HUDDIG machines help restore ’Malmbanan’

Around 25,000 railroad ties will be replaced after the derailment of an iron ore train on the 'Malmbanan' railway in Northern Sweden, on December 17, 2023. Around 65 people in different professional roles are working together to open the railway as soon as possible. On-site are several HUDDIG machines.

About 15 km of railway between Tornehamn and Vassijaure stations is damaged. Niclas Brundin, machine operator at Scandinavian Track Group, has been on site since day one and considers it an honorable task to be involved in the work.

"I called and offered to participate in the project immediately after hearing about the derailment. It feels great to play a small part in this important job with several others. The fact that the machine I drive was already in Gällivare, Northern Sweden, also meant that we could start working immediately." Niclas says.

Several HUDDIG machines participate in the work and perform tie replacements around the clock. The work is carried out in severe cold, and there are often strong winds. Several steps are being performed before the railroad ties can be changed.

"First, the snow must be removed from the track area. Plus degrees Celcius and rain caused a lot of problems when it returned to freezing temperatures. The ground froze and became rock hard, so we have to remove ice after snow clearing," Niclas says.

Ice removal is performed with different types of construction machinery. Erik, at Eriks Mark och Maskin, also breaks and removes ice with his HUDDIG-machine.

"Usually, you ”knock” to remove the ice with larger machines, but given the strength of a HUDDIG, we can use HUDDIG-machines for the task, too. It feels important to be able to participate and move the work process forward," Erik says.

Removing the old fastenings for the ties and attaching the new ones is done by hand with special tools. Here, the track technicians play an essential role in changing the ties.

"These technicians are true warriors. Imagine a full working day on the track, at about minus 20 degrees Celsius, (-4F), doing the demanding work of fastening the railroad ties. They deserve a lot of credit," says Berra, Supervisor, Scandinavian Track Group.

Severe weather conditions of wind speeds up to 10-15 meters per second and minus 25 degrees Celsius (-13F) mean that on some days, the work needs to be postponed while waiting for milder weather. 

"We are working as fast as we can, but minus 25 degrees Celcius is a limit that we have. On one occasion, it was minus 30 degrees Celcius (-22F) and we had to standby," Niclas says.

Niklas Sjölin has worked as a track technician for ten years at Dala Rail & Snow. He describes the project at Malmbanan as the most challenging he has been involved in.

 "We have incredible teamwork among our colleagues. No one goes home until everyone is done and we all work for the same goal – it means a lot and gives energy. I'm proud that I was chosen to work on this project," Niklas says.

Oscar Wiklund, machine operator at NordicTrax, is another driver involved in the tie change. In mid-January, about 4000-5000 ties remained to be changed, and the figure is decreasing daily.

"We change about 300-600 ties per two 12-hour shifts on average. It's a great team effort; some machine operators help on the track, and the track technicians do an incredible job. We are all looking forward to getting to the finish line so that 'Malmbanan' railway can open again as soon as possible," Oscar concludes.

Information: On behalf of  Trafikverket (The Swedish Transport Administration), BDX Rail has been commissioned to restore the railway. For more information, contact Trafikverket.