Roa–Hønefoss Line
Roa–Hønefoss Line | |
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The Roa–Hønefoss Line (
The Line was built by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and opened on 1 December 1909, along with the last part of the Bergen Line. The line was electrified in 1961. Until 1989, nearly all Oslo–Bergen trains used the line to terminate at Oslo East Station. It was also possible to reach Oslo from Hønefoss via the Randsfjord Line, albeit terminating at Oslo West Station. NSB also ran a local service between Hønefoss and Oslo along the Roa–Hønefoss Line. Oslo–Bergen trains ran via the Randsfjord Line after 1989 and local train services have been terminated. However, the line remains in use for freight trains along the Oslo–Bergen route.
Route
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The line starts at Roa Station, which is also located on the Gjøvik Line and is 57.54 kilometers (35.75 mi) from
The line then runs south-west, past Bergerfoss and Kistefoss, before reaching Viul. There, there is a branch to a lumber mill. After Viul, the line runs through two tunnels, 95 and 185 meters (312 and 607 ft) long.
History
Hønefoss Station opened on 13 October 1868 as an intermediate station on the Randsfjord Line which connects
The line was built by NSB as part of the Bergen Line project, for which construction across the mountain had commenced in 1895.
To begin with, the line had a single through train from Oslo to Bergen, with an additional summer express—with a limited number of stops. In addition, there were two additional trains from Hønefoss to Oslo.
From 18 November 1945, the daily Oslo–Bergen trains again ran via Roa, while the local trains from Oslo to Hønefoss increased to three daily round trips. Three weekly night trains were introduced from 1946. From 2 January to 1 May 1947, there was four weekly express services from Oslo to Geilo on the Bergen Line.[13] By 1950, the situation had normalized and there were daily day and night trains and three weekly express trains—the latter with no stops between Hønefoss and Oslo.[14] Kvellsrud Station opened on 18 August 1952.[2]
In the 1930s, it was decided that the Bergen Line was to be electrified. After the first section, from Bergen to Voss, was completed in 1954, the Gjøvik Line and the Roa–Hønefoss Line were the next to be electrified. The sections Oslo–Jaren and Roa–Hønefoss opened with 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC electric traction on 1 February 1961.[15] Automatic signaling was put into service on 10 December 1973 and automatic train stop was put into operation on 27 October 1987.[16]
From 3 June 1984, the day train was moved to run via Drammen.[17] Until 1989, the Roa–Hønefoss Line had four daily round trips with a local train from Hønefoss via Roa to Oslo, normally a Class 65 or Class 67 unit. From 1989, this was reduced to a single round trip, with a morning train from Hønefoss to Oslo and a return in the afternoon. Eventually this was taken over by a Class 69 unit and by the late 1990s taken out of service.[1] The Roa–Hønefoss Line remains a pure freight track for long-haul freight trains on the Bergen Line. After the opening of the Oslo Tunnel and Oslo Central Station in 1989, passenger trains run via Drammen; however, the Roa–Hønefoss Line is used as a reserve line for passenger trains when the Drammen Line or Randsfjord Line is out of service.[18]
References
- ^ a b c Aspenberg (1999): 70
- ^ a b c d e f g Bjerke (1994): 123
- ^ a b c d Aspenberg (1999): 74
- ^ Bergh (2004): 191–95, 256–57
- ^ a b Aspenberg (1999): 19
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 20
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 21
- ^ Bjerke (1994): 11
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 34
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 35
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 36
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 38
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 57
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 58
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 51
- ^ Bjerke (1994): 122
- ^ Aspenberg (1999): 66
- Norwegian National Rail Administration. 20 May 2009. Archived from the originalon 7 April 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
Bibliography
- Aspenberg, Nils Carl (1999). Fra Roa til Bergen: historien om Bergensbanen (in Norwegian). Oslo: Baneforlaget. ISBN 82-91448-28-0.
- Bergh, Trond (2004). Jernbanen i Norge 1854–2004: Nye spor og nye muligheter 1854–1940 (in Norwegian). Bergen: Vigmostad & Bjørke. ISBN 82-419-0331-6.
- Bjerke, Thor (1994). Banedata '94 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk Jernbaneklubb. ISBN 82-90286-15-5.