Linköping, Kalmar, Emmaboda

(Please note this post was made 2017-03-28). Sorting my old photos, and now I've reached my spring trip of 2014 to Kalmar and Karlskrona. Two historically important Swedish towns, that were built at the time when ships were the main mean of transportation, but since the development of railway and car road network in the country during past 150 years they have lost their initial importance.

  The trip started in Stockholm, by taking X2 to Linköping.

 This was the first warm day in 2014, the 8th of Mars.

 Leaving Stockholm, in the background the construction of the new Citybanan underwater tunnel for commuter trains.

  2014 would be the warmest year so far, but in early spring it has just begun.

 I'm travelling in animal department with some cats and dogs. For some reason I assumed that they were the most empty seats, but I realised later it was just occasionally.

 Södertälje Syd, collecting some passengers

 After about 1h40min I'm in Linköping. Here X2 trains to/from Malmö are meeting.

 My X2 is leaving for further travel to Malmö/Copenhagen.

 X12 "UVEN" line train is at Linköping

One of the reasons for this trip was to travel with Y2 train, also called Kustpilen

 Kustpilen is a brand created initially for trains running between Karlskrona and Malmö. Later on, this brand started to be used for trains running between Linköping and Kalmar/Västervik.

 Y2 is a diesel powered train developed in 1992 and was initially developed for Danish railways (named there as IC3). Besides Sweden and Denmark, this train type is also used in Israel.

Kustpilen is operated to Kalmar with Y2 and to Västervik with Y31.

Y31 "Itino" is manufactured by Bombardier between 2002-2010. Also used in Germany.

 Y31 is leaving first for Västervik.

 Shortly after my train will leave for Kalmar.

 Leaving Linköping and passing by Rimforsa station along the Stångdalsbanan

 Stångdalsbanan is a single track, non-electrified was built 1902.

 Y2 is a very comfortable train, all seats have access to a table

 Kisa

Approaching Vimmerby station. The town is famous as hometown for children books writer Astrid Lindgren

 "Astrid Lindgrens värld" park is open only during the summer.

 Vimmerby station

 Hultsfred

 Berga station has been a junction station for the railway to Oskarshamn. Until 1st of December 2014 the line was operated by Krösatåg trains (the line Nässjö-Oskarshamn). Unfortunately the region has decided to shut down this line due to low passenger numbers and high expenses on running a diesel powered train.

 Today the train is replaced by bus service to Oskarshamn.

 From Berga the Rasken busses can take you further to towns in Småland.

 Högsby

 Blomstermåla

 The trip with Y2 is approaching Kalmar, passing through landscape of Småland.

 Y2 has arrived to Kalmar. In the background the Öresundståg X31 has a very similar look.

 The front/back of X31

 The front/back of Y2

 Kalmar station is close to Kalmar castle.

 The main difference between Y2 and X31 is of course that the latter one is powered by electricity.

 Kalmar station is a terminus. It is offering direct train services to Copenhagen, Linköping and Göteborg.

 Beautiful Kalmar castle in the spring sun.

  Baltic sea is close

 Monument of "Kalmar Nyckel", a dutch built ship in 1625.

 A window at Sylvanderparken

 The old water tower in Kalmar

SJ Rc6 locomotive is used for coast to coast line from Kalmar to Göteborg.

  The island of Öland is close to Kalmar.

 Kalmar cathedral

 On the other side is the island of Öland, very close

 The bridge to Öland, 6km long and the longest in Sweden (if not counting Öresundsbridge).

 The railway station building...

 ... is now housing Chinese restaurant Peking.

 Inside spacious X31 train

  X31, also known as Öresundståget is extremely popular due to its direct connection to Copenhagen.

 Inside a X31, less impressive than Y2

 After a short ride with Öresundståget, I'm in Emmaboda. From Emmaboda the railway was split into two railways, one to Kalmar and the other one to Karlskrona. Karlskrona, which was once the third largest town in Sweden after Stockholm and Göteborg, got a railway connection 1874.

 The railway is called kust-till-kust (coast to coast)

 Until 1874 there were only two houses here. The reason why Emmaboda became the place for railway intersection station was that it had same distance to Kalmar, Karlskrona and Växjö (57km), so non of the three towns would feel mistreated.

 Hotel Amigo in Emmaboda.

 I have suddenly a feeling that I'm in the 70's or 80's

 The railway Emmaboda-Karlskrona was upgraded 2013 and now has X11 Krösatåg trains operating.

 Operator is "Krösatågen". The company was based in Jönköping since 1985, and during the 2013 the network has increased to include Kronoberg, Kalmar, Blekinge and Skåne regions.

This train was previously used by Pågatåg Skånetrafiken.