The building of the Ofoten Railway

We are now travelling along the Ofoten railway line, the building of which is a story in itself. The iron rich ore fields in the north of Sweden were discovered as far back as the 1600s. The industrial revolution created a huge demand for iron from industries across Europe. The invention of the steam locomotive was the starting point of effective transportation of iron ore from Kiruna through to the harbour in Narvik and from there further onwards to the continent. The ice-free bay in Narvik made it a natural choice for the shipping industry. The building of the Ofoten line was actually done over two periods. The first period was called the English period when the route from Narvik harbour to Katterat was built. The English firstly christened Narvik ‘ Victoriahamn’ but it was changed in 1902 to Narvik. The company which started the construction went bankrupt in 1889 and work stood still for 9 years. The second period commenced in 1898 when Norway and Sweden joined together to build the railway as a state facility. Construction carried on right up to 1902 when the railway from Narvik to Kiruna was completed. The 15th November 1902 is a historic day, that was when the rails were proudly connected and the first train rolled down the line. The official inauguration of the railway was conducted by the King of the union, King Oscar II on the 14th July of the same year.