bredspåren

Bredspåren is a Swedish term for railway tracks built with a gauge wider than the standard gauge used in a country. The expression denotes lines or sections designed for broad gauge, in contrast to normalspår, which refers to standard gauge. The concept is largely historical in Sweden, where standard gauge has dominated since the late 19th century, while a few older or cross-border networks operated with broader gauges.

Historically, broad gauges have been used in Europe to align with neighboring countries’ rail networks or to accommodate heavier rolling stock. In Sweden, plans and discussions about connecting with Finland or Russia at various times considered broad-gauge sections, but such lines were typically isolated, short-lived, or later converted to standard gauge. As a result, relatively little broad-gauge infrastructure remains in ordinary operation today.

Technically, broad gauge refers to any track gauge wider than the standard gauge of 1,435 millimeters. The exact gauge width varied by country and era, with common broad gauges in European contexts ranging around 1,520 to 1,524 millimeters. This variation could create compatibility and interoperability challenges for rolling stock and operations when different networks met.

Today, bredspåren is largely a historical term in Sweden. Most active rail lines are standard gauge, and broad-gauge lines are mainly found in heritage or museum contexts or discussed in historical policy and cross-border connections. Related topics include normalspår (standard gauge) and smalspår (narrow gauge).