The Rallar Road
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You will undoubtably have noticed that we are driving through rough terrain and therefore can appreciate how demanding it must have been to build the Ofoten line. Due to this it was necessary to construct a separate transport road for equipment, supplies and people. At its height there were over 5000 people at work on the construction, both Swedish and Norwegian workers who went under the name of Rallars. It was just a nominal title but amongst the slightly more civilised population they were probably looked down on somewhat. After all the word Rallar means ruffian. The transportation road was named after the Rallars and therefore became known as the Rallar road, similar roads can be found around other stretches of railway that were built at the same time in Norway. Farmers from across the region were engaged to transport all the equipment using horse and cart. This was especially difficult in winter using various types of sleighs, in the freezing cold and wind. The road between Rombaksbotn and Abisko was completed in 1898 and just five years later trains began to roll down the tracks, at which point the construction road was left to the forces of nature. Today the road has been cleared and designated as a culturally historic hiking trail. It runs through a beautiful and varied landscape from Rombaksbotn to Riksgrensen.