1850s

The main railways were constructed under state supervision and were drawn through the previously inaccessible inland. The "undeveloped areas" were given the opportunity to develop while avoiding competition with coastal boat traffic. Additionally, a railway through the inland was easier to defend in times of war.

The man assigned to lead the project to connect Sweden's three largest cities, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö, was Nils Ericson. He was a colonel in the navy's mechanical corps and Sweden's foremost lock and canal builder, with recognized ability to efficiently lead large construction projects.

In April 1855, work on the main railways began. On December 1, 1856, the sections between Gothenburg-Jonsered and Malmö-Lund were inaugurated.

The entire Western Main Line from Stockholm to Gothenburg was completed in 1862.

The Southern Main Line between Falköping and Malmö opened in 1864.

However, it was actually not the main railways that were Sweden's first railways with locomotive propulsion. Already on March 5, 1856, the 30-kilometre-long private railway between Örebro and Nora was inaugurated. It was the result of Adolf von Rosen's attempt to build a nationwide railway network with private financing.