Storstockholms Lokaltrafik

Storstockholms Lokaltrafik

Storstockholms Lokaltrafik AB, (Stockholm Public Transport, literally Greater Stockholm Local Transit Company), commonly referred to as SL, is the organisation running all of the land based public transport systems in Stockholm County.

SL has its origins in AB Stockholms Spårvägar (SS), a city-owned public transit company which started in 1915 by the City of Stockholm with the aim to de-privatize the two separate private tramway networks into one more efficient company. SS would in the late 1920s also acquire private motorbus companies. The first part of the Stockholm Metro was opened in 1950. SS was renamed to SL in January 1967 when the metro, local train, and bus operations in Stockholm County was gathered in a single organisation under the supervision of Stockholm County Council. The different mass transit systems within the County had until then been run by different organisations, Statens Järnvägar, private companies and companies owned by the local municipalities.

SL began in 1993 to use independent contractors for the operation and maintenance of the different transport systems. For bus traffic the operators own the buses, but for rail bound traffic the SL own the trains, and the contractors operate them.

There is one more organisation owned by the county and responsible for local public transport. This is Waxholmsbolaget, responsible for boat traffic.