Electrification in Europe.

While no great activity is being recorded in Britain in the field of railway electrification, on the mainland of Europe great progress is being made in this direction in Sweden and Belgium. Recently the Swedish State Railways have completed the electrification of the Stockholm-Malmo mainline, thereby effecting a passenger train journey saving of two hours on the throughout run. On completion of the works in active progress, the Swedish State Railways will operate about 1,700 miles of electrified track, or roughly forty per cent, of the entire railway system.

In Belgium, the State Railways are pushing rapidly ahead with the electrification of the Brussels-Antwerp mainline. Trains composed of four coaches, with a total seating capacity of 350 will make the 21 1/2 miles Brussels-Antwerp trip in thirty minutes.