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The Norwegian railway system comprises 4,109 km of (
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
) track of which 2,644 km is
electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...
and 274 km
double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...
. There are 697
tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...
s and 2,760
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
s. The
Norwegian Railway Directorate The Norwegian Railway Directorate ( no, 'Jernbanedirektoratet', abbr.: JBD or JBDIR) is a government agency holding the strategic responsibility for the Norwegian railway network. It is formed on the basis of the railway reform and became operatio ...
manages the railway network in Norway on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Bane NOR Bane NOR SF, formerly Jernbaneinfrastrukturforetaket (English: ''Railway Infrastructure Company''), is the Norwegian government agency responsible for owning, maintaining, operating and developing the Norwegian railway network, including the tr ...
is a
state enterprise A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...
which builds and maintains all
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
tracks, while other companies operate them. These companies include Vy and subsidiaries
Vy Gjøvikbanen Vy Gjøvikbanen AS (formerly NSB Gjøvikbanen AS) is a Norwegian railway company that operates the passenger train service on the Gjøvik Line. A subsidiary of the state-owned Vy, it operates a fleet of nine Class 69g three-car electric multip ...
and
CargoNet CargoNet AS is the primary operator of freight rail transport, freight trains on the rail transport in Norway, Norwegian railway system. It was formed as NSB Gods after Vy (transport operator), NSB (now Vy) fissioned into a passenger and a frei ...
,
Flytoget The Airport Express Train ( no, Flytoget) is a Norway, Norwegian high-speed rail, high-speed airport rail link, airport railway service connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, Oslo Airport to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget ...
, Go-Ahead,
SJ Norge SJ (formally ''SJ AB'') is a government-owned passenger train operator in Sweden. SJ was created in 2001, out of the public transport division of ''Statens Järnvägar'', when the former government agency was divided into six separate government- ...
,
Green Cargo Green Cargo AB is a Swedish state-owned logistics company transporting various types of goods by train. It was created on 1 January 2001 out of the logistics division of Swedish State Railways (SJ) and became a government-owned limited co ...
,
Grenland Rail Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes the ...
and
Hector Rail Hector Rail is a Swedish-based independent train haulage provider operating in the European rail transport market, operating 50 locomotives. The company provides locomotives and drivers to freight customers who need to have whole unit trains haule ...
. Norway is a member of the
International Union of Railways The International Union of Railways (UIC, french: Union internationale des wikt:chemin de fer, chemins de fer) is an international rail transport industry body. History The railways of Europe originated as many separate concerns, and there wer ...
(UIC). The
UIC Country Code The UIC Country Code is a two digit-number identifying countries in which members of the International Union of Railways (UIC) are active. The UIC has issued numbering systems for rolling stock (UIC wagon numbers) and stations that include the coun ...
for Norway is 76.


History

The first railway in Norway was the
Hoved Line In telecommunications, trunking is a technology for providing network access to multiple clients simultaneously by sharing a set of circuits, carriers, channels, or frequencies, instead of providing individual circuits or channels for each clie ...
between
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
and
Eidsvoll Eidsvoll (; sometimes written as ''Eidsvold'') is a municipality in Akershus in Viken county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet. General information E ...
and opened in 1854. The main purpose of the railway was to move
lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
from
Mjøsa Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe. It is the fourth-deepest lake in Norway. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about north of the city of Oslo. Its main tributary is the rive ...
to the capital, but passenger service was also offered. In the period between the 1860s and the 1880s Norway saw a boom of smaller railways being built, including isolated railways in Central and Western Norway. The predominant
gauge Gauge ( or ) may refer to: Measurement * Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments * Gauge (firearms) * Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire ** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...
at the time was (
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
), but some lines were built in (
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
). The height of the era came in 1877 when the
Røros Line The Røros Line ( no, Rørosbanen) is a railway line which runs through the districts of Hedmarken, Østerdalen and Gauldalen in Innlandet and Trøndelag, Norway. The line branches off from the Dovre Line at Hamar Station and runs a more easterl ...
connected Central Norway to the capital. In 1883 the entire main railway network was taken over by
Norwegian State Railways Vygruppen, branded as Vy, is a government-owned railway company which operates most passenger train services and many bus services in Norway. The company is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport. Its sub-brands include Vy Buss coach se ...
(NSB), though a number of industrial railways and branch lines continued to be operated by private companies. Three urban railways, in
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
,
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
and
Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
, were started as in 1875 (Oslo), 1897 (Bergen) and Trondheim (1901). Oslo's system, as the only one, started with horse cars, the others were electrified from the beginning. Electric cars were introduced in Oslo in 1894 and the last horse car operated in 1900. Bergen closed down its first generation system between 1944 and 1965, but (re-)introduced light rail transit (LRT) in 2006. The second construction boom of the main railway arose in the 1910s and included the
Bergen Line The Bergen Line or the Bergen Railway ( no, Bergensbanen or nn, Bergensbana), is a long scenic standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Oslo, ...
across
Finse Finse is a mountain village area on the shore of the lake Finsevatnet in Ulvik municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The village is centered on Finse Station, a railway station on the Bergen Line. The village sits at an elevation of above sea ...
to
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
, connecting Eastern and Western Norway. A number of other larger projects were also built in the 1920s, including a second line, the
Dovre Line The Dovre Line ( no, Dovrebanen) is a Norwegian railway line with three slightly different lines which all lead to the historic city of Trondheim. Definition *Dovre Line is the current name of the 548 km main line of the Norwegian railway s ...
, to Trondheim. This period also saw the first
electrified railways A railway electrification system supplies electric power to railway trains and trams without an on-board prime mover or local fuel supply. Electric railways use either electric locomotives (hauling passengers or freight in separate cars), e ...
and a steady
conversion Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...
from narrow gauge to standard gauge. Norway chose to electrify its network at . During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
there was a massive construction by the German Forces as part of creating
Festung Norwegen {{Norway during World War II Festung Norwegen (Fortress Norway) was the German term for the heavy defence and fortification system of Norway during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany in World War II. Some, including ''Reichskommissar'' Jose ...
, including large sections of the
Nordland Line The Nordland Line ( no, Nordlandsbanen, ) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through the counties of Trøndelag (formerly Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trønd ...
and the completion of the
Sørland Line Sørland is a Seaside resort, fishing village and the administrative centre of Værøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the southern side of the island of Værøya. The village is the main population center of the islan ...
. After the war the main effort was to complete the Nordland Line (which reached
Bodø Bodø (; smj, Bådåddjo, sv, Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland count ...
in 1962) and the decision to electrify 50% of the network, a task not completed until 1970. This allowed the retirement of
steam locomotives A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
, which were replaced with electric engines like the El 11 and El 13 or the diesel powered Di 3. In 1966 Norway's only
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
,
Oslo T-bane The Oslo Metro ( no, Oslo T-bane or or simply ) is the rapid transit system of Oslo, Norway, operated by Sporveien T-banen on contract from the transit authority Ruter. The network consists of five lines that all run through the city centre, wit ...
was opened, but in the same decade the Bergen tramway was closed. In the 1970s and 80s many
branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industri ...
s were also abandoned. In 1980 the massive project of connecting the eastern and western railway networks around Oslo was completed with the opening of the
Oslo Tunnel The Oslo Tunnel ( no, Oslotunnelen) is a , double-track, railway tunnel which runs between Olav Kyrres plass and Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) in Oslo, Norway. The tunnel constitutes the easternmost section of the Drammen Line and runs bel ...
and
Oslo Central Station Oslo Central Station ( no, Oslo sentralstasjon, abbreviated ) is the main railway station in Oslo, and the largest railway station within the entire Norwegian railway system. It connects with Jernbanetorget station. It's the terminus of Dramme ...
. In 1996 NSB was split into the
Norwegian Railway Inspectorate The Norwegian Railway Authority ( no, Statens jernbanetilsyn) is a Norwegian government agency responsible for practical control and supervision of rail transport in Norway, including railways, tramways, rapid transits, heritage railways and si ...
,
Norwegian National Rail Administration The Norwegian National Rail Administration ( no, Jernbaneverket) was a government agency responsible for owning, maintaining, operating and developing the Norwegian railway network, including the track, stations, classification yards, traffic m ...
and an operating company NSB BA. Since then, the companies have been split into 10 separate corporations. In 1998 the first new line in 36 years was opened when the high-speed
Gardermoen Line The Gardermoen Line ( no, Gardermobanen) is a high-speed railway line between Oslo and Eidsvoll, Norway, running past Lillestrøm and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. The line is long and replaced the older Hoved Line as the main line north-east of Os ...
was opened to allow travel at 210 km/h between Oslo,
Oslo Airport Oslo Airport ( no, Oslo lufthavn; ), alternatively referred to as Oslo Gardermoen Airport or simply Gardermoen, is the international airport serving Oslo, Norway, the capital and most populous city in the country. A hub for Flyr, Norse Atl ...
and Eidsvoll. The 1990s also saw the massive introduction of
multiple unit A multiple-unit train or simply multiple unit (MU) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more carriages joined together, which when coupled to another multiple unit can be controlled by a single driver, with multiple-unit train contr ...
s on passenger trains. In the 2000s the freight segment was
deregulated Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a ...
and a number of freight companies have started competing with the NSB subsidiary CargoNet. The national main routes in Norway are considered to be among the slowest in Europe, and slower than parts of
East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...
, with average speeds below 80 km/h.


Network


Track

The main railway network consists of 4,087 km of lines, of which 262 km is
double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...
and 60 km
high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
(210 km/h). In addition there is 225 km of urban railways, of which 218 km is double track. In addition there are some industrial tracks and minor branch lines and some abandoned and
heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
s. The entire main network is (
standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
), as are the urban railways in
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
and
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
. Of the operational railways in Norway, only the
Trondheim Tramway The Trondheim Tramway in Trondheim, Norway, is the world's most northerly tramway system, following the closure and dismantling of the Arkhangelsk tramways in Russia. It consists of one 8.8-km-long line, the Gråkallen Line, running from St. Ol ...
has a different gauge, the
meter gauge Metre-gauge railways are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre. The metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by European colonial powers, such as the French, British and German Empires. In Europe, la ...
, . Some heritage railways, though, operate with various kinds of
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
. The
Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line The Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line ( no, Kirkenes–Bjørnevatnbanen), or the Sydvaranger Line (), is a long railway line between Kirkenes and Bjørnevatn in Sør-Varanger, Norway. Owned by the private mining company Northern Iron, the single-tr ...
used to be the northernmost railway in the world, but was in 2010 beaten by the
Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line The Obskaya–Bovanenkovo Line is a railway line in northern Russia, built and owned and operated by Gazprom. It was opened for traffic in 2010 and was built for the gas fields around Bovanenkovo on the Yamal Peninsula, the Yamal project. In Fe ...
in Russia. Still,
Narvik ( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstranda, Ball ...
is one of the northernmost towns in the world to have a railway connection, as the terminus for the
Ofoten Line The Ofoten Line ( no, Ofotbanen) is a rail transport, railway line in Narvik, Norway. It runs from the Port of Narvik to Riksgränsen on the Norway–Sweden border, where the line continues as the Malmbanan, Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to ...
. It connects to
Kiruna (; se, Giron ; fi, Kiiruna ) is the northernmost Stad (Sweden), city in Sweden, situated in the province of Lapland, Sweden, Lapland. It had 17,002 inhabitants in 2016 and is the seat of Kiruna Municipality (population: 23,167 in 2016) in Norr ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, but not to
Bodø Bodø (; smj, Bådåddjo, sv, Bodö) is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Salten. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Bodø (which is also the capital of Nordland count ...
, the northern
terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...
of the Norwegian railway network. Kiruna is, however, connected to the Swedish railway network, which again is connected to the Norwegian network at the Swedish stations of
Charlottenberg Charlottenberg is a locality in Värmland County, Sweden, and the administrative centre of Eda Municipality. Situated some seven kilometres from the Norwegian border, the town has a population of around 3,000. Charlottenberg railway station is t ...
,
Storlien Storlien is a village and ski resort located in Åre municipality in Jämtland, Sweden, two kilometres from the Swedish-Norwegian border. The primary bases of the settlement are tourism and outdoor life – alpine skiing, snowmobiling, cross ...
and
Kornsjø Kornsjø is a village in Enningdalen in Halden, Norway on the border to Sweden. The village has 250 residents (2001). At Kornsjø is the border crossing for the railway lines the Østfold Line (Norway) and the Norway/Vänern Line (Sweden). Previou ...
.


Traction

2,622 km (64%) of the railway network is electrified, all of it at with
overhead wire An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipmen ...
s. The only sections that are not electrified are the lines north of
Mjøsa Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe. It is the fourth-deepest lake in Norway. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about north of the city of Oslo. Its main tributary is the rive ...
, with the sole exception of the
Dovre Line The Dovre Line ( no, Dovrebanen) is a Norwegian railway line with three slightly different lines which all lead to the historic city of Trondheim. Definition *Dovre Line is the current name of the 548 km main line of the Norwegian railway s ...
and the
Ofoten Line The Ofoten Line ( no, Ofotbanen) is a rail transport, railway line in Narvik, Norway. It runs from the Port of Narvik to Riksgränsen on the Norway–Sweden border, where the line continues as the Malmbanan, Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to ...
. On non-electrified sections diesel locomotives are used. All of the urban railways use 600 or 750 V DC, via overhead wires on the tramways and via
third-rail A third rail, also known as a live rail, electric rail or conductor rail, is a method of providing electric power to a railway locomotive or train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway ...
on the
Oslo T-bane The Oslo Metro ( no, Oslo T-bane or or simply ) is the rapid transit system of Oslo, Norway, operated by Sporveien T-banen on contract from the transit authority Ruter. The network consists of five lines that all run through the city centre, wit ...
.


Future expansion plans

In its plans, Bane NOR (formerly: Norwegian National Rail Administration) will concentrate its expansions primarily on the cramped network around Oslo and the larger cities. *New tunnel under Oslo city center. *
Vestfold Line The Vestfold Line ( no, Vestfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The line connects to the Drammen Line at the northern terminus at Drammen Station and continues as the Bratsberg Line past Skien Station. ...
: A new alignment between Larvik and Porsgrunn ca 23 km, will cut 22 minutes of travel time. The plan is to make the whole line double tracked from Drammen to Porsgrunn within the early 2030s. *
Sørland Line Sørland is a Seaside resort, fishing village and the administrative centre of Værøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the southern side of the island of Værøya. The village is the main population center of the islan ...
: Plans may include between Porsgrunn and Skorstøl, which would realign trains to southern Norway via Vestfold. *
Østfold Line The Østfold Line ( no, Østfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs from Oslo through the western parts of Follo and Østfold to Kornsjø in Norway. It continues through Sweden as the Norway/Vänern Line. The northern half is double track and th ...
: The Østfold Line is today double track both north and south of Moss, but in Moss 10 km remains as a single track bottleneck. Plans is to realign the railway through Moss, with double track through two tunnels. Further plans are expanding too double track to Fredrikstad 2024, Sarpsborg 2026 and to Halden within the mid 2030s. *
Ringerike Line The Ringerike Line ( no, Ringeriksbanen or ''Ringeriksbana'') is a proposed extension of the Bergen Line from Jong, Sandvika to Hønefoss, Norway. In 2022, the project was postponed; the government has no commitment to any timeframe (as of Q4 ...
is a planned railway between Sandvika and Hønefoss that will reduce travel time between Oslo and Hønefoss/Bergen by 50 minutes. Construction is planned to commence during 2021 or 2022. *
Bergen Line The Bergen Line or the Bergen Railway ( no, Bergensbanen or nn, Bergensbana), is a long scenic standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Oslo, ...
: Double track from Bergen to Arna. Later plans calls for double track further east to Stanghelle and Voss. *
Dovre Line The Dovre Line ( no, Dovrebanen) is a Norwegian railway line with three slightly different lines which all lead to the historic city of Trondheim. Definition *Dovre Line is the current name of the 548 km main line of the Norwegian railway s ...
: Expanding the rest of the line between Eidsvoll and Hamar to double track within 2014. Plans also calls for double track up to Lillehammer until the mid 2030s. Realignment of Dovrebanen south of Trondheim may be done together with relocating of Trondheims freight terminal. *
Nordland Line The Nordland Line ( no, Nordlandsbanen, ) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through the counties of Trøndelag (formerly Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trønd ...
/
Meråker Line The Meråker Line ( no, Meråkerbanen) is a railway line which runs through the district and valley of Stjørdalen in Trøndelag county, Norway. The line branches off from the Nordland Line at Hell Station and runs eastwards to the Norway–Swed ...
: Electrifying of the Meråker Line and the Nordland Line up to Steinkjær is planned to be finished by 2021. Later plans may include double tracking between Trondheim and Stjørdal, and a new tunnel between Stjørdal and Levanger. *The
Bergen Light Rail Bergen Light Rail ( no, Bybanen) is a light rail system in Bergen, Norway. The first stage of the project was a twenty-station stretch between the city center and Lagunen Storsenter, where the first 15 stations comprising a stretch opened in ...
was opened in 2010, and extensions are being built. *There are discussion as to whether an automated
rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
from Lysaker to
Fornebu Fornebu (local form ''Fornebo'') is a peninsular area in the suburban municipality of Bærum in Norway, bordering western parts of Oslo. Oslo Airport, Fornebu (FBU) served as the main airport for Oslo and the country since before World War II and ...
outside Oslo should be built. Also the
Oslo T-bane The Oslo Metro ( no, Oslo T-bane or or simply ) is the rapid transit system of Oslo, Norway, operated by Sporveien T-banen on contract from the transit authority Ruter. The network consists of five lines that all run through the city centre, wit ...
will be expanded, as will the
Trondheim tramway The Trondheim Tramway in Trondheim, Norway, is the world's most northerly tramway system, following the closure and dismantling of the Arkhangelsk tramways in Russia. It consists of one 8.8-km-long line, the Gråkallen Line, running from St. Ol ...
. ;High speed rail The question about building a
high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
way between the largest Southern Norwegian cities has been discussed at political level, and a report was ready by the end of 2007. Advocates for rail transport and
environmentalists An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
have wanted to build high speed railways, including upgrades to 250 km/h on the
Sørland Line Sørland is a Seaside resort, fishing village and the administrative centre of Værøy Municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the southern side of the island of Værøya. The village is the main population center of the islan ...
,
Bergen Line The Bergen Line or the Bergen Railway ( no, Bergensbanen or nn, Bergensbana), is a long scenic standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Oslo, ...
, and
Dovre Line The Dovre Line ( no, Dovrebanen) is a Norwegian railway line with three slightly different lines which all lead to the historic city of Trondheim. Definition *Dovre Line is the current name of the 548 km main line of the Norwegian railway s ...
while others, including
Norsk Bane Norsk Bane is a Norwegian limited company that is working on plans to build a high-speed railway throughout large portions of Norway. The company has developed detailed plans for numerous lines and claims they would be able to build and operate a ...
, have suggested construction of a new line through
Haukeli Haukeli (or historically ''Haukeligrend'') is a village in Vinje Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located up in the Haukelifjell mountains, just south of the Hardangervidda National Park and immediately west of ...
to Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen.


Heritage

There are also several operational museum railways in Norway, including the Krøder Line,
Setesdal Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image = , image_name = , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = Veteran train on the Setesdal Line, 23 July ...
,
Urskog–Høland Line The Urskog–Høland Line ( no, Urskog–Hølandsbanen), also known as Tertitten, is a narrow gauge railway between Sørumsand and Skulerud in Norway. History The original line was long and was built in three stages: Urskogbanen opened in 1896, ...
,
Thamshavn Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image_name = Bårdshaug stasjon.jpeg , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = Passenger train at Bårdshaug Station in 191 ...
,
Rjukan Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image = , image_name = , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = SF ''Ammonia'', at Mæl, where the rail ...
,
Valdres Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image = Valdresbanen-Etna-Stasjon.jpg , image_name = , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = Now closed E ...
, Nesttun–Os Railway and
Old Voss Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image_name =Type 18 locomotive n. 255 at Garnes.jpg , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = Type 18 locomotive no. 255 at ...
. The
Norwegian Railway Museum The Norwegian Railway Museum ( no, Norsk Jernbanemuseum) is located at Hamar in Innlandet county, Norway. It is Norway's national railway museum. History Established in 1896, until 1912 the collection was housed on the second floor of the Hama ...
is located in
Hamar Hamar is a List of cities in Norway, town in Hamar Municipality in Innlandet Counties of Norway, county, Norway. Hamar is the administrative centre of Hamar Municipality. It is located in the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Hedmarken. ...
and includes exhibits of train hardware, related objects, as well as document and photography archives.


Lines


Fully operational lines


Freight only lines


Lines with no regular traffic


Heritage railway


No traffic allowed


Urban railways

*
Holmenkoll Line The Holmenkollen Line ( no, Holmenkollbanen) is an Oslo Metro line which runs between Majorstuen and Nordmarka in Oslo, Norway. Operating as Metro Line 1, it is the route with the fewest passengers and the only one still to have level crossings ...
(
Oslo T-bane The Oslo Metro ( no, Oslo T-bane or or simply ) is the rapid transit system of Oslo, Norway, operated by Sporveien T-banen on contract from the transit authority Ruter. The network consists of five lines that all run through the city centre, wit ...
) (1898) *
Gråkallen Line The Gråkallen Line ( no, Gråkallbanen) is an suburban tram line located in Trondheim, Norway. As the only remaining part of the Trondheim Tramway, it runs from the city centre at St. Olav's Gate (station), St. Olav's Gate, via the suburban area ...
(
Trondheim Tramway The Trondheim Tramway in Trondheim, Norway, is the world's most northerly tramway system, following the closure and dismantling of the Arkhangelsk tramways in Russia. It consists of one 8.8-km-long line, the Gråkallen Line, running from St. Ol ...
) (to Ila 1893, Lian 1933) *
Røa Line The Røa Line ( no, Røabanen) is a rapid transit line of the Oslo Metro, Norway, which runs from Majorstuen in Oslo to Østerås in Bærum. It serves neighborhoods such as Smestad, Hovseter, Huseby and Røa in northwestern Oslo, and Grini, ...
(Oslo T-bane) (1912) *
Fløibanen The Fløibanen is a funicular railway in the Norwegian city of Bergen. It connects the city centre with the mountain of Fløyen, with its mountain walks and magnificent views of the city. It is one of Bergen's major tourist attractions and one of N ...
(
Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
) (1914) *
Lilleaker Line The Lilleaker Line ( no, Lilleakerbanen) is a suburban tramway from Skøyen in Oslo westwards to Jar, Bærum in Norway. It is operated by Line 13 from Ljabru to Bekkestua of the Oslo Tramway, operated by Oslo Sporvognsdrift. The line continues o ...
(
Oslo Tramway The Oslo tram network ( no, Trikken i Oslo, short from ', 'electric') is the tram system in Oslo, Norway. It consists of six lines with 99 stops and has a daily ridership of 132,000. It is operated by , a subsidiary of the municipally-owned who ...
) (1919) * Sognsvann Line (Oslo T-bane) (1933) *
Kjelsås Line The Kjelsås Line ( no, Kjelsåsbanen) is a tramway line running from Storo to Kjelsås in the northern part of Oslo, Norway. The line opened by Oslo Sporveier on 25 September 1934 as an extension of the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line that termin ...
(Oslo Tramway) (1934) *
Kolsås Line The Kolsås Line ( no, Kolsåsbanen) is a line of the Oslo Metro. It branches off from the Røa Line at Smestad Station and runs through western Oslo and Bærum to Kolsås Station. It serves the neighborhoods of Ullernåsen, Øraker, Jar, Bek ...
(Oslo T-bane) (1924) *
Østensjø Line The Østensjø Line ( no, Østensjøbanen) is a line on the Oslo Metro which runs from Brynseng to Mortensrud. It further shares track with the Lambertseter Line along the section from Tøyen to Brynseng. The line runs through the primary re ...
(Oslo T-bane) (1926) *
Lambertseter Line The Lambertseter Line ( no, Lambertseterbanen) is a line on the Oslo Metro which runs from Brynseng to Bergkrystallen. It further shares track with the Østensjø Line along the section from Tøyen to Brynseng. The line runs through a primary ...
(Oslo T-bane) (1957) *
Grorud Line The Grorud Line ( no, Grorudbanen) is a line on the Oslo Metro between Tøyen and Vestli in Oslo, Norway. Built as a mix of underground, at ground level and as an elevated line, it runs through the northern part of Groruddalen, serving such neig ...
(Oslo T-bane) (1966) *
Furuset Line The Furuset Line () is a long line on the Oslo Metro between Hellerud and Ellingsrudåsen in Oslo, Norway. Running mostly underground, it passes through the southern part of Groruddalen, serving neighborhoods in the boroughs of Alna and Furuse ...
(Oslo T-bane) (1970) * Bybanen (
Bergen Light Rail Bergen Light Rail ( no, Bybanen) is a light rail system in Bergen, Norway. The first stage of the project was a twenty-station stretch between the city center and Lagunen Storsenter, where the first 15 stations comprising a stretch opened in ...
) (2010)


Railway links with adjacent countries

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
is the only country with which Norway shares railway borders. Sweden and Norway share gauge, loading gauge, signaling system, electric system,
GSM-R GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it is use ...
and automatic trains stop systems. Most rolling stock can cross the border. There are four border crossings: the
Østfold Line The Østfold Line ( no, Østfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs from Oslo through the western parts of Follo and Østfold to Kornsjø in Norway. It continues through Sweden as the Norway/Vänern Line. The northern half is double track and th ...
Norway/Vänern Line Norway/Vänern Line ( sv, Norge/Vänerbanan) is a Y-shaped railway line in Sweden. The main section runs from Gothenburg Central Station to Kil Station, mostly along the west shore of Vänern. There is a branch from Erikstad to the Norway–Swe ...
, the
Kongsvinger Line The Kongsvinger Line ( no, Kongsvingerbanen) is a railway line between the towns of Lillestrøm and Kongsvinger in Norway and onwards to Charlottenberg in Sweden. The railway was opened on 3 October 1862 and is Norway's second standard gauge lin ...
Värmland Line The Värmland Line ( sv, Värmlandsbanan), previously known as the Northwestern Main Line ( sv, Nordvästra stambanan) is a long railway line between Laxå and the Norway–Sweden border at Charlottenberg Station. In Norway, the line continues a ...
, the
Meråker Line The Meråker Line ( no, Meråkerbanen) is a railway line which runs through the district and valley of Stjørdalen in Trøndelag county, Norway. The line branches off from the Nordland Line at Hell Station and runs eastwards to the Norway–Swed ...
Central Line and the
Ofoten Line The Ofoten Line ( no, Ofotbanen) is a rail transport, railway line in Narvik, Norway. It runs from the Port of Narvik to Riksgränsen on the Norway–Sweden border, where the line continues as the Malmbanan, Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to ...
Iron Ore Line The Iron Ore Line ( sv, Malmbanan) is a long railway line between Riksgränsen and Boden in Norrbotten County, Sweden, owned by Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration). The line also contains two branches, from Kiruna to Svappavaara ...
. All crossings have electric traction on the Swedish side, but the Meråker Line lacks it on the Norwegian side. There have previously been operational
train ferries A train ferry is a ship (ferry) designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train f ...
to
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
. There are proposals to connect
Northern Norway Northern Norway ( nb, Nord-Norge, , nn, Nord-Noreg; se, Davvi-Norga) is a geographical Regions of Norway, region of Norway, consisting of the two northernmost counties Nordland and Troms og Finnmark, in total about 35% of the Norwegian mainlan ...
to
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
(the planned Arctic Railway) and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. At
Kirkenes Kirkenes (; ; Skolt Sami: ''Ǩeârkknjargg;'' fi, Kirkkoniemi; ; russian: Киркенес) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town ...
, the
Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line The Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line ( no, Kirkenes–Bjørnevatnbanen), or the Sydvaranger Line (), is a long railway line between Kirkenes and Bjørnevatn in Sør-Varanger, Norway. Owned by the private mining company Northern Iron, the single-tr ...
is proposed to be connected to Russia's
Murmansk–Nikel Railway The Murmansk–Nikel Railway is a 206 km long railway between Murmansk and Nikel in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, primarily for freight from the nickel Mining, mine at Nikel, with the passenger service east of Kola Peninsula, Kola currently suspe ...
, and the line is also proposed for connection to the Finnish network in
Rovaniemi Rovaniemi ( , ; sme, Roavvenjárga ; smn, Ruávinjargâ; sms, Ruäʹvnjargg) is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland, and its southern part Per ...
(there has been a line between Rovaniemi and the Murmansk railway). Russia has generally dismissed this proposal in favour of using Russian ports instead of Kirkenes. Another proposal has been to build a line from Kolari to
Skibotn Skibotn ( se, Ivgubahta, Kven: ''Yykeänperä'') is a village in Storfjord Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. It is located on the southeastern shore of the Lyngen fjord in Northern Norway. The village area is located at the cros ...
and
Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Tromsø (city), city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies ...
, even if connecting to the existing line to Narvik is the main suggestion.


Operation


Railway companies

Traditionally, all trains were operated by Vy (formerly NSB), but the deregulation in the 2000s has led to the introduction of a number of new
freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...
operators, including
CargoNet CargoNet AS is the primary operator of freight rail transport, freight trains on the rail transport in Norway, Norwegian railway system. It was formed as NSB Gods after Vy (transport operator), NSB (now Vy) fissioned into a passenger and a frei ...
,
Hector Rail Hector Rail is a Swedish-based independent train haulage provider operating in the European rail transport market, operating 50 locomotives. The company provides locomotives and drivers to freight customers who need to have whole unit trains haule ...
, Tågåkeriet and
Ofoten Line The Ofoten Line ( no, Ofotbanen) is a rail transport, railway line in Narvik, Norway. It runs from the Port of Narvik to Riksgränsen on the Norway–Sweden border, where the line continues as the Malmbanan, Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to ...
. The conservative-liberal government tried to introduce public service obligation bids on
subsidized A subsidy or government incentive is a form of financial aid or support extended to an economic sector (business, or individual) generally with the aim of promoting economic and social policy. Although commonly extended from the government, the ter ...
passenger routes in 2005, but the contract was won by the NSB subsidiary NSB Anbud and the following red-green government has cancelled further PSO contracting. Also the
Airport Express Train An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city by mainline or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover, or light rail. Direct links operate straight to the airport terminal, while o ...
has been made a separate company. In 2017 Norway's Ministry of Transport and Communications decided to develop tenders for the operation of passenger rail services. On 4 February 2018, it launched a tender to deliver Traffic Package 1 that will commence on 15 December 2019, comprising long-distance services on the
Sørlandet Line The Sørlandet Line ( no, Sørlandsbanen) is a railway line between Drammen (though this is connected to Oslo by means of the Drammen Line) via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The line is long between Oslo and Stavanger. History The railway was cons ...
from Oslo to Stavanger. In October 2018 this package was awarded to
Go-Ahead Norge Go-Ahead Norge is a railway operator in Norway that commenced operations in December 2019. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group. The branding used is Go-Ahead Nordic. History In October 2018, Go-Ahead Norge was awarded an eight-year contract ...
. In March 2018, the Norwegian Railway Directorate launched tenders for Traffic Package 2, passenger services on the
Røros Line The Røros Line ( no, Rørosbanen) is a railway line which runs through the districts of Hedmarken, Østerdalen and Gauldalen in Innlandet and Trøndelag, Norway. The line branches off from the Dovre Line at Hamar Station and runs a more easterl ...
,
Meråker Line The Meråker Line ( no, Meråkerbanen) is a railway line which runs through the district and valley of Stjørdalen in Trøndelag county, Norway. The line branches off from the Nordland Line at Hell Station and runs eastwards to the Norway–Swed ...
,
Rauma Line The Rauma Line ( no, Raumabanen) is a long railway between the town of Åndalsnes (in Rauma Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county), and the village of Dombås (in Dovre Municipality in Oppland county), in Norway. Running down the Romsdalen vall ...
, and
Nordland Line The Nordland Line ( no, Nordlandsbanen, ) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through the counties of Trøndelag (formerly Sør-Trøndelag and Nord-Trønd ...
, plus regional services in Trøndelag county. SJ will commence operating the package on 7 June 2020. On 21 December 2018, the Norwegian Railway Directorate launched tenders for Traffic Package 3, passenger services on the Oslo to Bergen line starting on 13 December 2020.


Passenger rolling stock

Until the 1990s only commuter and regional trains were operated with
multiple unit A multiple-unit train or simply multiple unit (MU) is a self-propelled train composed of one or more carriages joined together, which when coupled to another multiple unit can be controlled by a single driver, with multiple-unit train contr ...
s, but since then Vy has ordered numerous multiple units for its regional and express lines. Express trains are operated with 16 BM 73 units with
tilting technology A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train (or other vehicle) rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide abo ...
, regional trains with 16 BM 70, 6
BM 73b BM or bm may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * BM (rapper), born Matthew Kim, a Korean-American rapper * ''BM'' (album), a 2008 Barbara Morgenstern album * B minor, a musical chord (Bm) * Bachelor of Music, an academic degree * Beau ...
(both electric) and 15 BM 93 (diesel) units while the local trains are operated by 71 BM 69 and 36 BM 72 (both electric) while the local trains around Trondheim,
Trøndelag Commuter Rail The Trøndelag Commuter Rail ( no, Trønderbanen, ) is a commuter train service operating in Trøndelag county, Norway. It was operated by Vy (formerly Norwegian State Railways (NSB)) with Class 92 diesel multiple units, until 7 June 2020 when ...
, uses 14 BM 92
diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...
. The Airport Express Train uses 16 BM 71 and
Vy Gjøvikbanen Vy Gjøvikbanen AS (formerly NSB Gjøvikbanen AS) is a Norwegian railway company that operates the passenger train service on the Gjøvik Line. A subsidiary of the state-owned Vy, it operates a fleet of nine Class 69g three-car electric multip ...
operates 9 BM 69g units. The Ofoten Line operates three BM 68 electric multiple units. Vy still uses locomotive hauled passenger trains on a few of the long-distance lines. For this task they use 22
El 18 EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...
s and 5 Di 4s in addition to six El 17 on the
Flåm Line The Flåm Line ( no, Flåmsbana) is a long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland Municipality, in Vestland county, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sog ...
. Most of the cars are B7 on long-distance services and B5 on regional services. Most of the locomotives have been transferred to the freight division CargoNet.


Freight rolling stock

CargoNet uses a combination of 30 El 14, 15 El 16, 19 Di 8 and 6 CD66. The other companies use stock retired by NSB, including the Ofoten Line's 7 El 13, 5 Di 3 and 2 T43, HectorRail's 6 El 15 (now known as 161) and Tåkåkeriet's
Rc2 In cryptography, RC2 (also known as ARC2) is a symmetric-key block cipher designed by Ron Rivest in 1987. "RC" stands for "Ron's Code" or "Rivest Cipher"; other ciphers designed by Rivest include RC4, RC5, and RC6. The development of RC2 was ...
.


Abandoned railways

''See
Chronology of Norwegian railway lines The Norwegian railway network consisted, as of 2008, of of line. The Trunk Line In telecommunications, trunking is a technology for providing network access to multiple clients simultaneously by sharing a set of circuits, carriers, channels ...
.'' * Losbylinja ( Østmorksaga
Fjellhamar Fjellhamar is a village in Akershus, Norway and is about twenty minutes driving from Oslo. Famous residents * Jarle Aambø Jarle Alex Aambø (born 26 March 1960) is a Norwegian sports official. In 2013 NRK published the claim by Adresseavisen's ...
) (1861–ca 1940) * Kalvskinnet-Heimdallinjen (
Kalvskinnet Kalvskinnet is a neighborhood in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is situated southwest of the city centre in the borough of Midtbyen, bordering the river Nidelva in the south. The area is dominated by public offices, inclu ...
Heimdal Heimdal is a borough in the city of Trondheim in the municipality of Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. It covers the western and southwestern parts of the municipality. The village area that is also called Heimdal is located in the southe ...
) (1864–1884) * Krøder Line (
Vikersund Vikersund is a town of 3,232 (in 2020) inhabitants in the municipality capital of Modum, in the county of Viken, Norway. Overview Vikersund is located 30 kilometers south of Hønefoss and 40 kilometers northwest of Drammen. The village is loca ...
Krøderen) (1872–1985) * Sulitjelma Line (
Finneid Finneid is a small town with a population of 210 (2016 census) that lies southeast of Fauske in Nordland county, Norway. Finneid was the port for shipping out the ore that came from the mine in Sulitjelma , , or is a village in the municip ...
Sulitjelma , , or is a village in the municipality of Fauske in Nordland county, Norway. Sulitjelma is situated in a lush inland valley at an elevation of above mean sea level, above sea level. It is located on the shore of Langvatnet (Fauske), Langvatnet ...
) (1892–1972) * Nesttun–Os Railway (
Nesttun Nesttun is an urban settlement in the borough of Fana in the municipality of Bergen in Vestland county, Norway. It is located approximately south of the city centre. It was the centre of the old Fana municipality, which merged with Bergen in 1972 ...
Os) (1894–1935) *
Setesdal Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image = , image_name = , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = Veteran train on the Setesdal Line, 23 July ...
(
Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...
Byglandsfjord Byglandsfjord is a village in Bygland municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the Setesdal valley along the Norwegian National Road 9 and the river Otra in the far southern part of the municipality, just north of the border ...
) (1896–1962) *
Urskog–Høland Line The Urskog–Høland Line ( no, Urskog–Hølandsbanen), also known as Tertitten, is a narrow gauge railway between Sørumsand and Skulerud in Norway. History The original line was long and was built in three stages: Urskogbanen opened in 1896, ...
(
Sørumsand Sørumsand is a small railway town, situated in Lillestrøm Municipality in Akershus in Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and ...
Skulerud Skulerud is a village in Akershus, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandin ...
) (1896–1960) *
Lillesand–Flaksvand Line The Lillesand–Flaksvand Line ( no, Lillesand–Flaksvandbanen) or LFB was a railway between Flaksvand (now called Flaksvatn) and Lillesand in Agder, Norway. The private line was built with narrow gauge and was not connected to the national ...
(
Lillesand Lillesand () is municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Lillesand. Some of the larger villages in Lillesand municipality include ...
Flaksvann) (1896–1953) *
Hafslund Line The Hafslund Line ( no, Hafslundbanen) is an abandoned railway line between Hafslund and Sundløkka in Sarpsborg, Norway. The line was a branch line of the Østfold Line and opened in 1898. It was closed in 1973 and was used by Hafslund ASA, Hafsl ...
(
Hafslund Hafslund is a borough located east of the city centre in the city of Sarpsborg, Norway, Before 1992, Hafslund was a part of Skjeberg municipality. The name Hafslund, which is composed of ''Hafr'', the Old Norse name for husband and ''lundr'' mean ...
Sundløkka) (1898–1973) *
Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line The Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line ( no, Tønsberg–Eidsfossbanen) or TEB is an abandoned railway between Eidsfoss and Tønsberg in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. In use from 21 October 1901 to 31 May 1938, the private railway connected the ar ...
(
Tønsberg Tønsberg , historically Tunsberg, is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, eastern Norway, located around south-southwest of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near its mouth onto the Skagerrak. The administrative ce ...
Eidsfoss Eidsfoss is a village in Hof municipality, Vestfold county, Norway. It is located near Lake Eikeren. The village was the site of the Eidsfos Iron Works (''Eidsfos Jernverk'') which dated to 1697. The iron works was closed in 1873. The village is a ...
) (1901–1938) * Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line (
Holmestrand is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Holmestrand. The town was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). ...
Vittingfoss) (1902–1938) *
Skreia Line The Skreia Line ( no, Skreiabanen) is an abandoned railway line between Reinsvoll and Skreia in Toten, Norway. The 21.97 kilometer long single track rail was a branch line from the Gjøvik Line. History The line was opened on 26 November 19 ...
(
Reinsvoll Reinsvoll is a village in Vestre Toten Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located along the Norwegian National Road 4 between the villages of Eina and Raufoss. Reinsvoll has a train station that is located along the Gjøvik ...
Skreia Skreia is a village in Østre Toten Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located on the western shore of the large lake Mjøsa, about southeast of the village of Lena and about to the south of the village of Kapp. In the s ...
(1902–1987) * Lier Line ( LierSvangstrand) (1904) *
Flekkefjord Line The Flekkefjord Line ( no, Flekkefjordbanen) is a abandoned branch line to the Sørland Line. It ran between Sira and Flekkefjord in Agder, Norway. The only current activity on the line is tourist draisines. The station buildings along the line ...
( Sira
Flekkefjord is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Lister. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Flekkefjord. The villages of Sira, Gyland, Rasvåg, Kirkehavn, and Åna-Sira are lo ...
) (1904–1990) *
Valdres Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image = Valdresbanen-Etna-Stasjon.jpg , image_name = , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = Now closed E ...
(
Eina Eina is a village in Vestre Toten Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located along the Gjøvikbanen railway line, between the villages of Jaren and Raufoss. The village of Eina is located south of the municipal centre of ...
Fagernes is a town in Nord-Aurdal Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the largest urban/commercial centre for the Valdres region. It is located just northwest of the village of ...
) (1906–1988) *
Grimstad Line The Grimstad Line ( no, Grimstadbanen) was a long railway line between Grimstad and Rise, Norway, Rise in Norway. The line was a branch of the Arendal Line, which is in turn a branch of the Sørland Line. Opened as the Grimstad–Froland Line on ...
(
Grimstad Grimstad () is a municipality in Agder county, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Grimstad. Some of the villages in Grimstad include Eide, Espenes, Fevik, ...
–Rise) (1907–1961) *
Oslo Port Line The Oslo Port Line ( no, Havnebanen i Oslo) is an abandoned Norwegian railway that went between the two main railway stations in Oslo, Oslo Østbanestasjon and Oslo Vestbanestasjon. The line was long, single track, but not electrified. The li ...
( Loenga
Filipstad Filipstad is a locality and the seat of Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden, with 10,644 inhabitants in 2019. Filipstad was granted city privileges in 1611 by Charles IX of Sweden, who named it after his son Duke Carl Philip (1601&n ...
) (1907–1983) *
Thamshavn Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image_name = Bårdshaug stasjon.jpeg , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = Passenger train at Bårdshaug Station in 191 ...
( Løkken
Thamshavn Thamshavn or Thamshamn is a small port village in the municipality of Orkland in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the site of the port for the town of Orkanger and the ferrosilicon plant Elkem Thamshavn. It is located right along European route ...
) (1908–1974) *
Rjukan Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image = , image_name = , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = SF ''Ammonia'', at Mæl, where the rail ...
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Rjukan Rjukan () is a town and the administrative centre of Tinn municipality in Telemark, Norway. It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Lake Tinn, and got its name after Rjukan Falls west of the town. The Tinn municipality council grant ...
Mæl) (1908–1991) *
Tinnos Line , logo = , logo_width = , logo_alt = , image_name = MF-Storegut Tinnoset 2004 SRS.jpg , image_width = , image_alt = , caption = The railway ferry MF ''Storegut ...
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Tinnoset Tinnoset is a village in the municipality of Notodden in Telemark, Norway. It is located at the southernmost end of Lake Tinn (''Tinnsjå''). Tinnoset Station is the terminus of the Tinnoset Line, a 30-kilometer (19 mi) long railway line ...
Notodden Notodden () is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city and List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold og Telemark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Districts of Norway, traditional region of Øst-Telemark. ...
) (1908–1990) *
Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line The Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line ( no, Kirkenes–Bjørnevatnbanen), or the Sydvaranger Line (), is a long railway line between Kirkenes and Bjørnevatn in Sør-Varanger, Norway. Owned by the private mining company Northern Iron, the single-tr ...
(
Kirkenes Kirkenes (; ; Skolt Sami: ''Ǩeârkknjargg;'' fi, Kirkkoniemi; ; russian: Киркенес) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town ...
Bjørnevatn Bjørnevatn is a village in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The village lies about south of the town of Kirkenes and about west of the Norway-Russia border. The village has a couple of suburbs including Hesseng t ...
) (1910–1997) *
Treungen Line The Arendal Line ( no, Arendalsbanen) is a long railway line between Arendal and Simonstad in Norway. At Nelaug, north of Arendal, the line intersects with the Sørland Line. The southern section is electrified and provides a feeder passenger ...
(Nelaug–Treungen) (1913–1967) *Vestmarka Line (Skotterud–Vestmarka (village), Vestmarka) (1918–) *Solbergfoss Line (Askim–Solbergfoss) (1918–) *Ålgård Line (Ganddal–Ålgård) (1924–1988) *Sperill Line (Hen, Buskerud, Hen–Sperillen) (1926–1957) *Numedal Line (Kongsberg–Rødberg) (1927–1988) *Kragerø Line (Neslandsvatn–Kragerø) (1927–1988) *Namsos Line (Grong–Namsos) (1933) *Hardanger Line (Voss–Granvin) (1935) *Røykenvik Line (Jaren–Røykenvik) *Ilsvika Line (Skansen, Norway, Skansen–Fagervika) *Hauerseter–Gardermoen Line (Hauerseter–Gardermoen Air Station, Gardermoen)


Abandoned urban railways

*Lade Line (
Trondheim Tramway The Trondheim Tramway in Trondheim, Norway, is the world's most northerly tramway system, following the closure and dismantling of the Arkhangelsk tramways in Russia. It consists of one 8.8-km-long line, the Gråkallen Line, running from St. Ol ...
) (1901–1988) *Elgeseter Line (Trondheim Tramway) (1913–1983) *Singsaker Line (Trondheim Tramway) (1927–1968)


See also

* Rail transport by country * Transport in Norway * Narrow gauge railways in Norway * Norwegian railway signalling * Norges Statsbaner rolling stock


References


External links

*{{citation , url=http://www.railwaywondersoftheworld.com/railroads-norway.html , title=Railroads of Norway , work=Railway Wonders of the World , year=1936 , pages=407–414 , editor-first=Clarence , editor-last=Winchester illustrated description of Norwegian railways in the 1930s Rail transport in Norway,