The Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line, or the Sydvaranger Line, is a 8.5-kilometer (5.3 mi) long railway line between Kirkenes and Bjørnevatn in Sør-Varanger, Norway. Owned by the private mining company Northern Iron, the single-track railway is solely used to haul 20 daily iron ore trains from Bjørnevatn Mine to the port at Kirkenes. It was the world's northernmost railway until 2010, when the Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line in Russia went further north.
Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn railway line in 2023, looking southward from Bjørnevatn towards the mine
The main facility of Bjørnevatn Mine, which constitutes the southern terminus of the line
Bjørnevatn Mine
Kirkenes harbour, with the separator plant in the background
Kirkenes is a town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town lies on a peninsula along the Bøkfjorden, an arm of the large Varangerfjorden, and is located just a few kilometres from the Norway-Russia border.
View of the town in June 2013
People of Kirkenes returning home after the Petsamo–Kirkenes Offensive.
Kirkenes is located very far from most of Europe. Distances are along the E6 road even if the road through Finland is shorter.
Another view of Kirkenes.