We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we’ll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today, we talk about the Silverpilen.

The Silverpilen (“Silver Arrow” in Swedish) is a Stockholm Metro train that is the subject of a number of urban legends. Some say it can only be seen by workers on abandoned lines. Others report it flying through Metro stations without stopping after midnight. In some stories it stops to pick up passengers who are then never seen again. Sometimes the train is empty, but other times it contains several ghost passengers. In still other stories it is associated with the abandoned Kymlinge station or is said to stop at a station with no exits.

The Silverpilen was a real train, a prototype that was never painted green like the rest of the Metro trains. It was used as a back-up train, and as such it was rarely seen, which may have given rise to the legends.