no way out

At Skärmarbrink metro station they are very clear on what you can and cannot do.

Tunnelbana Skärmarbrink (map) 26 June 2010

a commuting saint

Am I the only one being reminded of detective Simon Templar at Universitetet station?

Tunnelbana Universitetet (map) 11 July 2010

time lines

A subway platform can be a lengthy history lesson. Here's a close-up of time lines guiding the commuter through many centuries.

Tunnelbana Rissne, Sundbyberg (map) 6 July 2010

segregated we stand

Tensta subway station from 1975 is a time capsule. Strong political views are expressed in strong colours by artist Helga Henschen. No less than 86% of residents in Tensta are of foreign descent and here you can see "sisterhood" celebrated in several languages. Makes sense.

Tunnelbana Tensta (map) 6 July 2010

nocturne for Kristineberg

Nights are short. The subway is long.

Tunnelbana Kristineberg (map) 29 May 2010

quiet point in Duvbo

The subway can be an awfully noisy place. It can also be surprisingly quiet. Here's a tranquil moment in Duvbo Station when rush hour is over, the next train is a few minutes away, the escalators have stopped and... silence...

Tunnelbana Duvbo, Sundbyberg (map) 16 April 2010  

subliminal subway

A blink of the eye and you would've missed it. As indeed you did.
(John Cleese 1975)

The mythical Ghost Train of the subway is a rare sight. Modern inventions such as automated train control systems leave little room for anecdotal connections.

Tunnelbana Duvbo, Sundbyberg (map) 16 April 2010

rush hour

Rådhuset Station is a "museum" showing glimpses of the district Kungsholmen from days gone by. Meanwhile, subway trains keep on rushing between north-western suburbia and the city. See more?

Tunnelbana Rådhuset (map) 16 April 2010

red breeze down under

Red is the signature colour of subway station Duvbo, nine kilometers north-west of the city center. We're on the platform underneath a ventilation shaft looking straight up. See more?

Tunnelbana Duvbo, Sundbyberg (map) 16 April 2010

alone under ground

Alone on a Sunday afternoon at Vreten metro station. Come back Monday morning, it will be packed with commuters.

Tunnelbana Vreten, Solna (map) 7 March 2010

above all in Hässelby gård

Sometimes, the subway becomes an above-way. From a station platform we can look down on life as we know it in Hässelby gård and westwards along the tracks to and from the end station Hässelby strand. In the foreground is a sculpture "Flora II" by Per-Erik Willö.

Tunnelbana Hässelby gård (map) 23 January 2010

yellow blues for an empty station

A symbolic view of Johannelund, not a particularly crowded station situated 12 kilometers (and 18 stations) west-north-west of the city. In fact, of all our subway stations Johannelund has the fewest commuters. Roughly 1000 individuals board a train here on a weekday as compared to some 140000 for T-Centralen ("Subway Central"). See more?

Tunnelbana Johannelund (map) 23 January 2010

T time in Hässelby gård

13 kilometers (and no less than 19 subway stations) west-north-west of the city lies Hässelby gård. This suburban district was created in the fifties, a time of rapid expansion and optimistic city planning. Some of the optimism may have faded but the subway station is still here. The Swedish word for subway is "tunnelbana" - hence the "T" symbol.

Tunnelbana Hässelby gård (map) 23 January 2010

accessibility in Danderyd

At the end of a subway platform is usually an elevator (as well as escalators). It's not a fancy construction and when a citizen has chosen to urinate inside it does become a rather miserable place. Still, I've visited cities with large subway networks where you had to do the climbing in and out of stations by yourself. Accessibility is about making the city truly available and accessible to all of us - young or old, handicapped or not.

Tunnelbana Danderyds sjukhus, Danderyd (map) 1 November 2009

royal spelling

We're back at University Station, a few meters away from where I shot this.

Several places in the vicinity were named after Italian cities by King Gustav III in the 18th century. He did get one name wrong though so this place was called Frescati instead of Frascati. To celebrate (or rectify?) this spelling error a modern university campus has been established here and this is subway station Universitetet.

Tunnelbana Universitetet (map) 1 November 2009

mosaic trash

A mosaic decorated trash can at the Gamla stan metro station. We don't know who's behind the guerrilla decoration but the traffic company let them do it. Which is a great thing.

Gamla stan (map) 16 October 2009

the Toontown connection

The subway can be a magic place. Join us where geometry is funnier and colours much stronger. Give your worries the day off and catch the next train for Toontown right here at University Station.

Tunnelbana Universitetet (map) 1 November 2009

overground

The two metro/underground bridges in Kista, north of Stockholm city. Kista is mainly associated with telecommunication and computer industry. It also hosts the IT University, a joint venture between the Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University. Because of its computer industries, Kista became referred to as Chipsta or Sweden's Silicon Valley in the 1980's.

Kista (map) 6 October 2009

the Fittja connection (2)

Fittja in Botkyrka has 7500 residents. 65% of them are of foreign descent. Thanks to the subway, the inner city is easily within reach. See more?

Tunnelbana Fittja, Botkyrka (map) 23 August 2009

benchmarking in Alby

I had to have another encounter in Botkyrka with the red benches at Alby subway station, decorated by Olle Ängqvist. This is a remake and you know what they say - remakes are never quite as good as the original. So, what's your verdict?

Tunnelbana Alby, Botkyrka (map) 23 August 2009