 17 trips a day on the eastern branch.<ref name=":1" />
===Incidents===
Iceland's first railway accident was on the Reykjavik Harbour Railway. Records at the [[Árbær Museum]] show that both locomotives
=== Other uses ===
[[File:090625 - Historische Bahn Reykjavik.jpg|thumb|270x270px|Workers with the locomotive Minør]]
During the Reykjavík Harbour Railway's existence, it occasionally used to transport other freight on an ad hoc basis. When the main construction phase of the harbour was completed in 1917 the City of Reykjavík decided to purchase all of the equipment used in its construction, including the railway – presumably to ensure its continued use. Mostly in the years 1914–1918 the harbour railway was used to transport:
* Oil drums from the new quay at Örfisey (where Reykjavík's oil terminal still stands today) into the city centre;
* Meat for export from the [[Sláturfélag Suðurlands]] meat processing plant at Skúlagata to the harbour;
* Timber and aggregate for building construction in the city centre; and
* Coal from the harbour to local distributors.
The railway was again used for other purposes in 1926 during the construction of [[Landspítali]] when cement and aggregate was transported from the harbour and one of the quarries.<ref name=":1" />
==Kárahnjúkar light railway==
A diesel-operated light railway was built in the early years of the 21st century, in connection with the construction of the [[Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant|Kárahnjúkar hydro-electric power project]]. The railway
▲In 2004, the first collision of two trains occurred in Iceland. A passenger train transporting construction workers ran into a cement train in a tunnel, lying under Valþjófstaðarfjall mountain. Three people were treated for their injuries in the rail mishap.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.karahnjukar.is/EN/article.asp?catID=395&artId=1000 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617061041/http://www.karahnjukar.is/EN/article.asp?catID=395&artId=1000 | url-status=dead | archive-date=17 June 2011 |title=Three slightly injured in rail mishap in Adit 3|date=7 October 2004 |publisher=Landsvirkjun}}</ref>
==Korpúlfsstaðir farm railway==
Korpúlfsstaðir was one of the first industrial farms in Iceland. Built in 1930 by Icelandic industrialist Thor Jensen, it was located on the outskirts of Reykjavík, on the Þingvellir road. The farm was equipped with a {{RailGauge|600mm|lk=on}} [[narrow-gauge]] railway network, allowing the transportation of goods and materials around the farm site. The rolling stock consisted chiefly of four-wheel [[skip wagon]]s. There were no operational locomotives during either documented visit to
== Mainline railways in the 1900s ==
=== First proposals ===
=== Proposals in the 1920s ===
In 1921, [[Alþingi]] decided to look at the possibility of railways again. Subsequently, in
==Recently proposed railways==
There have been intermittent proposals for a passenger railway from Reykjavík to [[Keflavík International Airport]], firstly in the early 2000s. In 2003 the idea of an airport railway was eliminated and a dual carriageway road ([[Route 41 (Iceland)|road 41]]) was built instead of the railway, opening in 2008.▼
===Reykjavík–Keflavík===
More recently, a private group has been looking into the idea of an airport railway. In 2014, a feasibility study was undertaken by Ráðgjöf og verkefnastjórnun, which declared that a [[High-speed rail|high speed]] [[Airport rail link|airport railway]] would be feasible with the increasing numbers of tourists coming to Iceland and passenger numbers at [[Keflavík International Airport]]. The project has begun looking for funding and has begun talks with the local municipalities about the planning and alignment of the railway.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.mbl.is/vidskipti/frettir/2016/09/02/somdu_um_hradlest_a_sudurnesjum/|title=Sömdu um hraðlest á Suðurnesjum|access-date=2017-02-22}}</ref> The railway would run double tracked from the airport, roughly parallel to the current road, and would then be placed in tunnels from Hafnafjörður with a terminal at Reykjavík's main bus station BSÍ. The maximum operating speed is 250 km/h, and the journey would take 15 minutes. In 2015 "Fluglestin Þróunarfélag ehf." was created with the intention of acquiring funding for the project and planning. The proposed English name for the project is "Lava Express". Initially the project planned that construction should start in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/nature_and_travel/2016/10/06/work_on_iceland_s_new_250_km_h_airport_train_to_beg/|title=Work on Iceland’s new 250 km/h airport train to begin in 2020|access-date=2017-02-22}}</ref>▼
▲There have been intermittent proposals for a passenger railway from Reykjavík to [[Keflavík International Airport]], firstly in the early 2000s. In 2003, the idea of an airport railway was
▲More recently, a private group has been looking into the idea of an airport railway. In 2014, a feasibility study was undertaken by Ráðgjöf og verkefnastjórnun, which declared that a [[High-speed rail|high speed]] [[Airport rail link|airport railway]] would be feasible with the increasing numbers of tourists coming to Iceland, and passenger numbers at [[Keflavík International Airport]]. The project has begun looking for funding and has
The [[Railway electrification|electrified railway]] would run double tracked from the airport, roughly parallel to the current road, and would then be situated in tunnels from [[Hafnarfjörður|Hafnafjörður]], with a terminal at Reykjavík's main bus station BSÍ. The construction would be {{convert|49|km|mi|abbr=on}} above ground and {{convert|14|km|mi|abbr=on}} in tunnels. The maximum operating speed would be {{convert|250|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and the journey would take 15 minutes. In 2015, "Fluglestin Þróunarfélag ehf." was created, with the intention of acquiring funding for the project and planning. The proposed English name for the project is "Lava Express". It was initially planned for construction to start in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/nature_and_travel/2016/10/06/work_on_iceland_s_new_250_km_h_airport_train_to_beg/|title=Work on Iceland's new 250 km/h airport train to begin in 2020|access-date=2017-02-22}}</ref>
In 2019, all municipalities the rail line would pass through, except [[Hafnarfjörður]],
In May 2023, Fluglestin þróunarfélag announced plans to revisit the project citing interest from European rail operators as well as Chinese and Japanese contractors in financing and constructing the project. The current plans are unchanged, however the Reykjavík terminal may be scaled back to [[Kringlan]]. The project would have three stations:
* [[Keflavík International Airport|Keflavik International Airport]]
* Southern [[Capital Region (Iceland)|Capital Region]] stop in [[Kópavogur]] or [[Hafnarfjörður|Hafnafjörður]] - (likely [[Smáralind]] shopping centre/mall)
* BSÍ bus terminal ([[Reykjavík]] city centre) or [[Kringlan]] shopping centre
===Within the Capital Region===
▲In 2019, all municipalities the rail line would pass through have approved a cooperation agreement on zoning related to the project except [[Hafnarfjörður]], with ''Morgunblaðið'' reporting that a meeting with the mayor of Hafnarfjörður has been scheduled. Once fully agreed, construction work could begin as early as 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://standbynordic.com/iceland-airport-train-still-on-track/|title=Iceland airport train still on track|date=9 April 2019}}</ref>
There have also been serious proposals for a light rail system for the [[Capital Region (Iceland)|Capital Region]] (Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Hafnafjörður). In the Samtök Sveitarfélaga á Höfuðborgarsvæðinu (Association of municipalities in the Capital Area) master plan for the capital area, Höfuðborgarsvæðið 2040, the transport section outlines a plan to create a [[light rail]]/[[Bus rapid transit|BRT]] system in the Capital Area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ssh.is/borgarlina|title=SSH - Borgarlína|last=Björgvinsdóttir|first=Sandra|website=ssh.is|language=is-is|access-date=2017-02-22|archive-date=2017-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223212057/http://ssh.is/borgarlina|url-status=dead}}</ref> The mayors of the respective municipalities have agreed to
In 2019, a funding package was agreed between the central government and municipalities in the Capital Region on the construction of a BRT system, scaled back from original light rail proposals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sáttmáli um samgöngur á höfuðborgarsvæðinu |url=https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/samgongur-og-fjarskipti/samgonguaaetlun/sattmali-um-samgongur-a-hofudborgarsvaedinu/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=www.stjornarradid.is |language=is}}</ref> As of 2023, the first phase set for completion in 2026, is from Reykjavík city centre to Hamraborg in [[Kópavogur]]. The second phase is from the city centre to Ártúnshöfði in eastern Reykjavík, to be complete in 2027. Later phases are still in planning, but a network spanning the greater Capital Region is to be constructed in phases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Spurt og svarað |url=https://borgarlinan.is/spurningar/ |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=Borgarlínan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Borgarlína Lota 1, Suðurlandsbraut – Laugavegur, hönnun |url=https://www.vegagerdin.is/verkefnin/utbod/borgarlina-lota-1-sudurlandsbraut-laugavegur-honnun |access-date=2024-06-28 |website=www.vegagerdin.is |language=is}}</ref>
▲There have also been serious proposals for a light rail system for the [[Capital Region (Iceland)|Capital Region]] (Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Hafnafjörður). In the Samtök Sveitarfélaga á Höfuðborgarsvæðinu (Association of municipalities in the Capital Area) master plan for the capital area, Höfuðborgarsvæðið 2040, the transport section outlines a plan to create a [[light rail]]/[[Bus rapid transit|BRT]] system in the Capital Area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ssh.is/borgarlina|title=SSH - Borgarlína|last=Björgvinsdóttir|first=Sandra|website=ssh.is|language=is-is|access-date=2017-02-22}}</ref> The mayors of the respective municipalities have agreed to this masterplan and have shown interest in this proposal and it is currently in a planning stage. There has been pressure put on Alþingi and the municipalities to clarify on how the project will be funded.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ruv.is/frett/borgarlina-odyrari-leid-en-mislaeg-gatnamot|title=Borgarlína ódýrari leið en mislæg gatnamót|date=2016-12-02|newspaper=RÚV|access-date=2017-02-22|language=en}}</ref>
== See also ==
Line 52 ⟶ 81:
== External links ==
* [http://www.reykjavikmuseum.is Árbær Museum/Reykjavik City Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061112045737/http://www.reykjavikmuseum.is/ |date=2006-11-12 }}
{{Rail transport in Europe}}
[[Category:Rail transport in Iceland| ]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Europe]]
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