The Legend of Silverpilen: Stockholm’s Ghost Train and the Haunting of Kymlinge Station

Stockholm’s Silverpilen train and the abandoned Kymlinge station have fueled one of Sweden’s most chilling urban legends. Is there truth behind the myth?

In 1965, the Stockholm Metro introduced eight unpainted aluminum train cars, a stark contrast to the standard green-painted trains of the time. Atlas Obscura reports that, according to Christoffer Sandahl, director of Spårvägsmuseet (the Swedish Tramway Museum), the silver trains were intended as a cost-effective alternative for urban transit expansion. Unlike traditional metro trains, Silverpilen (The Silver Arrow) had a raw metallic exterior, external sliding doors, and a lack of advertisements inside—a design choice that made it appear stark and dystopian to commuters.

At the time, the Stockholm Metro’s fleet was entirely green, making the silver train’s sudden, unpredictable appearances particularly unsettling. Commuters began to associate it with unease, finding its interior noticeably more worn, often showing traces of removed graffiti. WorldAtlas notes that while the train was primarily used as a backup during rush hours, many Stockholmers were wary of boarding it. This discomfort soon gave rise to the first whispers of a ghostly presence.

Stockholm's Kymlinge Metro Station is said to host a silver phantom train that passed through. Like many ghost stories, this one has a kernel of truth to it. //t.co/mqMCEQY0hL

— Atlas Obscura (@atlasobscura) September 21, 2020

The Birth of a Legend: A Train That Never Stops

By the 1970s, rumors of Silverpilen’s eerie nature had evolved into full-fledged urban legends. According to Atlas Obscura, the most chilling of these stories claimed that passengers who boarded the Silverpilen would never return, trapped in an endless journey through the metro’s underground tunnels. Bengt af Klintberg, a Swedish ethnologist and urban legend scholar, documented the legend in his 1986 book Råttan i pizzan (The Rat in the Pizza), detailing chilling variations of the tale.

One popular version stated that Silverpilen only appeared after midnight, stopping only once per year. Another recounted how passengers inside the train appeared expressionless, almost like the living dead. One of the most terrifying versions claimed that a regular commuter who had only planned to travel one stop was later found wandering confused and disoriented, insisting that they had been trapped inside Silverpilen for weeks.

Just watched a vid about the Silverplein, now I think by far the scariest place to be alone is a metro station with no exits

— ®️ (@_ramcena_) April 16, 2020

The Connection to Kymlinge: The Ghostly Station

According to WorldAtlas, Silverpilen’s legend became intertwined with another eerie location—the abandoned Kymlinge station. Built in the 1970s as part of an urban expansion plan, Kymlinge was meant to serve a new residential area. However, the project was never completed, leaving the station unused and unfinished, as reported by kynerd.net.

Locals soon coined the ominous phrase: "Only the dead get off at Kymlinge." The phrase became a common saying in Stockholm, reinforcing the supernatural reputation of both Silverpilen and Kymlinge. Many stories suggested that the ghost train didn’t just disappear into the tunnels—it had a destination. And that destination, according to Atlas Obscura, was Kymlinge. Passengers claimed to have seen the silver train pulling into Kymlinge’s locked, unused platforms. Some even believed that Silverpilen was ferrying lost souls to their final stop.

Firsthand Accounts and Skepticism

Despite the fear surrounding Silverpilen, some Stockholmers have come forward to challenge the legend. According to Bengt af Klintberg, he personally rode the Silverpilen many times but never encountered anything supernatural. However, he acknowledged that urban legends like these thrive on mystery, and the fact that the train was rarely seen only added to its aura of intrigue.

Sandahl, who has worked at the Spårvägsmuseet for over a decade, noted that Stockholmers of all generations still recognize the legend of Silverpilen. Even though the train was decommissioned in 1995 or 1996, the myths have persisted, especially among younger people. "All Stockholmers know what Silverpilen is," Sandahl stated.

The Fate of Silverpilen and Its Lingering Ghostly Presence

Though Silverpilen was officially retired from the Stockholm Metro, some of its cars still exist today. According to Sandahl, parts of the train were repurposed, with one half of a car now residing at the Stockholm Police Academy for training exercises on metro crime prevention. Another remaining Silverpilen car is stored at Hägglunds, the Swedish company that originally manufactured the train.

However, the legend has outlived the train itself. Even though Silverpilen’s physical form no longer roams Stockholm’s underground, stories of its ghostly presence still persist. Sightings of a spectral silver train still surface occasionally, with some passengers swearing that, for a brief moment, they glimpsed Silverpilen pulling into the metro station—only to disappear as quickly as it came.

So, was Silverpilen truly haunted? Or was it merely a product of superstition, amplified by the eerie emptiness of Kymlinge? Whatever the truth, one thing is certain: the legend of Silverpilen continues to haunt the tracks of the Stockholm Metro, refusing to fade into history.

Source: Atlas Obscura; WorldAtlas; kynerd.net