A 17-hour sleeper journey from Stockholm to Abisko, north of the Arctic Circle, offers an epic landscape that is particularly beautiful during the ‘blue moment’. The Arctic Circle train, operated by Vy, runs from Stockholm to Narvik, the northernmost railway station in western Europe, but many passengers alight at Abisko in search of reindeer, moose and the northern lights.
Despite initial fears of a crowded polar package tour, the train was packed only at the start. Most travellers melted away as the train headed north, and by the time it pulled into snow-covered Abisko, 600 miles north of Stockholm, only a handful of passengers stepped off into the silent, Narnia-like landscape. The train continues to Riksgränsen on the Norwegian border and then west to Narvik, arriving at 12.35.
Our last-minute booking meant first-class sleeping berths with toilet and shower were sold out. We opted for a three-berth second-class private compartment, which was clean and warm, with crisp cotton sheets, quilts and decent pillows. The compartment had a small sink, electric sockets and wifi, and the shared toilet and shower remained clean throughout the journey, though toilet paper ran out by morning.
The route runs three-quarters the length of Sweden, first along the east coast, then joining the Iron Ore line through Swedish Lapland, passing mining towns like Gällivare and Kiruna. The Iron Ore line was built between the late 1800s and early 1900s to transport iron ore to ports in Luleå and Narvik. During construction, crews created small communities along the line.
In winter, the sun does not rise above the horizon for several weeks, but there are a few hours of daylight and a natural light phenomenon called kaamos, which creates a ‘blue moment’ for about 15 minutes around 2pm. The view from the train was of a vast snow-covered landscape of valleys, mountains and lakes, with birch and pine trees and the occasional wooden house. The Norwegian Railways magazine promised passengers would ‘travel with your nose squashed on the window, enchanted by the wonder of the landscape’, though cleaner windows would have improved the experience.
