Private railways in Norway consist of industrial and public railways. Industrial railways were used to transport ore or other industrial products to ports, although they have, particularly to begin with, also operated passenger and cargo services. The other nine private railways have been public and operated as mixed passenger and freight services. [1] Of these, four were later taken over by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). Only five non-industrial railways were never nationalized, despite all having been closed. There were the Nesttun–Os, Holmestrand–Vittingfoss, Lillesand–Flaksvand, Tønsberg–Eidsfoss and the Lier lines. [2] No industrial railways remain in operation, although one former private railway, the Trunk Line, Norway's first railway, is still in use. [2]
The division between private and publicly owned railways is related to operation rather than ownership. All non-industrial private railways received state grants for construction, while many of NSB's railways were at first organized as limited companies with private owners, although NSB was responsible for all operations and maintenance of the line and rolling stock. For both NSB-run and private, non-industrial railways, municipalities and counties were often the largest owners. Eventually, all the private, non-industrial railways started losing money, and unless they received subsidies, were forced to close. However, the state and municipalities often provided subsidies to keep them operational. The last private railway to close was the Lillesand–Flaksvand Line, in 1958. [2]
The following is a list of the private railways in Norway. It includes the line, type (industrial or public), the owner at the time the railway was closed, the longest length of the line, the gauge, the date the line opened, was nationalized and was closed for passenger and cargo, if applicable. The list only contains industrial railways which at some point had regular passenger transport. [3]
Line | Type | Owner | Length (km) | Length (mi) | Gauge | Opened | Nationalized | Closed (passengers) | Closed (cargo) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dunderland | Industrial | Dunderland Iron Ore Company | 22.0 | 13.7 | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | 1 November 1904 | — | — | — |
Grimstad | Public | — | 22.1 | 13.7 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 15 September 1907 | 24 January 1912 | 1 September 1961 | 1 September 1961 |
Holmestrand–Vittingfoss | Public | Vestfold Privatbaner | 24.4 | 15.2 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 2 October 1902 | — | 27 September 1931 | 1 June 1938 |
Lier | Public | — | 20.6 | 12.8 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 2 October 1904 | — | 23 October 1932 | 1 January 1937 |
Lillesand–Flaksvand | Public | — | 16.6 | 10.3 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 4 June 1894 | — | 15 June 1953 | 15 June 1953 |
Nesttun–Os | Public | — | 26.3 | 16.3 | 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) | 1 July 1894 | — | 2 September 1935 | 2 September 1935 |
Rjukan | Industrial | Norsk Transport | 46.0 | 28.6 | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | 9 August 1909 | — | 1 July 1991 | |
Solbergfoss | Industrial | Oslo Lysverker | 7.9 | 4.9 | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | 1918 | — | 4 January 1965 | |
Sulitjelma | Industrial | Elkem | 38.5 | 23.9 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 13 October 1892 | — | 15 June 1915 | |
Thamshavn | Industrial | Salvesen & Thams | 25.3 | 15.7 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) | 15 July 1908 | — | 30 May 1974 | |
Tønsberg–Eidsfoss | Public | Vestfold Privatbaner | 48.0 | 29.8 | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | 21 October 1901 | — | 1 June 1938 | 1 June 1938 |
Trunk | Public | — | 67.8 | 42.1 | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | 1 September 1854 | 4 March 1926 | — | — |
Urskog–Høland | Public | — | 56.8 | 35.3 | 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) | 14 November 1896 | 1 July 1945 | 1 July 1960 | 1 July 1960 |
Valdres | Public | — | 108.6 | 67.5 | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | 1 September 1902 | 1 January 1937 | 1 January 1989 | — |
The Norwegian railway system comprises 4,087 km of 1,435 mm track of which 2,622 km is electrified and 242 km double track. There are 696 tunnels and 2,760 bridges.
The Jæren Line 74.7-kilometer (46.4 mi) long railway line between Stavanger and Egersund in Jæren, Norway. The name is no longer in official use and the section is regarded as the westernmost part of the Sørlandet Line. Owned by the Norwegian Railway Directorate, the line has double track from Stavanger Station to Sandnes Station, and single track from Sandnes to Egersund Station. The line is electrified at 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC and equipped with centralized traffic control and GSM-R. The line is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail and intercity trains along the Sørlandet Line, both operated by the Vy. CargoNet runs container freight trains on the line, which terminate at Ganddal Freight Terminal.
The Ofoten Line is a 43-kilometre (27 mi) 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 Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to Luleå. The Ofoten Line is single track, electrified at 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC and has seven stations. The line only connects to the rest of the Norwegian railway network via Sweden. The main traffic is up to 12 daily freight trains operated by Malmtrafik that haul iron ore from Sweden to Narvik. In addition, CargoNet operates container trains, branded as the Arctic Rail Express (ARE), and SJ operates passenger trains, including a night train to Stockholm.
The Numedal Line is a 92.8-kilometer (57.7 mi) long railway line that runs up the Numedal valley between Kongsberg and Rødberg in Viken county, Norway. Built and operated by the Norwegian State Railways, the non-electrified, standard gauge line passes through the municipalities of Kongsberg, Flesberg, Rollag and Nore og Uvdal. It is now owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.
The Kragerø Line was a 27-kilometer (17 mi) long railway line between Neslandsvatn and Kragerø in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It was opened on 2 December 1927 as part of the Sørlandet Line. From 10 November 1935, the Sørlandet Line was extended from Neslandsvatn to Arendal, and the Kragerø Line became a branch. It was mostly served with feeder trains, although a through train to Oslo was kept until the 1970s. Falling ridership caused the line to become closed from 1 December 1989, along with many other branch lines. Part of the line remains, although other parts have been demolished.
The Grimstad Line was a 22-kilometer (14 mi) long railway line between Grimstad and 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 14 September 1907, it was originally a private railway. The line was nationalized and taken over by the Norwegian State Railways in 1912. The railway was originally built with 1,067 mm narrow gauge, but was converted to standard gauge in 1936. Because of the cumbersome transfers, the line had few passenger and little freight. It was closed and demolished in 1961.
The Rjukan Line, at first called the Vestfjorddal Line, was a 16-kilometre (10 mi) Norwegian railway line running through Vestfjorddalen between Mæl and Rjukan in Vestfold og Telemark county. The railway's main purpose was to transport chemicals from Norsk Hydro's plant at Rjukan to the port at Skien, in addition to passenger transport. At Mæl the wagons were shipped 30 kilometres (19 mi) on the Tinnsjø railway ferry to Tinnoset where they connected to the Tinnoset Line. The Rjukan Line and the ferries were operated by Norsk Transport, a subsidiary of Norsk Hydro.
The Hardanger Line was a 27.45-kilometre (17.06 mi) railway between Voss and Granvin in Hordaland, Norway. The line connected to the Bergen Line in Voss, and ran to the Hardangerfjord and the district of Hardanger. Construction started in 1921, but the line did not open until 1 April 1935. Owned and operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), the passenger transport was provided by three NSB Class 64 electric multiple units. They remained in use until 1985, when passenger transport was terminated. All transport ceased in 1988, and 21 kilometres (13 mi) of the line was demolished in 1991. The 3 kilometres (2 mi) from Voss to Palmafoss remains, and is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The line featured six stations, fourteen halts, four tunnels and was among Norway's steepest railways. It was NSB's first line to open electrified. The line was known as the Granvin Line until February 1936. In 2016 Palmafoss established an emergency freight terminal and the tracks were reestablished.
The Solbergfoss Line was a 7.9-kilometer (4.9 mi) railway line which ran from Askim Station to Solbergfoss Power Station, entirely in Askim, Norway. The single-track, standard gauge railway was an industrial railway operated by the power station owned by Oslo Lysverker and the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate.
The Ålgård Line is a closed, but not abandoned, railway line between Ganddal and Ålgård in Rogaland, Norway. The 12.24-kilometer (7.61 mi) line was built as a narrow gauge branch line of the Jæren Line by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and opened in 1924. It runs through the villages of Foss-Eikeland and Figgjo in Sandnes to Ålgård in Gjesdal. Several proposals were made for the Ålgård Line to become the first part of the main line from Stavanger to Oslo, but instead the Sørlandet Line was connected to the Jæren Line in 1944. At the same time, the Ålgård Line was upgraded to standard gauge.
The Horten Line was a 7.0-kilometer (4.3 mi) branch railway line of the Vestfold Line which ran from Skoppum to Horten, Norway. The line opened as a narrow gauge line on 13 October 1881, the same day as the Vestfold Line. The latter had been proposed to run through Horten, but instead a branch line was chosen. The Horten Line converted to standard gauge in 1949 and electrified in 1957. Passenger transport ran until 1968 and freight trains until 2002. The line was demolished in 2009. Skoppum Station and Borre Station have both been preserved as examples of Balthazar Lange's Swiss chalet style architecture.
The Lier Line or LB is an abandoned railway line that ran through Lier in Norway. The private, narrow gauge railway branched from the Drammen Line at the old Lier Station, and ran 21.15 kilometers (13.14 mi) to Svangstrand on the lake Tyrifjorden, where it connected with a steam ship operated by the railway company. Among the villages the line served were Egge, Sjåstad and Sylling, in addition to two branch lines, from Iledalen to Tronstad Bruk, and from Egge to Egge Gravel Pit.
The Lillesand–Flaksvand Line or LFB was a 16.59-kilometer (10.31 mi) railway between Flaksvand and Lillesand in Agder, Norway. The private line was built with 1,067 mm narrow gauge and was not connected to the national railway network. The line opened on 4 June 1896, and remained in use until 15 June 1953. It was built to carry lumber, but also featured a passenger service and other cargo transport. After 1908, the line was unprofitable and only had a limited service. Plans to connect it to the Sørland Line were proposed but rejected. The line had four stations and four halts, and was served with two 75 kilowatts (100 hp) steam locomotives, Lillesand and Flaksvand. The line was owned and operated by the private company, A/S Lillesand–Flaksvandbanen, although nearly all the shares were held by local municipalities, the county and the national government.
The Holmestrand–Hvittingfoss Line or HVB is an abandoned railway between Holmestrand to Hvittingfoss in Norway. It consisted of two sections: a 13.4-kilometer (8.3 mi) line from Holmestrand to Hillestad and a 10.4-kilometer (6.5 mi) section from Hof to Hvittingfoss. The two parts were connected by a 6 kilometers (4 mi) section of the Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line. At Holmestrand Station, the line connected to the Vestfold Line of the Norwegian State Railways. HVB was opened on 30 September 1902 and closed on 1 June 1938. The main purpose of the line was the transport of wood pulp at Hvittingfoss, although it was also used for passenger transport until 1931.
The Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line 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 area of Hof to Tønsberg, the coast and the Vestfold Line of the Norwegian State Railways. The main purpose of the 48.10-kilometre (29.89 mi) narrow gauge railway was to connect Eidsfos Verk to the mainline, although the railway also operated passenger trains. The line shares 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) with the Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line (HVB), the two which from 1934 were operated by the same company, Vestfold Privatbaner.
Oslo Commuter Rail is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by Vy and its subsidiary Vy Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units (EMU). The network spans eight routes and 128 stations, with Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) as the central hub. The trains run on 553 kilometers (344 mi) of electrified mainline railway owned by the Bane NOR. Deficits are financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport, although the network also has a ticketing cooperation with Ruter, the public transport authority in Oslo and Akershus. The network is the longest commuter rail network in the Nordic countries, and among top ten in Europe.
Hydro Transport AS was a railway- and shipping company responsible for the transport of chemicals from Norsk Hydro Rjukan. A subsidiary of Norsk Hydro, the company was founded in 1907, operations ceased in 1991, while the company became defunct at the end of 2009.
Vestfold Privatbaner was a private railway company which operated two railways in Vestfold, Norway, the Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line (HVB) and the Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line (TEB). The company was created in 1934 as a merger between the two former operating companies of each of the two lines, but Vestfold Privatbaner closed operations already on 1 June 1938.