The Røros Line ( no, Rørosbanen) is a
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 ...
line which runs through the
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
of
Hedmarken
Hedmarken (, ; known as ''Hedemarken'' until 2003) is a traditional district in Innlandet county in Eastern Norway.
Hedmarken consists of the municipalities Stange, Hamar, Løten, and Ringsaker. In the past, it also contained the municipalities ...
,
Østerdalen
Østerdalen () is a valley and traditional district in Innlandet county, in Eastern Norway. This area typically is described as the large Glåma river valley as well as all its tributary valleys. It includes the municipalities Rendalen, Alvdal, F ...
and
Gauldalen
Gauldal or Gauldalen ( en, Gaula River valley) is a valley and traditional district in Trøndelag county, Norway. The river Gaula runs through the long valley from the Røros mountains near the lake Aursunden to the Trondheimsfjorden. The n ...
in
Innlandet
Innlandet is a county in Norway. It was created on 1 January 2020 with the merger of the old counties of Oppland and Hedmark (the municipalities of Jevnaker and Lunner were transferred to the neighboring county of Viken on the same date). The ...
and
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denmar ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. The line branches off from 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 ...
at
Hamar Station
Hamar Station ( no, Hamar stasjon) is a railway station of the Dovre Line and the Røros Line located in downtown Hamar, Norway. Located from Oslo Central Station, it is served by long-distance and regional trains on the Dovre Line, as the term ...
and runs a more easterly route to
Støren Station
Støren Station ( no, Støren stasjon) is a railway station located in the village of Støren in the municipality of Midtre Gauldal in Trøndelag county, Norway. The station is located at the split between the Dovre Line and the Røros Line, wit ...
, where the two lines meet again. The Røros Line also intersects with the
Solør Line
The Solør Line () is a railway line that runs through district of Solør in Innlandet county, Norway. The line connects the Kongsvinger Line at Kongsvinger Station with the Røros Line at Elverum Station, running through the municipalities of K ...
at
Elverum Station
Elverum Station is a railway station located at Vestad, on the west side of Glomma of Elverum, Norway. The station is on the Røros Line, in addition to being the terminus of the Solør Line.
History
It was opened in 1862 as part of the Hamarâ ...
. The
single track
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
,
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 ...
line lacks
electrification
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 histor ...
and only has
centralized traffic control
Centralized traffic control (CTC) is a form of railway signalling that originated in North America. CTC consolidates train routing decisions that were previously carried out by local signal operators or the train crews themselves. The system cons ...
south of
Røros Station
Røros Station ( no, Røros stasjon) is a railway station located in the town of Røros in the municipality of Røros in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along the Rørosbanen railway line. It is located about from Oslo Central Stati ...
. The
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 s ...
(Vy) operate regional passenger trains. In addition the line is used by
freight train
Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers.
A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) haul ...
s hauling
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 ...
and wood chippings.
The first parts of the line was the Hamar–Grundset Line and the
Trondhjem–Støren Line
The Trondhjem–Støren Line () was Trøndelag's first railway. It opened in 1864, ten years after the Trunk Line between Oslo and Eidsvoll opened. The 49 kilometer long (later 51.1 km) railway line was narrow gauged () and went between Tr ...
, which opened on 23 June 1862 and 5 August 1964, respectively. To save costs, the lines were built with
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 ...
, thus making it the first locomotive-hauled line in Norway. The Grundset–Aamot Line extension to
Rena Station
Rena Station ( no, Rena stasjon) is a railway station located in Rena, Norway on the Røros Line. It is located from Oslo Central Station at above mean sea level. Services are provided by SJ Norge to Røros and Hamar
Hamar is a town in Ham ...
was opened on 19 October 1871. The connecting line onwards to Støren opened on 13 October 1877. The 1880 completion of the Dovre Line to Hamar allowed a continuous train service linking
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
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 ...
, albeit with a
break-of-gauge
With railways, a break of gauge occurs where a line of one track gauge (the distance between the rails, or between the wheels of trains designed to run on those rails) meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock generally cannot ...
in Hamar.
The line remained the main north–south link in Norway until the 1921 completion of the Dovre Line. Since then, the Røros Line has been relegated to regional passenger and freight trains, losing most of the through traffic.
Gauge conversion started with
dual gauge
In railway engineering, "gauge" is the transverse distance between the inner surfaces of the heads of two rails, which for the vast majority of railway lines is the number of rails in place. However, it is sometimes necessary for track to c ...
on parts of the line in 1917. South of
Koppang Station
Koppang Station ( no, Koppang stasjon) is a railway station located at Koppang in Stor-Elvdal, Norway on the Røros Line. It is located from Oslo Central Station at above mean sea level. Services are provided by the SJ Norge to Røros and Ham ...
standard gauge was taken into use from 1931, north of there from 1941. There are plans to electrify and install
European Train Control System
The European Train Control System (ETCS) is the signalling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a replacement for legacy train protection systems and designed to replace the many incompatible s ...
during the early 2020s, which would allow the Røros Line to act as a reserve for the Dovre Line.
Route
![Roset hp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Roset_hp.JPG)
The Røros Line runs between Støren Station and Hamar Station, both located on the Dovre Line. The line runs through the
district of
Gauldalen
Gauldal or Gauldalen ( en, Gaula River valley) is a valley and traditional district in Trøndelag county, Norway. The river Gaula runs through the long valley from the Røros mountains near the lake Aursunden to the Trondheimsfjorden. The n ...
in the
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
of Sør-Trøndelag from Støren to Røros before crossing the border to the county of Hedmark. It continues southwards through the district and valley of Østerdalen until
Elverum
is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum. Other settlements in the municipality include Heradsbygd, Sørskog ...
, after which is crosses over to the district of
Hedmarken
Hedmarken (, ; known as ''Hedemarken'' until 2003) is a traditional district in Innlandet county in Eastern Norway.
Hedmarken consists of the municipalities Stange, Hamar, Løten, and Ringsaker. In the past, it also contained the municipalities ...
. Through Gauldalen the line largely follows the river
Gaula, a section which is hilly with many curves and limited speed. Through Østerdalen the landscape is more level, allowing for a straighter and faster line. Until Elverum the line largely follows the river
Glomma
The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers fully 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country.
Geography
At its fullest length, the ...
.
The Røros Line branches off from the Dovre Line at Hamar Station, situated from
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 ...
at an elevation of . At Elverum Station, from Hamar, the line intersects with the Solør Line.
[Bjerke & Holom: 100] The Røros Line reaches its highest elevation, of , is located just north of the closed Harborg Station in Røros. Støren Station is situated from Oslo, at an elevation of . The Røros Line has limited capacity compared to other longer lines in Norway due to few and short
passing loop
A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...
s. The line has single track and standard gauge, but is not electrified. It has a simplified centralized traffic control and
automatic train control
Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver d ...
between Hamar and Røros, but lacks this north of the latter. It is equipped with
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 us ...
train radio. The railway line is owned and maintained by the
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 ...
.
History
Trondhjem–Støren and Hamar–Grundset
![Dovrebanen storenstasjon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Dovrebanen_storenstasjon.jpeg)
Following the successful construction of 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, or frequencies, instead of providing individual circuits or channels for each clie ...
from Oslo 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 ...
in 1854, proposals were made for other projects, even a line to connect the capital with Trondheim. The start of the Røros Line would, however, be tied to two smaller railway projects which instead would serve regional needs. Both had their basis in the need for hauling lumber along difficult terrain. After local initiatives, the Ministry of the Interior gave
Carl Abraham Pihl
Carl Abraham Pihl (16 January 1825 – 14 September 1897) was a Norwegian civil engineer and director of the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) from 1865 until his death. Pihl was one of the main architects of the use of narrow-gauge railways in No ...
the task of preliminary surveys of two routes. In Sør-Trøndelag a route from Trondheim to
Støren
is the administrative centre of Midtre Gauldal municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located in the Gauldalen valley at the confluence of the rivers Gaula and ''Sokna''. Støren is located on the European route E06 highwa ...
was considered,
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 15] while in Hedmark the a route was proposed which would link Østerdalen to Hamar, where cargo and passengers could be transshipped and freighted by ship down the lake of
Mjøsa to Eidsvoll.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 16]
These two lines were planned by the ministry along with 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 ...
. The Trunk Line had been built by and was owned by an English company, and the government was not satisfied with the private arrangement. They therefore recommended that the three lines be built as state railways. The government would borrow money, build and operate the lines, covering any deficits. However, local municipalities, counties and private individuals and companies were required to participate in the funding through the issuing of shares in the individual lines. This model of financing would remain for decades.
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
approved the three lines on 3 September 1857.
[Bjerke & Holom: 98]
![Ilseng Station Old](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Ilseng_Station_Old.jpg)
In order to cut costs, Pihl recommended that the line be built using narrow gauge. This would allow for smaller curve radii and cheaper construction. A major drawback was that the lines would not be compatible with
Swedish lines and the Trunk Line. Aiding in his cause, it was at the time not believed that the lines would ever connect, as lakes and rivers were seen as complementary to railways. Pihl opted for the 1067 mm gauge, for which the Hamar–Grundset Line became the first locomotive-hauled system. It would soon become the most used narrow gauge in the world.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 10]
Originally the Hamar Line was approved to
Elverum
is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum. Other settlements in the municipality include Heradsbygd, Sørskog ...
, with a terminus on the east side of Glomma. A group of forest owners petitioned that a branch be built on the west shore in order to negotiate a difficult part of the river. A
channel
Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to:
Geography
* Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water.
Australia
* Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...
was initially proposed and would have been slightly cheaper, but on 7 October 1859 Parliament approved that the line be extended to Grundset and that
Elverum Station
Elverum Station is a railway station located at Vestad, on the west side of Glomma of Elverum, Norway. The station is on the Røros Line, in addition to being the terminus of the Solør Line.
History
It was opened in 1862 as part of the Hamarâ ...
would be placed on the west shore. Construction began in September 1858. Groundwork had progressed sufficiently that the first of tracks were laid in 1860. Two locomotives were delivered in August and could aid in construction. The following year the stations were built and the telegraph service from Hamar to Elverum opened on 1 March. The line initially received 18 kilograms per meter (37 lb/ft) rails. Revenue service from Hamar to Løten commenced on 1 July. By 3 September trains were running to Midtskog, by 22 October to Elverum and by 4 November 1861. The official opening took place on 23 June 1862.
Detailed surveying of the Trondhjem–Støren Line started in September 1858. Groundwork started in August 1859, initially near Trondheim were the plans were clear. Work on the three southerly sections commenced the following year, after the routes had been finalized. By 1861 the number of construction workers had risen to 900. The most challenging part was between
Lundamo
Lundamo is a village in the municipality of Melhus in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along the Gaula (Trøndelag), Gaula River between the villages of Hovin, Trøndelag, Hovin and Ler, Norway, Ler. The village has a population (2018) o ...
and
Hovin, where the route had to be cut into hilly terrain. Compared to other contemporary Norwegian railways, the line had many large bridges, built of wood. There were several fatal accidents during the work. The first two locomotives were delivered in 1862, allowing ballast to be hauled by rail. Construction ended at 2.86 million kroner, just under budget. The first revenue freight train ran on 23 January 1864. Revenue passenger trains started running on 1 April. The line initially received three locomotives, sixty freight cars and ten passenger cars. The official opening took place on 5 August.
Construction Grundset–Støren
![Fra Tønset - no-nb digifoto 20150807 00198 bldsa PK29704](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Fra_T%C3%B8nset_-_no-nb_digifoto_20150807_00198_bldsa_PK29704.jpg)
Proposals for an extension from Grundset to
Ã…mot
Åmot is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rena. Other villages in the municipality include Åsta, Osneset, an ...
was made in 1864, which would allow the railway to connect to the steamships operating on
Storsjøen, by placing the end station at
Rena where the river
Renaelva
The Rena or Renaelva is a river in Innlandet county, Norway. The long river runs through Rendalen and Åmot municipalities in Innlandet county. This river is a tributary of the large river Glomma. Kjøllsæter Bridge connects the east and west s ...
empties into
Glomma
The Glomma, or Glåma, is Norway's longest and most voluminous river. With a total length of , it has a drainage basin that covers fully 13% of Norway's surface area, all in the southern part of the country.
Geography
At its fullest length, the ...
. This part of the line was less controversial than later parts and was approved by Parliament with 80 against 21 votes. The segment was initially named the Grundset–Aamot Line. Construction started soon after the parliamentary decision and was easy due to the flat valley the line was built through.
Grundset Station was dismantled and the station building moved to
Rena Station
Rena Station ( no, Rena stasjon) is a railway station located in Rena, Norway on the Røros Line. It is located from Oslo Central Station at above mean sea level. Services are provided by SJ Norge to Røros and Hamar
Hamar is a town in Ham ...
, the new terminus.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 36] The depot and turntable were moved to
Elverum Station
Elverum Station is a railway station located at Vestad, on the west side of Glomma of Elverum, Norway. The station is on the Røros Line, in addition to being the terminus of the Solør Line.
History
It was opened in 1862 as part of the Hamarâ ...
, which received an upgrade. The line was operational in September 1871 and officially opened on 19 October.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 37]
Proposals for a railway connecting Støren and Røros were proposed by the Governor of Sør-Trøndelag in 1864. The government approved preliminary surveys the following year. These included extensions southwards through Østerdalen. There were two route proposals—one running via Røros and one via
Kvikne
Kvikne is a former municipality that was part of the old Hedmark county, Norway. The municipality of Kvikne existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1966 when it was split between the present-day municipalities of Tynset (in what is now Inn ...
. The latter would have lower peak altitude and would be shorter. However, it would involve a branch line from
Tynset
Tynset is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tynset. Other villages in Tynset include Fådalen, Fåset, Telnes ...
to Røros. The Kvikne and Røros alternatives were part of the discussion to the very end. Parliament approved the line via Røros with 67 against 44 votes on 3 May 1872.
![Alvdal stasjon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Alvdal_stasjon.jpg)
Construction between Rena and Støren commenced during the fall of 1872, and by the following summer of 1873 there were 900 people working on the line. the most demanding part was through
Ã…len where a large amount of blasting was needed. A challenge was that during the fall harvest many people returned to the farms, with only half the men left for construction work.
By March 1874 the workforce peaked at 2,100 men. That year there was a short strike, following demands for higher wages, which had been set at 1.75 kroner per day. Construction problems were the most severe in
Gauldalen
Gauldal or Gauldalen ( en, Gaula River valley) is a valley and traditional district in Trøndelag county, Norway. The river Gaula runs through the long valley from the Røros mountains near the lake Aursunden to the Trondheimsfjorden. The n ...
and
Drøyliene; at the latter the
Tamlaget Tunnel had to be built. Another challenge was the reliable sourcing of lumber; forest owners were often not willing to sign contracts and the railway often had to cut its own timber.
The section from Rena to
Koppang
is a village in Stor-Elvdal Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The village is located along the river Glomma in the Østerdalen valley. The Rørosbanen railway and the Norwegian National Road 3 both run through the village. The railway s ...
was taken into use on 14 December 1875. It was followed by the section from Støren to
Singsås
Singsås is a village in Midtre Gauldal municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located in the Gauldalen valley, along the river Gaula (Trøndelag), Gaula, about south of the city of Trondheim. The Norwegian County Road 30 an ...
on 4 January 1876, although temporary freight traffic had been conducted since 12 February 1875. Temporary traffic between Trondheim and Røros commenced on 17 November 1876 and was taken into ordinary use on 16 January 1877, following the completion of the from Singsås to Røros. Regular service on the final segment, the from Røros to Koppang, commenced on 17 October. The official opening of the entire line between Rena and Støren took place on 13 October.
Narrow-gauge operations
![Glåmos stasjon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Gl%C3%A5mos_stasjon.jpg)
Operations on the Hamar Line initially consisted of a single daily round trip, increasing to two on weekdays from 1867. The cargo load was asymmetrical, with five times as much being freighted westwards as eastwards.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 54] The railway initially had three locomotives. Also between Trondheim and Støren there was initially only a single daily round trip, increasing to two from 1870. Traffic was above prognosis, soon resulting in the ordering of additional rolling stock. There was more than twice as much cargo heading southwards as northwards.
A daily through train between Hamar and Trondheim was introduced with the opening of the line in 1877. It connected with a morning train and steamship departure from Oslo, and required an overnight stay in Koppang. The train stopped the following day at Røros for dinner, with arrival in Trondheim that evening. Parliament approved the first stage of the Dovre Line in 1875, opening between Eidsvoll and Hamar on 8 November 1880. This allowed a significant cut in travel time and from 1881 direct services were introduced, with travel times from Oslo to Trondheim at 24 hours and 15 minutes. At first this ran only during the summer, but from 1885 it ran all year. The cheaper trains with an overnight in Koppang continued to be run.
![Pihl holtaalen 1877](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Pihl_holtaalen_1877.jpg)
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 ...
from Trondheim to Sweden opened in 1882. Built with standard gauge, it received
a new station at
Brattøra
Brattøra is an artificial island in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. The island is located at the mouth of the river Nidelva just north of the city centre ( Midtbyen), west of Nyhavna, and south of Trondheimsfjord. There is a ...
.
The old station at
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 ...
and the section of track from there to Selsbakk was thereby closed and replaced with a new line to the new, common station. The Selsbakk Line opened on 24 June 1884.
Herring and other fish produce was sent to Eastern Norway from 1888, and increased dramatically throughout the 1890s. Toll barriers on exports to Sweden from 1897 shifted farm produce to be sent from Trøndelag to Eastern Norway.
Hurtigruten
''Hurtigruten'' (), formally Kystruten Bergen-Kirkenes ("coastal route Bergen- Kirkenes"), is a Norwegian public coastal route transporting passengers that travel locally, regionally and between the ports of call, and also cargo between ports no ...
started as a coastal steamer service on 2 July 1893, connecting Trondheim to Tromsø in 34. By sailing during the night it was possible to reduce travel time down from four to five days. The ships corresponded with the express trains in Trondheim. The timing was not well-suited for local passengers, and from 1899 NSB operated an extra express train which corresponded with Hurtigruten. NSB started local transport from Trondheim to Selsbakk and Heimdal during the summers from 15 May 1907.
Gauge conversion
![Elverum stasjon 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Elverum_stasjon_3.jpg)
Hamar Station developed into a major center for the transhipment of goods between narrow and standard gauge rolling stock. In 1912, 91,725 tonnes of cargo was transshipped, all of it by hand. The people and time cost were significant. The first proposal to convert the Røros Line to standard gauge came in parliamentary discussions in 1890.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 99] The 1898 decision to build 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, ...
to standard gauge marked the end of the narrow gauge as an acceptable standard. The Solør Line opened in 1910, connecting to the Røros Line at Elverum, resulting in both Hamar, Elverum and Trondheim having dual-gauge stations and major transhipment operations.
The first plans for conversion were developed in 1903 and eight years later the first grants were issued. The first step was establishing
dual gauge
In railway engineering, "gauge" is the transverse distance between the inner surfaces of the heads of two rails, which for the vast majority of railway lines is the number of rails in place. However, it is sometimes necessary for track to c ...
from Hamar to Elverum. Work commenced in 1914 and involved elevating the track at places and moving buildings further from the line. Elverum received a new station facility in 1913. The work between Hamar and Elverum was delayed and instead the section from Elverum to Rena opened with dual gauge first, on 7 November 1917. The dual gauge was completed to Hamar on 29 November 1919. The conversion cost 1.4 million kroner, but would save NSB about 400,000 kroner per year. Twenty freight cars would be freed up. Passenger trains operating between Hamar and Elverum were standard gauge, while narrow gauge was used for through trains. Standard gauge trains, and not just freight cars, could operate to Rena from 1926.
![26c412-ses20584](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/26c412-ses20584.jpg)
The standard gauge line from Oslo to Hamar was extended to
Otta by 1896. Parliament approved the Dovre Line in 1908, which would see this line extended across
Dovrefjell
Dovrefjell is a mountain range in Central Norway that forms a natural barrier between Eastern Norway and Trøndelag. The mountain range is located in Innlandet, Møre og Romsdal, and Trøndelag counties in Norway. As a result of its central loca ...
to Støren and onward to Trondheim. The Dovre Line would become the new main train line from Oslo to Trondheim and relegating the Røros Line to a secondary service. Meeting in Støren, the Trondhjem–Støren Line would therefore need to be upgraded to meet the higher standard. This involved a major upgrade to Trondheim Central Station, and installing dual gauge to Støren. The latter was taken into use on
3 September 1919 and remained in place to 14 September 1921, after which it only had standard gauge operations. The section became part of the Dovre Line with its opening on 17 September.
Traffic on the line peaked in the financial year 1919–20, when the line transported 1,739,262 passengers, and in 1917–18 when 655,102 tonnes of cargo were hauled. The Røros Line was relegated with all through traffic being sent via Dovre from 1921. The line received a through service, which corresponded with express trains on the Dovre Line From 1928
Cmb Class 1 gasoline
railcar
A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a drive ...
s were introduced on the line. This allowed a new kind of service, where the railcars would call at small halt established at road intersections. Between 1928 and 1931 there were built 26 such stops between Tynset and Støren.
![Røros - no-nb digifoto 20160503 00185 NB MIT FNR 06760](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/R%C3%B8ros_-_no-nb_digifoto_20160503_00185_NB_MIT_FNR_06760.jpg)
By the 1920s it seem evident that the three remaining narrow-gauge mainlines, the Røros,
Vestfold
Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered th ...
and
Jæren
Jæren is a traditional district in Rogaland county, Norway. The other districts in Rogaland are Dalane, Ryfylke, and Haugalandet. Jæren is one of the 15 districts that comprise Western Norway.
At about , Jæren is the largest flat lowland area ...
Lines would be gauge converted. Røros Copper Works shut down production in 1926, citing high transport costs caused by transshipment at Støren as one reason.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 135] The next stage of gauge conversion took place in 1931, when the section between Rena and Koppang, which opened on 7 October. By November the dual gauge between Rena and Hamar had been removed. A unison Parliament passed legislation on 3 June 1935 to gauge convert the line. The upgrade was planned to reduce the
minimum curve radius
The minimum railway curve radius is the shortest allowable design radius for the centerline of railway tracks under a particular set of conditions. It has an important bearing on construction costs and operating costs and, in combination with ...
to . Four new tunnels were planned to bypass otherwise narrow sections, but in the end only the
Drøyli Tunnel was built. The other major works was to replace the branch line which Røros Station was built on with a semi-circular loop through the town.
Following the
German occupation
German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...
in April 1940, work on converting the remaining of the line was accelerated. A major flood in Gaula started on 24 August that year, washing away parts of the line several places through Gauldalen and station at Rognes was washed away. The line was improved and placed on a new right-of-way several places. By May 1941 there were 1,723 men working on the line improvements. The conversion itself took place two stations at a time, an dwas completed on 3 August.
Standard-gauge operations
Throughout the
Second World War
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 ...
the services on the line remained limited. A through express train was not reintroduced until 3 October 1949. By the following year travel time had been reduced to 15 hours between Oslo and Trondheim, following the many infrastructure improvements. The line was gradually modernized after the war. From the 1950s many of the older bridges were replaced or modernized. New 35 kilogram per meter (70 lb/ft) rails were gradually installed, allowing an axle load of 16 tonnes from 1964. Many passing loops were lengthened to the norm of . Simplified
interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junction (rail), junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and Track (rail transpor ...
systems started being installed at stations from 1959.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 171]
Steam locomotives were from 1951 partially replaced with
Class 86 diesel multiple units, cutting travel time from Hamar to Røros to six hours. The remaining locomotive-hauled trains received the stronger
Class 26c engines from 1956. Several weak points on the line were upgraded in 1964, allowing the even stronger Class
30 and
31 trains to be used, as well as
Di 3 diesel locomotives.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 156] Regular use of Di 3s started on 30 May 1965, coinciding with the reintroduction of night trains on the line, running all the way from Oslo to Trondheim. The express trains were from 22 May 1966 until 31 October 1970 operated with
Class 88 diesel multiple units.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 160] The last revenue service with steam locomotives ran on 5 July 1968.
![Southbound class 92 DMU just before Atna v2 (3210297539)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Southbound_class_92_DMU_just_before_Atna_v2_%283210297539%29.jpg)
Cargo handling was reorganized in 1973, after which fewer stations handled cargo and more was transported the last kilometers by truck through
Linjegods.
Lumber became an increasingly important cargo from that decade, when the
log floating
Log driving is a means of moving logs (sawn tree trunks) from a forest to sawmills and pulp mills downstream using the current of a river. It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America.
Histo ...
was terminated.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 161] Throughout the 1970s and 1970s many stations became unmanned.
[Bjerke & Stenersen: 162] NSB introduced their
Class 92 diesel multiple units in 1984. Combined with the closing of many smaller halts, they allowed travel time between Hamar and Røros to be cut by an hour. From 1 June 1986 all local trains running between Hamar and Elverum were terminated. Class 86 remained in irregular service until 1996. In a deal to retain passenger traffic on the Solør Line, the day and night expresses to Oslo were run via
Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality include Aus ...
instead of Hamar, until 1989 for the day trains and 1991 for the night trains.
General freight trains north of Koppang were terminated from 1995.
The freight service was gradually reduced and from 2002 no wagon-load cargo trains were being operated on the line.
Complete interlocking systems were installed at the larger stations between 1989 and 1993.
A simplified
centralized traffic control
Centralized traffic control (CTC) is a form of railway signalling that originated in North America. CTC consolidates train routing decisions that were previously carried out by local signal operators or the train crews themselves. The system cons ...
was installed between 1990 and 1994 between Hamar and Røros, operated from the central in Hamar. Unlike most other lines, this did not include
automatic train stop
Automatic train stop or ATS is a system on a train that automatically stops a train if certain situations occur (unresponsive train operator, earthquake, disconnected rail, train running over a stop signal, etc.) to prevent accidents. In some scena ...
(ATS).
The rails were replaced during the 1990s with one of 49 kg/m (98 lb/ft), allowing an axle load of 22.5 tonnes. The
Ã…sta Accident
The Åsta accident was a railway accident that occurred at 13:12:25 on 4 January 2000 at Åsta in Åmot, south of Rena in Østerdalen, Norway. A train from Trondheim collided with a local train from Hamar on the Røros Line, resulting in an exp ...
on 4 January 2000 killed 16 people when two trains collided head-on, making it the deadliest train accident in Norway since 1975. Insufficient procedures combined with the lack of ATS was found to be a contributing cause of the accident. This caused ATS to be installed and operational on the line from 30 June 2001.
Operations
As the Røros Line lacks electrification, all trains operating on the line use diesel traction. This means that both express passenger and freight trains between Oslo and Trondheim use the Dovre Line. The main use of the Røros Line are regional passenger trains, operated using
Class 92 and
Class 93 diesel
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 operated by the Norwegian State Railways. As of 2015 there are two through trains which run from Trondheim to Hamar, with a travel time of 6 hours. There is one additional train which runs once between Trondheim and Røros, taking 2 hours and 30 minutes, and four trains which run between Røros and Hamar, taking 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Large parts of the day there are therefore a two-hour headway between Hamar and Røros.
The density of forest in Hedmark along both the Solør and Røros Lines is among the most productive in the country, and these lines see an unprecedented amount of lumber trains compared to elsewhere in the country. Most cargo traffic on the line are lumber trains. These operate out of lumber terminals at Auma, Koppang, Hovdmoen and Vestmoen. Most of this traffic operates southwards, continuing onward along the Solør Line to Sweden. In 2015 there were about 40 lumber trains per week.
Train operators include
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 ...
,
TX Logistik and
Tågåkeriet i Bergslagen.
The largest customer is
Stora Enso
Stora Enso Oyj (from sv, Stora and fi, Enso ) is a manufacturer of pulp, paper and other forest products, headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. The majority of sales takes place in Europe, but there are also significant operations in Asia and S ...
, which mostly imports the lumber for use at its plant in
Karlstad
Karlstad (, ) is the 20th-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Karlstad Municipality, the capital of Värmland County, and the largest city in the province Värmland in Sweden. The city proper had 65,856 inhabitants in 2020 with 95,167 inhabitants ...
, Sweden.
Lesser quantities are transported to
Gävle
Gävle () is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 77,586 inhabitants in 2020, which makes it the 13th most populated city in Sweden. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Swede ...
and
Sundsvall
Sundsvall () is a city and the seat of Sundsvall Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It has a population of 58,807 as of 2020; more than 95,000 live in the municipal area. It is Sweden's 21st largest city by population.
History
Th ...
.
There is also one train per week with northbound to
Norske Skog Skogn
Norske Skog Skogn AS is a pulp mill and paper mill situated in Levanger, Norway, which produces newsprint. Situated on the Fiborgtangen peninsula in Skogn, the mill has three paper machines with a total annual capacity of 600,000 tonnes. Pulp ...
.
[Civita: 14] In addition, there are some smaller freight trains which run from Hamar to Elverum, about ten per week. Due to the lack of electrification, no intermodal and container trains operate along the Røros Line.
Architecture
![Trondheim jodiske museum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Trondheim_jodiske_museum.jpg)
The stations between Hamar and Grundset, and Trondheim and Støre were designed by
Georg Andreas Bull
Georg Andreas Bull (26 March 1829 – 1 February 1917) was a Norwegian architect and chief building inspector in Christiania (now Oslo) for forty years. He was among the major architects in the country, and performed surveying studies and arche ...
as his railway-architectural debut. They were designed in
Swiss chalet style, all in wood. Compared to the contemporary Trunk and Kongsvinger Lines, the narrow gauge railways were to be low-cost projects, which included scaling down the size of stations. The stations in the south were somewhat more decorated. On the northern line the stations were made even smaller.
[Hartmann: 48] Few of these stations remain. Hamar received a new station designed by
Balthazar Lange
Balthazar Conrad Lange (25 March 1854 - 13 September 1937) was a Norwegian architect.
Personal life
He was born in Asker as a son of customs treasurer and lieutenant colonel Christopher Andreas Lange (1808–1888) and Anne Birgithe Falsen. He ...
in 1880, and again by
Paul Due
Paul Due (13 August 1835 – 26 February 1919) was a Norwegian architect and significant contributor to the stations built by the Norwegian State Railways.
Biography
Paul Due was born in Kristiansand, Norway. He graduated in engineering s ...
in
histroiricism in 1897. The only original stone station was Throndhjem Kalvskinnet.
Elverum Station is also in stone, but with a less marked style than many other of Due's stations.
![Tynset Stasjon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Tynset_Stasjon.jpg)
Between Grundset and Støren the spending on stations increased, as it became evident that the railway would be connecting two regions together. Stations were designed both by Bull and
Peter Andreas Blix
Peter Andreas Blix (4 November 1831 – 31 January 1901) was a Norwegian architect and engineer best known for designing railway stations and villas in Swiss chalet style. He was also occupied with the conservation of Norwegian stave churches and ...
. The architecture drew more from national inspiration, with Bull creating simple, often rectangular structures and Blix designing more creative stations. The line had relatively many small guard houses, although few of these have been preserved. On the other hand, few of the station buildings were expanded and are therefore largely intact from the time of construction. Five stations were replaced between 1935 and 1964 due to fires or other causes.
Future
![Trondheim (8336825292)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Trondheim_%288336825292%29.jpg)
Two major developments have been proposed for the Røros Line – electrification and installation of
centralized traffic control
Centralized traffic control (CTC) is a form of railway signalling that originated in North America. CTC consolidates train routing decisions that were previously carried out by local signal operators or the train crews themselves. The system cons ...
. The latter is scheduled to take place as part of nationwide implementation of
European Train Control System
The European Train Control System (ETCS) is the signalling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a replacement for legacy train protection systems and designed to replace the many incompatible s ...
, which is scheduled to be completed within 2021. The National Rail Administration is considering the possibilities of electrifying the Røros Line along with all its other diesel lines. If a go-head were given, it would probably be in conjunction with the electrification of the Solør Line. A 2015 report recommended that the Røros and Solør Lines be given priority after 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 ...
from Trondheim to
Steinkjer
Steinkjer is a municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Steinkjer which is located on the inner part of the Trondheimsfjord. The town is also th ...
and 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 ...
, but before the rest of the Nordland Line and the
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 v ...
.
The primary impact of electrification would be a severe cut in operating costs of the railway companies, and thus better margins for forest owners, who could increase their export. A secondary impact would allow the Rorøs Line to also handle intermodule transport. Cargo trains could run directly from
Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
to
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 ...
, via the
Norway/Vänern,
Värmland
Värmland () also known as Wermeland, is a '' landskap'' (historical province) in west-central Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland, and Närke, and is bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are ''Va ...
, Solør and Røros Lines, bypassing the congested cargo lines through
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 ...
. Intermodule cargo trains operate from Oslo to Trondheim via 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 ...
, despite its higher elevation, because of the electric traction. If the Solør and Røros Lines were electrified, they could act as a reserve for the Dovre Line. This is not a possibility today because the train companies lack diesel locomotives. Further traffic increase could be handled through operating northbound trains along the Solør/Røros Line and southbound via the Dovre Line.
[Civitas: 20–22]
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roros Line
Railway lines in Innlandet
Railway lines in Trøndelag
Railway lines opened in 1862
Railway lines opened in 1877
1862 establishments in Norway
1877 establishments in Norway