Kiruna: How to move a town two miles east

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simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration Topic Starter

11 years ago

"BBC News" wrote:
This spring work will begin to move Sweden's northernmost town two miles to the east. Over the next 20 years, 20,000 people will move into new homes, built around a new town centre, as a mine gradually swallows the old community. It's a vast and hugely complicated undertaking.

Get to the 8th paragraph and you see the mining connection ;)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26447507

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

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Boy Engineer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Quote:

Kiruna's inhabitants have been living in a "subliminal state" for almost 15 years, Walldin says, unable to make major life decisions such as buying a house, redecorating, having a child or opening a business.

"Now it's finally time for a lot of people who have mentally been living in a state of stasis for years to finally release themselves and think: 'It's finally happening, I'm going to be able to make investments and plans for the rest of my life.'

Glad to hear it isn't just old mines that have that effect.

NickPeak
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

The mining operations at Kiruna are truly amazing. The local tourist office runs mine trips by coach, but to a worked out area set up as a show mine at the 540m level. The mine is large enough to have its own internal bus service, but much of the mining operation is automated in order to compete with other sources.
The railway to the port of Narvik is also of interest, carrying Europe's heaviest freight trains. Recent improvements have involved increasing axleloads to 30t with wagons carrying 100t payloads. New double locomotives now haul 8000t trains.

Kiruna is the place to be. 10 million midges can't be wrong!

http://www.lkab.com

fjällvandring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Been there and to Narvik, one of the most outstandingly beautiful places I have been to. Didn't have a chance to go underground, but apart from one small area the mine isn't the easiest place to get permission visits to.
But I am really looking forward to August because we're going to see some of the disused iron mines around here and in Lyngen in Troms, if the working mines are so impressive there must be a lot to see around here.

They also have an entire rail transport network down there, now that I would love to see. I hope we get the chance to but I'm not too hopeful at this present time, such a large operation that getting a tour won't be a simple affair.

jeg elsker Norge, landets dialekter, folk, landskap og naturen!

Dr J
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

The article is bit misleading tbh, work has already been going on for years towards the move, railway completely realigned, ditto roads, and replacement station in place (well, portacabin as of Nov last year!). Future of the new town site isn't exactly guaranteed either, as new ore body has now been discovered immediately to the north...so might be few years down the line it all gets moved again! :lol:

Same thing happening at LKAB's mine at Malmberget to the south...much of the town already vacated and being demolished there... You only appreciate why when you see the scale of the subsidence they're causing-*massive* craters...could give many open-cast mines competition for size and scale of hole :ohmygod:

As Fjallvandring says, Kiruna would be one to see for sure, beyond the sterile visitors centre...if only! ::) Maybe one day, now I know people who work down there!

J

Over-ground, underground, wombling free...

fjällvandring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Yeah, just messaged a Swedish friend, she says it has been going on for years as well. I had no idea that the workings were causing so much subsidence though, not surprising now I think about it.

Aye Dr J, you sent me a message ages ago and I don't know if I replied or not, sorry about that. I have another friend who lives near Bergslagen, he knows people who work at Kiruna but again, the chances of getting down there look difficult at the moment, although the trip we are doing is more focused on the disused mine workings up there, not sure where they are though or of any details as of yet :)

jeg elsker Norge, landets dialekter, folk, landskap og naturen!