View source for Älvsnabben (ferry line)

[[File:Älv-snabben 4 September 2014.jpg|thumb|right|''Älvsnabben 4'' with [[Älvsborgsbron]] in the background.]]
'''Älvsnabben''' is a ferry line trafficking on the river [[Göta älv]] in [[Gothenburg]], [[Sweden]] since the 1990s. Älvsnabben is operated by [[Styrsöbolaget]] on a commission from [[Västtrafik]],<ref name="älvtrafiken">[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/alvtrafiken Älvtrafiken], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 21 June 2015.</ref> and has the time table number 285.
==History==
Älvsnabben started traffic on 2 May 1990 with the ships ''Älvsnabben 1'' and ''Älvsnabben 2'', with a capacity of 54 passengers each. On parts of their route from [[Lilla Bommen]] to [[Eriksberg, Gothenburg|Eriksberg]], the end stop at the time, the maximum speed allowed for the ships was 18 knots. In 1991 the route was extended to [[Klippan (Gothenburg)|Klippan]]. As the traffic increased, the ships were upgraded to hold 100 passengers and the ship ''Disa'' was introduced as an additional ship.<ref name="älvtrafiken"/> In 1993 the traffic was complemented with the ship ''Älvsnabben 3''. The ships ''Älvsnabben 4'' and ''Älvsnabben 5'' were taken into traffic from 1994 to 1995, at which time the two first ships were sold.<ref name="historia">[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/om-oss/var-historia Vår historia], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 21 June 2015.</ref>
==Routes==
Älvsnabben connects both sides of Göta älv on a zig-zag pattern<ref>[http://www.vasttrafik.se/#!/startsideinformation/global-meny/vanliga-fragor/?faq=%7b%22query%22:%22%C3%A4lvsnabben%22%7d Frågor om Älvsnabben], ''Västtrafik''. Accessed on 21 June 2015.</ref> between the mainland and Hisingen on the part between the [[Götaälvbron]] and [[Älvsborgsbron]] bridges. The stops are [[Lilla Bommen]], [[Stenpiren]] (formerly called Rosenlund), [[Lindholmspiren]], [[Slottsberget]] and Klippan.<ref name="älvtrafiken"/>
==Älvsnabbare==
There is even an extra line called "Älvsnabbare"{{efn|The name is a pun: "''älv-snabben''" can be read in Swedish as "the fast one of the river", so "''älv-snabbaren''" follows as "the faster one of the river".}}, with the time table number 286, trafficking between Stenpiren and Lindholmspiren on weekdays. This line departs every 6 minutes at peak time<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150621165842/http://www.vasttrafik.se/TimeTables/5286-20141214-20150815-A6L.pdf 286 Älvsnabbare], ''Västtrafik''. Accessed on 21 June 2015.</ref> and is free of charge.<ref name="älvtrafiken"/>
Älvsnabbare started traffic in 2001 and has been free of charge since spring 2011, as the municipality of Gothenburg pays for all costs on the line.<ref name="historia"/>
==Ships==
[[File:Älvfrida September 2015 02.jpg|thumb|right|''Älvfrida'']]
[[File:Passenger ferries Göteborg.jpg|thumb|right|The ships ''Elvy'', ''Älvfrida'' and ''Älvsnabben'' travelling to and from [[Lindholmspiren]] on a December morning in 2019.]]
Älvsnabben is trafficked by the ships ''Älvsnabben 4'' and ''Älvsnabben 5'', with ''Älvsnabben 3'' serving as a reserve ship. Älvsnabbare is trafficked by the ships ''Älveli'', ''Älvfrida'' and ''Älv-Vira''.<ref name="historia"/>
* ''Älvsnabben 3'': 298 passengers, 134 sitting places.<ref>[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/om-oss/fartyg/alv-snabben-3 Älvsnabben 3], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 5 September 2015.</ref>
* ''Älvsnabben 4'': 448 passengers, 158 sitting places in the saloon.<ref>[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/om-oss/fartyg/alv-snabben-4 Älvsnabben 4], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 5 September 2015.</ref>
* ''Älvsnabben 5'': 448 passengers, 158 sitting places in the saloon.<ref>[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/om-oss/fartyg/alv-snabben-5 Älvsnabben 5], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 5 September 2015.</ref>
* ''Skarven'': 298 passengers, 195 sitting places in the saloons.<ref>[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/om-oss/fartyg/skarven Skarven], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 5 September 2015.</ref>
* ''Älv-Vira'': 300 passengers, 34 sitting places.<ref>[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/om-oss/fartyg/alv-vira Älv-Vira], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 5 September 2015.</ref>
* ''Älveli'': 298 passengers, 80 bicycles.<ref name="älveli">[http://www.styrsobolaget.se/om-oss/fartyg/alveli-och-alvfrida Älveli och Älvfrida], ''Styrsöbolaget''. Accessed on 5 September 2015.</ref>
* ''Älvfrida'': 298 passengers, 80 bicycles.<ref name="älveli"/>
* ''Elvy'', electricity hybrid ferry with a capacity of four hours of power. 300 passengers and 80 bicycles.
In 2015 two new ships were taken into traffic for Älvsnabbare, ''Älveli'' and ''Älvfrida'', owned by Västtrafik, and in 2019 the electricity hybrid ferry ''Elvy''. The ship has a capacity of 298 passengers and 80 bicycles in a saloon throughout the ship, so they can avoid turning around after disembarking. They have a maximum speed of 11 knots<ref>Västtrafik (28 October 2011): "[http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/vasttrafik/pressreleases/vaesttrafik-koeper-tvaa-nya-fartyg-till-aelvskytteltrafiken-699130 Västtrafik köper två nya fartyg till Älvskytteltrafiken]", mynewsdesk.se. Accessed on 15 November 2015.</ref> which is also the maximum speed for ships on Göta älv.<ref>Eriksson, Lars; Ahlvik, Peter (December 2007): "[http://www.ecotraffic.se/media/5503/5.__2007___lvsnabben.pdf Älvsnabben – Inventering av åtgärder för minskade avgasemissioner]", ecotraffic.se. Accessed on 15 November 2015.</ref> They are both equipped with diesel-electrical machinery and with possibility to operate partly or wholly under electrical power after modification.
==References==
{{reflist}}
===Notes===
{{notelist}}
==External links==
* {{commonscat-inline|Älvsnabben}}
[[Category:Transport in Gothenburg]]
[[Category:Ferry routes]]