Anten–Gräfsnäs Järnväg

About the museum

The Anten–Gräfsnäs Järnväg is a 12-kilometre narrow-gauge museum railway with a track gauge of 891 millimetres, one of the old West Götaland railways (västgötabanorna). The line runs along Lake Anten from Anten station via Arelid and Kvarnabo to Gräfsnäs at the castle park. The museum association Anten–Gräfsnäs Järnväg runs the traffic, and the operation has continued for more than fifty years with volunteers only.

The association’s aim is to show what a narrow-gauge railway once looked like and how it worked. It collects, restores and preserves rolling stock and other objects from Swedish railways, mainly those with a gauge of 891 millimetres. The objects are shown in operation on the line or standing still in the association’s exhibition hall. The station building in Anten, originally from 1900, has been restored to its appearance in the 1930s and 1940s.

On the route, coal-fired steam locomotives from the 1910s and 1920s and diesel rail buses from the 1940s and 1950s are used. At the intermediate station Kvarnabo the train stops to take on water, and a turntable at Gräfsnäs turns the locomotive by hand. Trains run in summer, and the association also arranges special events such as elf trains (tomtetåg) and ghost trains (spöktåg) in the autumn.

Highlights

• Steam trains on 891 mm gauge between Anten and Gräfsnäs
• Rail buses from the 1940s and 1950s
• Water stop at Kvarnabo and turntable at Gräfsnäs
• Rail bus trip through the Brobackatunneln
• Exhibition hall with the association’s vehicles

Permanent exhibition

• Utställningshall med föreningens fordon – Rolling stock and objects from narrow-gauge railways, mainly with a gauge of 891 mm, shown standing still in museum condition.

Founded

1970

Operated by

Museiföreningen Anten–Gräfsnäs Järnväg

Admission & discounts

Prices apply to 2026 and refer to train travel; a single adult journey costs SEK 120. Members of the association travel free on presentation of their membership card. Tickets for regular trains cannot be bought in advance, but are bought on site at the ticket window in Anten or Gräfsnäs. In Anten you can pay with cash, Swish and card; in Gräfsnäs only with cash and Swish.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The steam train has a carriage with a wheelchair lift that can take up to 10–12 wheelchairs (max 150 kg including passenger; not for powered wheelchairs or wheelchairs with large batteries). Boarding and alighting by lift take place at Anten and Gräfsnäs, but not at Kvarnabo. The rail buses cannot take wheelchairs. Advance registration is requested by telephone on 0705-61 78 80.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly
• Playground / play area

Pushchairs are loaded into the combined passenger and luggage carriages. At the terminus Gräfsnäs there is a castle park with large play areas, playgrounds and a bathing beach.

Getting there & parking

The stations are Anten (Antens Stationsväg 7), Kvarnabo (Kvarnabo Stationsväg 27) and Gräfsnäs (Wasaallen 6, Sollebrunn). By car from Gothenburg, take road 190 towards Sollebrunn and turn right 500 metres after Brobacka, signposted Anten – museijärnväg; from Alingsås, take road 180 towards Trollhättan and turn right at Brobacka.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café in the station garden at Anten with coffee and ice cream. Webshop with books about narrow-gauge railways.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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