The metro in Stockholm is referred to as the Tunnelbana and is commonly referred to as the longest art gallery in the world due to its colorful stations. However, the trains themselves have their own story. The carriages are not merely numbers, most of them, but names, each of them carefully selected, with history or even humour. These names can tell us much about the culture of Stockholm, people, and the manner in which the city relates the past with the present.
Why Do the Trains Have Names?
Stockholmers were invited to come up with names when new models of trains were being introduced. Such participation of the people made the process personal and significant. Rather than nameless trains, every metro train was incorporated into a larger cultural story. History, literature, music, personal tributes, even pop culture were used as sources of names.
The concept was very straightforward: to transform the metro into something that is more community-oriented. And nowadays these names are not merely labels, they are mini-stories that run through the tunnels on a daily basis.
Personal and Everyday Names
Not every metro car was named after a famous person or historical figure. A lot of names are very personal, and they were proposed by the common Stockholmers who needed to remember their relatives, friends, or beloved ones. These selections demonstrate how the subway has become a part of everyday life.
- Abel, Ada, Amelis, Amira, Aron, Arvi, Ava, Axel, Calvin, Cheya, Conrad, Daniel, Diego, Disa, Ebba, Edvard, Elias, Elin, Endela, Fabian, Farwa, Fatemeh, Francisca, Gustav, Hanna, Jamilla, Johan, Johanna, Jorge, Julian, Kajsa, Kjell, Leila, Maja, Maliha, Malva, Marcus, Miriam, Moa, Modassar, Morris, Måns, Olivia, Perina, Petronella, Pontus, Rein, Roya, Sahand, Samuel, Semona, Signe, Sixten, and numerous others were offered, merely because the child, or parent, or friend of some one bore that name.
Others were accompanied by touching tales:
- Adam was selected since a small boy claimed to be number one and liked riding car 2000.
- Frida was called so because one of the people had a girlfriend, the couple met first in the metro.
- Janne pays tribute to a dear friend who was employed in the maintenance of the metro.
- Ecaterina, Erika, Emmelie, John, Jesper, Jenny, Lisa, Liv, Matilda, Sandra, Sabina and many others were direct relatives or childhood recollections or even birthday surprises.
These names are united in honor of the common people who ride, work, and live on the subway system.
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Inspiration from History, Mythology, and Stories
In addition to personal names, a lot of names are based on literature, mythology and cultural heroes – Swedish and foreign.
- From myth and folklore: Frej (the Norse god of fertility), Embla (the first woman in Norse mythology), Saga (symbolizing mystery and strength), and Sif (after the goddess and actress Sif Ruud).
- From children’s literature: Alfons (Alfons Åberg/Alfie Atkins), Skorpan (from The Brothers Lionheart), Lillebror (from Karlsson on the Roof), Jonatan and Mio (Astrid Lindgren characters), and of course Pippi.
- From legends and global culture: Anakin (a clear nod to Star Wars), Elvis (the King of Rock), and Sheherazade (from One Thousand and One Nights).
- From Swedish cultural giants: Astrid (Lindgren), August (Strindberg), Selma (Lagerlöf), Evert (Taube), Cornelis (Vreeswijk), Denniz (Pop), Alfred (Nobel), Carl Michael (Bellman), and countless more.
Other proposals pay tribute to royalty (Agnetha, Anni-Frid, Benny, Björn from ABBA, Estelle, Silvia, Carl Gustaf, Carl Philip, Madeleine, Lilian from the royal family), or to Stockholm itself through names like Birger Jarl, Gösta, Olof, Nacka, Nicolaus.
A Metro that Reflects Its City
Collectively these hundreds of names, whether they are names of loved ones, folklore, pop culture or national history, demonstrate that the Stockholm metro is more than transport. It is a living memory bank, and it transports the stories of families and heroes, even fictional characters through the tunnels of the city.
Names of Subway Cars
| Name | Description/Origin |
|---|---|
| Abel | After SL friend Abel. The name is Hebrew and means ‘fan of the wind’. |
| Ada | After SL friend Ada. The name is Hebrew and means ‘ornament’. |
| Adam | Our little son thinks “number one” is to travel and loves wagon 2000. Adam IS “number one”. |
| Adrian | Daisy wants to name a wagon after Adrian Danau, a Romanian doctor, to honor all immigrants contributing to Sweden with their education from other countries. |
| Agnetha | After the legendary ABBA member Agnetha Fältskog. |
| Alfons | Who hasn’t read about Alfons Åberg as a child? |
| Alfred | After the inventor Alfred Nobel, who hardly needs further introduction. |
| Alice | Nancy chose Alice after Alice Tegnér with the motivation: How many of us have not sung “Sing with us Mom” and “Now we shall sing.” |
| Allan | Gull-Britt suggests Allan after Allan Edvall, the late wonderful actor. |
| Amelis | After SL friend Amelis. |
| Amir | Amir means ‘prince’ and suits the subway since the wagons are so majestic. |
| Amira | After SL friend Amira. The name is Hebrew and Arabic and means ‘princess’. |
| Anakin | Many Star Wars fans would rather leave the car at home. |
| Anders | After Anders Franzén who found the warship Vasa, contributing to a major tourist attraction in Stockholm. |
| Anita | Anita suggests her own name: Because my name is Anita and I am an ordinary person who rides the subway. |
| Anna | After SL friend Anna. The name is either identical to Hebrew Hanna meaning ‘graced’, or originally a baby word for ‘mom’. |
| Anna-Lisa | Solveig honors Anna-Lisa Ericsson, “Sweden’s Ginger Rogers who has given the Swedish people so much joy for so many years”. |
| Anna-Maria | Folke chose Anna-Maria after Anna-Maria Lenngren – a prominent Stockholm woman and the greatest artist in the Gustavian literature. |
| Anni-Frid | After the legendary ABBA member Anni-Frid Lyngstad. |
| Annika | What would Pippi Longstocking be without her Annika? Annika Lantz is a Stockholm celebrity who gets to tag along. |
| Aron | After SL friend Aron. The name is Hebrew but the meaning is uncertain. |
| Arthur | Kindness has given me strength again. |
| Arvi | After SL friend Arvi. The name is Finnish. |
| Arvid | Enar likes Arvid Falk, the protagonist in “The Red Room”, whose introduction uniquely describes Stockholm. |
| Astrid | Nina honors Astrid Lindgren, this brilliant lady who evokes warm, positive feelings for both Stockholmers and tourists. |
| August | Tove suggests August after Strindberg with the motivation: “So many books are read on the subway!” |
| Ava | After SL friend Ava. The name is partly a variant of Eva, partly a Persian name meaning ‘sound’ or ‘water’. |
| Axel | After SL friend Axel. The name is a Nordic form of the biblical name Absalom meaning ‘father of peace’. |
| Balthazar | After the cartoon’s little inventive professor and one of the three wise men. |
| Beda | After Beda Hallberg, creator of the Mayflower which has been sold to benefit handicapped and sick children since 1907. |
| Bengt | For the world’s best handball coach! |
| Benny | After the world-famous versatile musician, composer, and ABBA member Benny Andersson. |
| Beppe | Staffan chooses Beppe after Beppe Wolgers. |
| Birger Jarl | Donald motivates his choice by saying Birger Jarl is well associated with Stockholm. |
| Birgit | After Birgit Cullberg, so that dance is also represented. (And eventually the subway may run like a dance.) |
| Birgitta | After Sweden’s most famous woman of all time, the saint Holy Birgitta. |
| Björn | Astrid names a wagon Björn after the first known Bromma resident who was a ‘good farmer in Ulvsunda’, according to a runestone at the City Museum. |
| Bodil | After Bodil Malmsten who has vividly portrayed Stockholm. |
| Calvin | After SL friend Calvin. |
| Carl Gustaf | Lars chooses Carl Gustaf because you travel royally! |
| Carl Jonas | You might need some encouragement when you are almost a king, a mushroom, and a lock. |
| Carl Michael | Alice chose Carl Michael after Bellman, probably our best-known Stockholmer of all time. |
| Carl Philip | Lillemor writes that Carl Philip drives a tuned wagon with many horsepower under the hood. Maybe Carl Philip will be the fastest subway wagon. |
| Caroline | After Caroline Krook, Stockholm’s first female bishop. |
| Chaim | Max’s nearly 100-year-old Jewish grandfather is named Chaim. The name means ‘life’ in Yiddish and suits a long-lived subway wagon. |
| Charlie | Linda’s son Charlie was nine years old and wanted to be a Vagn2000 driver when he grows up. |
| Cheya | After SL friend Cheya. |
| Christer | Christer gets a wagon named after him. Motivation: “We are two siblings, 8 and 9 years old. We think it’s really cool to ride the new train.” |
| Chudapha | Birgitta chooses Chudapha after a charming little princess from Thailand, now a Stockholm resident, who loves riding the subway. |
| Conrad | After SL friend Conrad. The name is originally German and composed of two words meaning ‘bold’ and ‘decision’. |
| Cornelis | Kristina likes Cornelis Vreeswijk, the flying Dutchman who truly landed in Stockholm and described the city’s people in realistic poetry. |
| Dagny | The most beautiful girl’s name that Dagny’s mother knew. Also sung about in Owe Törnqvist’s song “Dagny”. |
| Daniel | After SL friend Daniel. The name is Hebrew and means ‘God is my judge’. |
| Denniz | Jessica honors Denniz Pop (Dag Volle), Sweden’s best producer who left us too early. |
| Diego | After SL friend Diego. The name is Spanish and can be a short form of Santiago or a variant of the medieval name Didacus, meaning ‘teacher’. |
| Disa | After SL friend Disa. The name is an Old Norse short form of Hjördis meaning ‘sword’ and ‘goddess’. |
| Ebba | After SL friend Ebba. The name is probably a Nordic form of the Anglo-Saxon Eadburga, meaning ‘rich’ and ‘fortress’. |
| Ecaterina | She is sensitive, caring, and concerned about her fellow humans, a wonderful person. I love her with all my heart. |
| Edvard | After SL friend Edvard. The name is Anglo-Saxon in origin and means ‘rich’ and ‘guardian’. |
| Elias | After SL friend Elias. The name is biblical and means ‘Yahweh is God’. |
| Elin | After SL friend Elin. The name is a Nordic form of Helena, a Greek name meaning ‘torch’. |
| Elise | After Elise Ottesen-Jensen who lived and worked throughout Sweden but was based in Stockholm. Founder of RFSU. |
| Ellen | Kent names after Ellen Key, the great educator and author, world-famous and active in Stockholm. |
| Elof | Anette chooses Elof after Elof Ahrle, whose monologues in Eken slang are legendary. |
| Elsa | Berith honors Elsa Borg, the queen of Vita bergen and Stockholm’s first actual social worker. |
| Elvira | Rose-Marie chose Elvira. |
| Elvis | The king of rock should also have his own wagon in Stockholm. |
| Embla | Because it’s a beautiful Old Norse name. |
| Emil | Alicja suggests Emil because she thinks the names on all the wagons are associated with adults. After all, many schoolchildren travel every day! |
| Emmelie | Rolf’s daughter Emmelie rides the subway between her mom in Hammarbyhöjden and dad in Hagsätra. |
| Endela | After SL friend Endela. |
| Erik | Erik is a devoted commuter and admirer of Vagn 2000. He defends SL in all situations and spreads knowledge and enthusiasm about SL’s new project. I think he deserves to have a wagon named after him. |
| Erika | “Erika shares SL’s code, always alert, always one step ahead” (Grandmother Ingrid, Erika is two years old.) |
| Erland | After actor Erland Josephsson. Also Johan’s brother who loves the new wagons and is called Erland by his friends. |
| Ernst-Hugo | After the incomparable actor Ernst-Hugo Järegård. |
| Estelle | After the crown princess Estelle, born 2012. |
| Esther | After SL friend Esther. The name is derived from the Persian word stara meaning ‘star’. |
| Eugen | After the painter prince Eugen, who gave his Waldemarsudde to the Stockholmers. |
| Eva | As a tribute to the first woman on Earth and all contemporary Evas. |
| Evelina | After SL friend Evelina. The name may be a form of Eva, but more likely comes from the Celtic name Aibhlin meaning ‘friendly’. |
| Evert | Marianne thinks of Evert Taube who so wonderfully described our beautiful city in text and music. |
| Fabian | After SL friend Fabian. The name is Latin and probably means ‘from the city of Fabiae’. |
| Farwa | After SL friend Farwa. The name is Arabic. |
| Fatemeh | After SL friend Fatemeh. The name is Arabic and can be spelled in several ways. Fatima was the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter. |
| Felicia | A wagon to dream in, with beautiful interior. |
| Ferdinand | Ewa names a wagon after Ferdinand Boberg, the architect behind, among others, LO-borgen, Rosenbad, Waldemarsudde, Posthuset, and the Stockholm exhibitions. |
| Filippa | After a fashion designer, a frequent visitor to the Tramway Museum, and a tasty apple. The name means ‘horse lover’ and is of Latin origin. |
| Francisca | After SL friend Francisca. The name is Spanish/Portuguese and is the feminine form of Franciscus meaning ‘from France’. |
| Frasse | Frasse is a little Stockholmer in the fourth generation who loves everything to do with the subway. He loves sitting by the window at home and watching the trains whiz by. He loves the idea of public transport and dreams of driving a Vagn 2000 one day. |
| Fred | Peace on earth, Fred Åkerström and Fred, my son. All good things come in threes, including a subway wagon. |
| Frej | After SL friend Frej. The name is Old Norse and Frej was the god of fertility. |
| Frida | She is my wonderful girlfriend. It was when we rode the subway that we got together. |
| Greta | May-Britt admires Greta Garbo, the most famous and admired woman from Stockholm. |
| Gullmar | “If Gullmar has given his name to a station on the green line, he should also be able to give his name to a wagon.” |
| Gunde | After one of our most beloved athletes, Gunde Svan. |
| Gunnar | After the flower courier Gunnar Swanhagen, who during his lifetime knew every subway station and connecting bus lines inside and out. |
| Gunvald | After Sjöwall & Wahlöö’s Stockholm policeman Gunvald Larsson. |
| Gurli | Lotta presents a tribute to her mother Gurli and other mothers whom we never got to tell how much we appreciated before they died. |
| Gustav | After SL friend Gustav. The name is either Old Norse meaning ‘support of the Geats’ or a Swedish adaptation of the Slavic Gotislav meaning ‘guest’ and ‘famous’. |
| Gösta | On June 6, 1523, King Göstaff entered Stockholm and was thus the first king named Gösta (Gustaf), which is an original Swedish name and therefore suggested for our fine and modern subway wagon. |
| Hanna | After SL friend Hanna. The name is Hebrew and means ‘graced’. |
| Hasse | Rolf chooses Hasse after Hasse Z, a legendary Stockholm figure and also father to Kardemumma and grandfather to Carl Z. |
| Hegart | After a legendary traffic planner at the former AB Stockholms Spårvägar who for over 40 years, well into the SL era, shaped Stockholm’s “public factory”, especially the subway. Even in the early 80s, Stockholmers traveled according to Hegart’s timetable rhythms. His timetables and driving times were based on gained operational experience and line studies, with trains, buses, and trams running well-mannered year after year… |
| Helge | Helge Berglund was not only one of the last “real” Stockholmers but also the man who launched the blue (Bernadotte) wagon. |
| Herman | Herman Lindqvist has contributed to many Stockholmers’ sense of the city and its history. |
| Hjalmar | Anna-Lisa thinks of Hjalmar Mehr “who fought for Stockholm for many years, and for us to get a subway”. |
| Holger | After Holger Blom, who was an architect and an innovative city gardener in Stockholm from 1938-1971. |
| Hugo | After my grandfather who started driving trams in 1909, he drove the first tram to Fridhem. |
| Ida | Yvonne thinks Ida associates with strength. A timeless name that touches everyone in its own way. |
| Ilon | After the illustrator Ilon Wikland, who enriched us with her pictures of, among others, Astrid Lindgren’s Stockholm characters Karlsson on the roof, Mio, and the Brothers Lionheart – and many, many more. |
| Inga | Vera suggests Inga after Inga Tidblad, one of our greatest actresses. |
| Ingegerd | The greatest SL friend of all! |
| Ingela | I am Ida, eleven years old. I just changed schools, and I really miss my old teacher. Her name is Ingela and she works at Hagsätraskolan. I think the new subway is really nice and I would be happy if one of the new wagons was named Ingela after her. |
| Ingrid | Artur honors Ingrid Bergman with the motivation: “A stylish wagon should be named after a stylish woman. Also, my wife and beloved is named Ingrid.” |
| Iris | The eye’s iris sees the blue wagon, as beautiful as the flower iris. |
| Irma | Loyal commuter. My wife is a loyal buyer of SL’s monthly ticket and a subway passenger. |
| Ivan | I want to honor my late father by naming a wagon after him. |
| Ivo | After a former subway driver who became an SL-friendly web guru. |
| Jacob | After the radio and TV entertainer Jacob Dahlin. |
| Jamilla | After SL friend Jamilla. The name is Arabic and means ‘beautiful’. |
| Janne | In memory of our late friend Janne Englund. He worked at the Central Workshop with C8 wagons and suddenly passed away from cancer on May 9, 1999. |
| Jenny | After the Swedish nightingale Jenny Lind. |
| Jesper | My son has admired the subways passing by the window at home since he could crawl. His biggest interest. |
| Joakim | After two music creators – Joakim Thåström and Joakim Berg. |
| Johan | After SL friend Johan. The name is a Swedish variant of the Greek name Johannes, meaning ‘God has mercy’. |
| Johanna | After SL friend Johanna. |
| John | My son John is totally absorbed by Vagn 2000, he has even written his own song about it: ‘Vagn 2000 runs / Vagn 2000 runs / 12345 wagons on my train’. |
| Jonas | After well-known Stockholm personalities Jonas Gardell and Jonas Hallberg. |
| Jonatan | One of the Brothers Lionheart, created by Astrid Lindgren. |
| Jorge | After SL friend Jorge. The name is a Spanish/Portuguese form of the Greek georgós, meaning farmer. |
| Josabeth | Birgitta chose Josabeth after artist Josabeth Sjöberg who skillfully preserved interesting Stockholm environments for the future through her paintings. |
| Josefin | Anita names a wagon in memory of Queen Josefin. |
| Julia | Annie names after actress Julia Caesar, a woman one never forgets. |
| Julian | After SL friend Julian. The name is an English form of the Latin name Julius, which is a Roman family name. |
| Kajsa | After high jumper Kajsa Bergqvist, and SL friend Kajsa. |
| Karin | Barbro honors her favorite poet Karin Boye. |
| Katarina | Britta thinks the name Katarina fits well: It would be cozy for those living in Katarina parish. |
| Kay | After director Kay Pollak and fashion oracle Cay Bond. |
| Kenneth | After Kenneths who made extreme efforts in the 90s, both during the Estonia disaster (Svensson) and the Malexander police murders (Eklund). And because all Kenneths have their own club. |
| Kent | After the Swedish band Kent, which many consider the best. |
| Kim | After Kim Anderzon, who has entertained Stockholm theater audiences for a long time. |
| Kjell | Because my dad is named so, and he is very nice, writes Therese. |
| Klara | Åse suggests Klara, a beautiful name that is easy to remember, and the trains pass the Klarakvarteren. |
| Knut | Because there are so many ‘knut-points’ on the lines, thinks Gunvor. |
| Kristina | After Queen Kristina and a modern Kristina – Lugn. |
| Lars | Magnus Melker thinks of Lars Magnus Ericsson, the founder of Swedish telephony who started a large industry in Stockholm. |
| Leif | It is a strong name! |
| Leila | After SL friend Leila. The name is of Persian origin and means ‘night’. |
| Lena | After the first female subway driver in Stockholm. |
| Lilian | After our princess. The wagons are so beautiful. |
| Lill | After Lill Lindfors, UNICEF ambassador and brilliant artist. |
| Lillebror | After the main character in Astrid Lindgren’s Karlsson on the Roof, which takes place in Stockholm. |
| Linnea | Carl von Linné gave his name to the innocent flower, which has since lent its name to many girls. |
| Linus | Clearly the subway should have its own Linus – on the line. |
| Lisa | Josefin thinks Lisa is a name that suits almost everything very well! |
| Liv | Because Vagn 2000 gives new life to the subway and because the world’s best girl (my daughter) is named so. |
| Loffe | The master of Stockholm slang from past and present always makes you smile. |
| Lotten | After one of the main characters in Per-Anders Fogelström’s “My Dream City”. |
| Louise | After Queen Louise and author Louise Boije af Gennäs. |
| Ludmila | Karin honors Ludmila Engqvist, a Russian who conquered Swedes’ hearts in record time. |
| Lukas | After director and filmmaker Lukas Moodyson who has created fun and important films about people in small and big cities. |
| Madeleine | Lillemor chooses royal after our princess who with great love for horsepower takes us on a fresh journey out into life. |
| Magnus | After the Swedish kings who contributed to making Stockholm what it is today. |
| Maj | Mona thinks of her mother, Maj, who lives by the track in Hökarängen. She has a hearing aid and longs for the quiet train. |
| Maja | After SL friend Maja. The name is an old Swedish nickname for Maria and Margit. |
| Maliha | After SL friend Maliha. |
| Malin | After Malin from Saltkråkan. A Stockholm girl who discovered the Stockholm archipelago. |
| Malva | After SL friend Malva. The name comes from the flower malva. |
| Mamma | A name that means love for almost everyone! |
| Marcus | After SL friend Marcus. The name is probably an old form of the god Mars’ name. |
| Margareta | Librada names a wagon after Margareta Krook. Something as beautiful as a new blue wagon can only have this magnificent divine woman’s name. |
| Maria | Robert thinks wagons should have common names. He chose names most common in Sweden in the 90s. |
| Marianne | Because she is a wonderful girl whose mother took the newly inaugurated subway from Blackeberg on October 27, 1952, at 21:34 to give birth. |
| Marita | Marita has worked with service on trains for many years, got married on SL day 1999, and is a wonderful friend. Fingers crossed. |
| Mark | After Mark Levengood, a famous Stockholm profile. |
| Martin | After Sjöwall & Wahlöö’s police commissioner Martin Beck, who solved many novel murders in Stockholm. |
| Matilda | After Kalle’s sister Matilda, who is understanding and beautiful. |
| Max | A big name for a big “maxed” wagon. |
| Melker | So that Melker from Saltkråkan will always be remembered. |
| Mian | After Mian Lodalen, journalist and debater. |
| Mikael | After SL friend Mikael. The name is biblical and means ‘who is like God?’ and was also borne by the archangel Michael. |
| Mio | Page 13 in Astrid Lindgren’s book ‘Mio, my Mio’: “He travels through day and night.” |
| Mirdad | After SL friend Mirdad. The name is of Persian origin and means ‘gift of the sun’. |
| Miriam | After SL friend Miriam. The name is Hebrew originally and is the origin of the name Maria. |
| Moa | After SL friend Moa. The name is considered a nickname for the word ‘mother’. |
| Modassar | After SL friend Modassar. |
| Monica | My little sister Monika drives Vagn 2000 very well. |
| Morris | After SL friend Morris. The name is a medieval form of the French and English name Maurice, which comes from the Latin name Maurus meaning ‘dark-skinned’. |
| Muhammed | Because it is one of the most known names in the world! |
| Måns | After SL friend Måns. The name is a Swedish variant of Magnus meaning ‘the great’. |
| Märta | Märta Helena Renstierna. A diligent diarist of her time. Wrote detailed accounts of contemporary communications. |
| Nacka | Lena motivates her choice in verse: Lennart Nacka, Söder’s most famous football king, should be honored on a wagon. He was handsome, white-green, and heavy. Then Vagn 2000 would be adorned. |
| Nelson | After Nelson Mandela and a rhinoceros who won our hearts. |
| Nicolaus | Erik thinks wagons should be named after Stockholm parishes, churches, and patron saints and suggests Nicolaus. |
| Nils | Nils Holgersson traveled across Sweden. With Vagn 2000 you travel fast and comfortably through Stockholm. A journey into the future. |
| Nore | Rode the subway from Stureby to town. Grew up in Söder. |
| Ole | Why not honor one of the enthusiasts who was the driving force behind the implementation of C20, namely Ole Robertsson in the vehicle department at Infrateknik. |
| Olivia | After SL friend Olivia. The name is Latin and comes from the word oliva meaning ‘olive tree’. |
| Olof | Myril remembers Olof Palme, once residing in Vällingby and with a strong sense for the collective people. |
| Omar | After Ture Sventon’s Egyptian friend and companion. |
| Osquar | The Royal Institute of Technology’s very own fictional student. |
| Pappa | Fathers in Stockholm are the best in the country at taking parental leave. |
| Per Anders | Peter suggests the writer Per Anders Fogelström who took us on a Stockholm journey in present and past. |
| Perina | After my daughter who is a single mother. Her only option for travel is SL. |
| Pernilla | Pernilla Wiberg rushed down the slopes like the subway in the tunnels. |
| Peter | Imagine a beautiful autumn day surprising your beloved with a subway wagon named after him. |
| Petronella | After SL friend Petronella. |
| Pierre | My dad Pierre turned 50 on May 10, 1998, the same day as the inauguration of Högdalen subway station. We got to ride along and now we watch out for the wagon Pierre. |
| Pippi | Eva likes Pippi Longstocking who is beloved, pleasant, generous, and strong as a locomotive. |
| Pontus | After SL friend Pontus. The name is probably of Greek origin and means ‘sea’. |
| Povel | After the words and music master Povel Ramel who has brightened life through decades. |
| Ragnar | Ingvar thinks Ragnar Östberg’s creations shape Stockholm’s cityscape in the same appealing way as Vagn 2000. |
| Rebecca | Astrid chose Rebecca. After many years of waiting, she finally comes, now she is here. |
| Rein | After a native Stockholmer with an Estonian name, who has come to appreciate the subway. |
| Rickard | Every time I see the wagon I will be reminded of summer 1999 which I will never forget. |
| Rolf | After one of SL’s veterans and Ernst Rolf, the revue king. |
| Roya | After SL friend Roya. |
| Sabina | After my daughter Sabina who was caught in the earthquake in Istanbul but came home unharmed and well after four days. |
| Saga | Mysterious, exciting, beautiful. Strength and agility. |
| Sahand | After SL friend Sahand. |
| Samuel | After SL friend Samuel. The name is of Hebrew origin and means ‘the one heard by God’. |
| Sandra | The sweetest subway driver I know is named Sandra. |
| Sara | Sara means ‘queen’ which the future wagon will be on track to be. |
| Sarasvathi | After SL friend Sarasvathi. The name is held by a Hindu goddess. She is goddess of fine arts – music, poetry, and dance – but above all the goddess of language and studies, including Sanskrit and Vedic scriptures. |
| Sebastian | After SL friend Sebastian. The name is Greek and means ‘the revered’. |
| Selma | After Selma Lagerlöf, one of our foremost authors. |
| Semona | After SL friend Semona. |
| Sheherazade | After the storyteller in “One Thousand and One Nights.” And the subway will roll on even longer. |
| Sickan | Elisabeth wants to honor one of Sweden’s most beloved film idols, Sickan “I have a plan” in the Jönsson gang. |
| Sif | After actress Sif Ruud, beloved and honored. |
| Signe | After SL friend Signe. The name is Old Norse and a composition of the words ‘victory’ and ‘new’. |
| Silvia | Birgitta chooses Silvia: “Such a royally fine wagon should have a royal name.” |
| Siri | Cecilia names a wagon after Siri Derkert, one of the artists who decorated the subway. |
| Sixten | After SL friend Sixten. The name is Old Norse and composed of the words ‘victory’ and ‘stone’. |
| Skorpan | After Skorpan Lionheart, Astrid Lindgren’s beloved character. |
| Slas | The author and artist Stig Claesson should surely have his own wagon too! |
| Sofia | Sofia thinks Sofia is an important name in Stockholm’s cityscape and history – Gustav III’s consort, church and district. |
| Solveig | I think it sounds like “sunny road” and that’s what I wish SL’s Vagn 2000. |
| Sonia | After SL friend Sonia. The name is a Russian nickname for Sofia. |
| Stig-Helmer | Lotta likes Stig-Helmer. A gray morning gets a golden touch with Lasse Åberg’s “Sällskapsresor” (“The Charter Trip”) in mind – right? |
| Svea | In Svea’s kingdom cradle, her citizens travel safely and securely in a wagon in her honor. |
| Sven-Roland | After Sven-Roland Engström, pioneer and legendary traffic reporter on Radio Stockholm. |
| Tage | Lea wants to honor Tage Erlander: He would have appreciated seeing Vagn 2000. |
| Tea | The lines, softness, beauty – all in Vagn 2000 remind me of my beloved Tea. |
| Ted | Ann-Charlotte selects Ted after Ted Gärdestad: He was my great idol during my childhood and brought sunshine to my everyday life. |
| Teodor | After author Teodor Kallifatides. |
| Tobias | Lena thinks of Tobias Sergel: “In our era with sterile environments, it is a comfort to see the distinguished sculptor’s art.” |
| Tom | After SL friend Tom. The name is a short form of Tomas which is a Greek name of Armenian origin meaning ‘twin’. |
| Tommy | What would Pippi Longstocking be without her Tommy? |
| Torsten | Old Norse name composed of the god name Thor and the word ‘stone’. Means the strong and invulnerable. |
| Ture | After Stockholm private detective Ture Sventon. When Ture got tired of flying carpet, he can take the subway. |
| Ulf | After rock poet, author and artist Ulf Lundell. |
| Ulla | Kjell Owe rhymes about: Ulla who has been loyal to SL for 47 years, also line 19, is now leaving the job. |
| Ulrika Eleonora | Britta thinks a wagon named Ulrika Eleonora would be nice for those living there. |
| Vera | Maria chooses Vera, a beautiful, international name that fits well in our multicultural city. |
| Victoria | Birgitta thinks a subway wagon should be named Victoria because the new subway, like the princess, leads us into the 2000s. |
| Viktor | Paulina names a wagon after Victor, my youngest brother who is so sweet and kind and always thoughtful. |
| Wilhelm | It is an old name and in my family it has existed for several generations. |
| William | After SL friend William. The name is the English variant of Vilhelm, originally German and composed of the words ‘will’ and ‘helmet’. |
| Vilma | Gunilla presents a tribute to her grandmother, born on Birger Jarlsgatan, and to her grandchild born on Högbergsgatan. |
| Vincent | After SL friend Vincent. The name comes from Latin and means ‘victorious’. |
| Viola | The signature Viola (Marianne Zetterström) continues through her essays fighting to preserve and improve the environment for us Stockholmers. |
| Yasmine | After SL friend Yasmine. The name is Arabic and the name of a flower. |
| Ylva | Ylva names after me, a grandchild and a grand-grandchild. |
| Yvonne | The lively actress Yvonne Lombard should be honored with her own subway wagon, among other things for the 60s commercial about Mmmarabou milk chocolate. |
| Zacharias | After SL friend Zacharias. The name is Hebrew and means ‘God has remembered.’ |
| Zoe | Zoe means life in Greek, my grandchild was named Zoe. A new life to the subway. |
| Zubair | After SL friend Zubair. |
| Åke | Karolina thinks the subway wagon should be named Åke. Because itrides(åk-er). |
| Åsa | My beloved younger sister is named Åsa and she rides Vagn 2000 to work. A wagon of her own! |
| Örjan | Britt says: “My eldest son got the name Örjan after the Örjan song which sounds so beautifully from the city hall tower every day at twelve.” |
Travel Ready: How to Buy SL Tickets in Stockholm
Never struggle to buy a transit ticket again. Find the easiest way for you to travel with our quick guide on How to Buy SL Tickets in Stockholm.
What is so beautiful about the names of the metro trains in Stockholm is that they bridge generations. There are names that remind history, others are names of ordinary heroes and some are names that make one smile with a playful or surprising allusion. They are a rolling museum of names, together bearing fragments of the identity of Sweden through the city on a daily basis.
Next time you are in Stockholm and get into a carriage of the metro, look at the name. You may be riding with Alfred Nobel, or Astrid Lindren, or even the favorite grandmother of some one. Each name is a story, and every journey adds a new chapter.
