Dovre Line

Last updated
Dovre Line
Dovrebanen nordover ved Kvam.JPG
Dovrebanen at Kvam Station
Overview
Native nameDovrebanen
Owner Bane NOR
Termini
Stations25
Service
Type Railway
Operator(s) SJ Norge
Vy
CargoNet
Rolling stock Class 73, El 14, El 16, El 18
History
Opened1921, the original Dovre Line
Technical
Line length553 km (344 mi)
Number of tracks Single or double
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Operating speedOslo-Eidsvoll: Max. 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph)
Oslo-Trondheim average: 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph)
Route map

Contents

year
closed
BSicon CONTg.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Trondheim Central
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Skansen
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Nidareid tunnel
BSicon BS2c2.svg
BSicon KRW+l.svg
BSicon BS2r.svg
BSicon KRWgr.svg
BSicon dKDSTe.svg
BSicon vHST.svg
Marienborg
BSicon vSTRlf-STRo.svg
BSicon cdSTRc2.svg
BSicon cd-STRq.svg
BSicon CONT3.svg
BSicon dSTRr+1-~F.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon lHST-.svg
BSicon STR+l-.svg
BSicon dSTRr+1-.svg
BSicon dSTRc4.svg
Stavne
junction
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Hoem tunnel
BSicon HST.svg
Selsbakk
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Selsbakk tunnel
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Lerbroelva bridge
BSicon BHF.svg
Heimdal
BSicon eHST.svg
Hegstad
1987
BSicon cRP4q.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4o.svg
BSicon cRP4q.svg
Stamvei E6.svg E6
BSicon eHST.svg
Kvammen
1987
BSicon exlHST-.svg
BSicon l-HST.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Melhus
resited ↓ 1993
 
BSicon HST.svg
Kvål
BSicon HST.svg
Ler
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Lundesokna bridge
BSicon HST.svg
Lundamo
BSicon eHST.svg
Gulfoss
1993
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Gulfossen bridge
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Hovin
BSicon BHF.svg
Støren
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Basmoen
BSicon HST.svg
Snøan
BSicon HST.svg
Soknedal
BSicon HST.svg
Garli
BSicon BHF.svg
Berkåk
BSicon HST.svg
Ulsberg
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Orkla bridge
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Orkla tunnel
BSicon eHST.svg
Granholtet
1951
BSicon eHST.svg
Indsetveien
1966
BSicon eHST.svg
Gisna
1966
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Byna bridge
BSicon HST.svg
Fagerhaug
BSicon eHST.svg
Myrplass
1966
BSicon eHST.svg
Rønningen
1951
BSicon eHST.svg
Garå
1966
BSicon BHF.svg
Oppdal
BSicon eHST.svg
Hevle
1966
BSicon HST.svg
Driva
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Holan
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Kolstad tunnel
BSicon HST.svg
Drivstua
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Driva
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Øilien tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Klemma tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Kleivane tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Stølan tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Hestekrubben tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Grimsdal tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Nystubekk tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Høgsnyta tunnel
BSicon TUNNEL2.svg
Gammelhullet tunnel
BSicon BHF.svg
Kongsvoll
BSicon GRZq.svg
BSicon WSTRc2.svg
BSicon GRZq.svg
BSicon KRZ3+1Wo.svg
BSicon GRZq.svg
BSicon WSTRc4.svg
Svoni; county boundary
BSicon GIPl.svg
summit (1,024.4 m)
BSicon BHF.svg
Hjerkinn
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Gjeitberget tunnel
BSicon eHST.svg
Vålåsjø
BSicon HST.svg
Fokstua
BSicon TUNNEL1.svg
Grønbogen tunnel
BSicon dCONTgq.svg
BSicon STR~L.svg
BSicon STR+r.svg
BSicon STR~R.svg
BSicon dTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon dTUNNEL1.svg
Dombås tunnel
BSicon v-SHI2g+r.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Dombås
BSicon HST.svg
Dovre
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Tallerås bridge
BSicon HST.svg
Brennhaug
BSicon HST.svg
Sel
BSicon BHF.svg
Otta
BSicon HST.svg
Sjoa
BSicon HST.svg
Kvam
BSicon BHF.svg
Vinstra
BSicon eHST.svg
Harpefoss
BSicon HST.svg
Hundtorp
BSicon BHF.svg
Ringebu
BSicon HST.svg
Kvitfjell
BSicon HST.svg
Fåvang
BSicon HST.svg
Losna
BSicon HST.svg
Tretten
BSicon HST.svg
Øyer
BSicon HST.svg
Hafjell
BSicon HST.svg
Hunderfossen
BSicon HST.svg
Hunder
BSicon HST.svg
Fåberg
BSicon DST.svg
Hovemoen
BSicon BHF.svg
Lillehammer
BSicon HST.svg
Bergseng
BSicon HST.svg
Brøttum
BSicon eHST.svg
Ring
BSicon HST.svg
Moelv
BSicon eHST.svg
Ringsaker
BSicon HST.svg
Rudshøgda
BSicon eHST.svg
Veldre
BSicon HST.svg
Brumunddal
BSicon HST.svg
Jessnes
BSicon HST.svg
Nordvika
BSicon BHF.svg
Hamar
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Akersvika
BSicon HST.svg
Ottestad
BSicon HST.svg
Stange
BSicon BST.svg
Sørli
Timber freight terminal
BSicon HST.svg
Steinsrud
BSicon HST.svg
Tangen
BSicon HST.svg
Skaberud
BSicon HST.svg
Espa
BSicon HST.svg
Strandlykkja
BSicon GRZq.svg
BSicon STR+GRZq.svg
BSicon GRZq.svg
County boundary
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon eHST.svg
Skrårud
1980
BSicon eHST.svg
Morskogen
2015
BSicon eHST.svg
Korslund
1980
BSicon eHST.svg
Ørbekk
1980
BSicon hbKRZWae.svg
Minnevika Bridge
BSicon eHST.svg
Minnesund
2023
BSicon eHST.svg
Bunes
1980
BSicon eHST.svg
Dokknes
1967
BSicon BHF.svg
Eidsvoll
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon ABZgr.svg
BSicon CONTf.svg
year
closed

The Dovre Line (Norwegian : Dovrebanen) is a Norwegian railway line with three slightly different lines which all lead to the historic city of Trondheim.

Definition

The most inclusive of these meanings of Dovre Line thus includes the other two. To complicate the pattern even more, the first use of the Dovre Line was on the section between Dombås and Støren, completed in 1921. When this last section of the new standard gauge main line between Oslo and Trondheim via Lillehammer and Dombås was opened in 1921, the originally 49-kilometre (30 mi) long narrow gauge section between Støren and Trondheim was made the northern part of the new Dovre Line. When talking about construction of railways in Norway, Dovre Line refers to the 158.1-kilometre (98.2 mi) long Dombås - Støren section. [3]

Sections of the most inclusive use of Dovre Line (Dovrebanen)

SectionKmOriginal NameOpenedRemarkIllustration
Oslo - Eidsvoll64 Gardermobanen 1998Replaced Hovedbanen
Eidsvoll - Hamar59Eidsvold-Hamarbanen1880
Hamar - Tretten88Eidsvold-Trettenbanen1894
Tretten - Otta83Eidsvold-Ottabanen1896
Otta - Dombås46Eidsvold-Størenbanen/Syd1913
Dombås - Støren158Dovrebanen1921
Hjerkinn station at the Dovre Line, 1970 Hjerkinn station 1970.jpg
Hjerkinn station at the Dovre Line, 1970
Støren - Trondheim51Trondhjem-Størebanen1864Narrow gauge until 1919, dual until 1921 [4]

General description and short history

The section south of Eidsvoll was until 1998 Norway's first public railway, Hovedbanen, from 1854, 68 km long. The present line between Oslo and Eidsvoll is the 4 km shorter Gardermoen Line, the only high-speed line in the country. Hovedbanen is still in service for freight trains (and local commuters to Dal), but is not considered as a part of Dovre Line. The entire line from Oslo to Trondheim is 548 km today. It is a more heavily traveled line than the older Røros Line and electrification was completed 1 November 1970. [2] Between 1935 and 1958, the Dovre Line was served by some of Norway's largest steam locomotives, the 2-8-4 NSB Class 49 "Dovregubben" ("Dovre Giant").

Compared to the Røros Line, the Dovre Line takes a more westerly course running through the town of Lillehammer and over the mountainous stretches of Dovre Municipality, before merging with the Røros Line again at Støren. There is one branch line, the Rauma Line which leaves the Dovre Line at Dombås.

To avoid the fairly regular river flooding on the railway line along the river Gaula, the Gulfoss Tunnel was completed in 1918 in the Hovin area of Melhus Municipality in what is now Trøndelag county.

On 14 August 2023, the line was severed when the Randklev Bridge, which crosses the Lågen River in Ringebu, slid into the river. The river was swallowed by floodwater, a result of Storm Hans. The bridge was 172m in length and was opened in 1957. It had been closed when the collapse occurred. An adjacent road bridge, which is a former railway bridge, was not affected by the floodwater, but it has been closed as a precautionary measure. [5] The bridge was repaired, and reopened 20 May 2024. [6] [7]

The line was cut off again on 21 January 2025, due to the bridge south of Otta Station being closed off due to heavy ice accumulation around its foundations that weakened them. [8] As of early February 2025 the line is not scheduled to resume services until mid-April 2025. [9]

Service

The Norwegian State Railways used to be the sole operator of passenger services on the Dovre Line. Since June 2020, the service is operated by SJ Norge under the brand "SJ Nord". [10] In each direction they are four express trains between Oslo and Trondheim, of which two daily departures with the tilting Class 73 units, offering travel times down to 6 hours 37 minutes [11] for an average of 80 km/h (50mph), with departures in the morning and afternoon. There is also a locomotive-hauled afternoon train and a night train with sleeper cars. In addition there is a morning service from Dombås to Oslo. At Dombås there is correspondence with Møre og Romsdal via the Rauma Line.

The southern part of the line has hourly departures with regional trains from Lillehammer to Oslo operated by Vy. In the northern end, the Dovre Line is served by the Trøndelag Commuter Rail.

Accidents

The original Dovre Line was completed and officially opened on 17 September 1921. The inauguration ended on a tragic note when the train returning from the celebrations collided just after leaving Trondheim in the Nidareid train disaster the next day. The worst Norwegian railway disaster in peacetime also happened on the Dovre Line on 22 February 1975 when two trains collided one kilometer north of Tretten station, killing 27 people and wounding 25. There were approximately 800 people on the two trains.

Plans

The section between Eidsvoll and Hamar is currently being rebuilt and partly realigned as a double track line capable of 200-250 km/h. Some sections has already been opened, and the whole section is scheduled to be complete by 2027.

Further north, there may be constructed some shorter double track sections between Hamar and Lillehammer. North of Lillehammer there are no plans for larger expansions. Longer crossing loops and renewal of the existing line and its infrastructure are the only plans in the foreseeable future.

References

Footnotes

  1. "Norway rail trips: The Dovre line - Fjord Travel Norway". Fjord Travel Norway. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  2. 1 2 Bjerke & Holom 2004, p. 75.
  3. Bjerke & Holom 2004, pp. 74–75.
  4. Bjerke & Holom 2004, p. 90.
  5. Bryant, Miranda (14 August 2023). "Storm Hans: railway bridge collapses in southern Norway". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  6. NRK (2024-04-12). "Dovrebanen åpner igjen 20. mai". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2024-04-12.
  7. "Dovrebanen åpnet for fullt etter gjenåpning av Randklev bru". Tu.no (in Norwegian). Teknisk Ukeblad. 20 May 2024.
  8. Stine Bækkelien, Even Lusæter, Bjørnar Morønning, Arne Sørenes (21 January 2025). "Dovrebanen stengd på ubestemt tid – bru har flytta på seg" (in Norwegian Nynorsk). NRK. Retrieved 4 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. Amund Rotbakken-Gundersen, Knut Storvik (1 February 2025). "Hevdar dette kan gå utover VM-festen i Trondheim: – Leit" (in Norwegian Nynorsk). NRK. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  10. "Om SJ Norge". www.sj.no. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  11. Kjartan Rørslett (14 November 2022). "Langtur med tog tar lengre tid no enn for 22 år sidan" (in Norwegian Nynorsk). NRK . Retrieved 21 January 2025.

Bibliography