Slätte, Ulvåker, Laxå

This weekend in May I'm travelling from Stockholm to Närke by train

Alfons Åberg is a popular cartoon character in Sweden. Jernhusen (a company that owns many stations in Sweden) has decided to set up Alfons at 7 different stations - here is Stockholm Central.

Train from Stockholm to Karlstad

Less than 2h later I'm in Degerfors

Following day I'm taking a trip by car along the Västra Stambanan between Älgarås and Ulvåker. On my way I stop at Hova station - which is located at Kinnekullebanan railway.

Älgarås station is still in place - now used as a private house.

According to a document from Västra Götaland Region planning for future train traffic, there was a plan to set up train stations at Älgarås, Moholm, Tidan, Väring and Ulvåker - the places I will visit today. Unfortunately it was concluded that in order to set up the stations here it is necessary to build 4 tracks, which would mean a huge cost. (Målbild Tåg 2035)

Former Slätte station was not included in the investigation for future train stop planning.

At Slätte station there is already 3 tracks for bypassing purposes.

The part between Älgarås and Skövde is a straight railway line where trains can reach the highest speed - 200 km/h.

Another X2, this time bound for Göteborg

X74

Train 70149 Katrineholm-Malmö is taking a different route than usually, probably due railway works at Södra Stambanan.

241 001 "Kenobi" - named after Star Wars character.

241 001 is a Traxx F140 AC2

Töreboda

Bicycle path along Göta kanal

Train 9052 Göteborg Sävenäs - Borlänge

Rc4 1194

X40

Train 5566 Sävenäs-Hallsberg

Rd2 1032 and Rc4 1287

Rd2 and X2

Same Hectorrail train I saw earlier in Slätte, now passing Töreboda.

Fägre church

Spring is definitely here

Another bridge at Göta kanal - here is in Vassbacken

Nature is all around

Animal farm just outside Moholm

A bridge over the railway in Moholm

There is a passing loop here in Moholm

Next station Tidan can be seen from the bridge in Moholm

If a train stop would be constructed it would probably be somewhere here.

Between Moholm and Tidan there is a banvaktstuga located here

X74 train outside Tidan

Former train stop at Tidan can be seen here

Former wool factory in Tidan - it was closed in 1966

Lunne hydro power station

The town Tidan is named after the river Tidan

Silo in Tidan

Väring

Ulvåker has its station house still in place. The station is from 1920

Moving from Ulvåker to Laxå, here is an X74

Laxå junction between Västra Stambanan and Värmlandsbanan railways

Train 605 to Karlstad

Rc6 1394

This train has really some colourful cars

X40

Y31

Blå tåget train 7075

Rc3 1064 or 143.064

Train 62269 Hallsberg-Kil

Operated by Nordiska Tåg AB

Rc4 1140

WL5DE sleeper coach, here used as a service car for NTAB

T43 230

Train 46638 from Malmö to Falköping is delayed with 363 minutes here is Laxå, and it is most probably the reason why it is taking this detour.

241 004 "R2D2" - is my second Star Wars and Hectorrail locomotive today

Train 54420 from Kil to Herrljunga

DLL 3108 from Infranord

Quite unusual that train are turning to the right here

Last but not least, train 69357 "Arctic Rail Express" from Oslo to Narvik which is for some reason passing by here in Svartå today

185 707 and 185 710, both from Railpool and operated by CargoNet

This is a photo taken when I fell on the ground from a small hill of rocks. It was very painful in my foot, and I got a sprain - luckily I was recovered few weeks later and could climb this hill again :-)