The Malmbanan links Sweden's Arctic iron-ore mining regions of Malmberget and Kiruna with the port of Lulea on the Baltic Sea as well as Narvik on Norway's Atlantic coast. The maximum axleload is currently 30 tonnes, but this could be increased in the future. The region is known for its severe winters with very low temperatures and heavy snow. These technical and climatic conditions pose a great challenge for switch systems and track maintenance.Moreover, maintenance work is impeded by the fact that in Sweden switch machines are traditionally nested between the sleepers, which rules out any automatic tamping in the switch zone. Yet manual tamping entails much more work along with the risk of inadequate compacting of the trackbed.
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