Dovre Line

Dovre Line

Dovrebanen at Kvam Station
Overview
Native name Dovrebanen
Type Railway
Termini Oslo S
Trondheim S
Stations 25
Operation
Opened 1921, the original Dovre Line
Owner Norwegian National Rail Administration
Operator(s) Norges Statsbaner
CargoNet
Rolling stock Class 73, El 14, El 16, El 18
Technical
Line length 553 km (344 mi)
Number of tracks Single or double
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Electrification 15 kV 16 23 Hz AC
Operating speed Max. 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph)
Route map
Legend
Meråker Line
Trondheim Central Station
Skansen Bridge
Skansen Station
Nidareid Tunnel
Marienborg Station
Stavne–Leangen Line
Stavne
Hoem Tunnel
Selsbakk Station
Selsbakk Tunnel
Lerbroelva Bridge
Heimdal Station
HegstadClosed 1987
KvammenClosed 1987
Melhus
Melhus Station
Kvål Station
Ler Station
Lundesokna bridge
Lundamo Station
GulfossClosed 1993
Gulfossen Bridge
Hovin Station
Støren
Røros Line
Basmoen
Snøan
Soknedal
Garli
Thamshavn Line
Berkåk Station
Ulsberg
Orkla Bridge
Orkla Tunnel
GranholtetClosed 1951
IndsetveienClosed 1966
GisnaClosed 1966
Byna Bridge
Fagerhaug
MyrplassClosed 1966
RønningenClosed 1951
GaråClosed 1966
Oppdal Station
HevleClosed 1966
Driva
Holan
Kolstad Tunnel
Drivstua
Driva
Øilien Tunnel
Klemma Tunnel
Kleivane Tunnel
Stølan Tunnel
Hestekrubben Tunnel
Grimsdal Tunnel
Nystubekk Tunnel
Høgsnyta Tunnel
Gammelhullet Tunnel
Kongsvoll Station
Svoni
Point of highest elevation1024.4 m
Hjerkinn Station
Gjeitberget Tunnel
Vålåsjø
Fokstua
Grønbogen Tunnel
Rauma Line
Dombås Tunnel
Dombås Station
Dovre Station
Tallerås Bridge
Brennhaug
Sel
Otta Station
Sjoa
Kvam Station
Vinstra Station
Harpefoss
Hundtorp
Ringebu Station
Kvitfjell
Fåvang
Losna
Tretten
Øyer
Hafjell
Hunderfossen Station
Hunder
Fåberg
Hovemoen
Lillehammer Station
Bergseng
Brøttum
Ring
Moelv Station
Ringsaker
Rudshøgda
Veldre
Brumunddal Station
Jessnes
Nordvika
Hamar Station
Røros Line
Akersvika
Ottestad
Stange Station
SørliTimber freight terminal
Steinsrud
Tangen Station
Skaberud
Espa
Strandlykkja
SkrårudClosed 1980
Morskogen
KorslundClosed 1980
ØrbekkClosed 1980
Minnesund Bridge
Minnesund
BunesClosed 1980
DokknesClosed 1967
Eidsvoll Station
Trunk Line
Gardermoen Line

The Dovre Line (Norwegian: Dovrebanen) is the name of a Norwegian railway line with at least three different meanings.

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 km 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 is the 158,1 km long Dombås - Støren section.[2]

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

Section Km Original Name Opened Remark Illustration
Oslo - Eidsvoll 64 Gardermobanen 1998 Replaced Hovedbanen
Eidsvoll - Hamar 59 Eidsvold-Hamarbanen 1880
Hamar - Tretten 88 Eidsvold-Trettenbanen 1894
Tretten - Otta 83 Eidsvold-Ottabanen 1896
Otta - Dombås 46 Eidsvold-Størenbanen/Syd 1913
Dombås - Støren 158 Dovrebanen 1921
Hjerkinn station at the Dovre Line, 1970
Støren - Trondheim 51 Trondhjem-Størebanen 1864 Narrow gauge until 1919, dual until 1921 [3]

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.[4] 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, before merging with the Røros Line again at Støren. There is one branch line, the Rauma Line which leaves the Dovre Line at Dombås.

Service

The Norwegian State Railways is the sole operator of passenger services on the Dovre Line. In each direction they operate four express trains between Oslo and Trondheim, of which two daily departures with the tilting Class 73 units, offering travel times down to 6:37, 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 InterCity Express trains from Lillehammer to Oslo. 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 government has plans for building double track on the section between Eidsvoll and Doknes and Minnesund–Kleverud–Steinsrud between 2010 and 2019, to increase the speed and capacity on the today very crowded section between Eidsvold and Hamar. There are also plans for new crossing sections and expand existing crossing sections to at least 600 meters. For a later introduction there are plans of double track all the way between Eidsvold and Lillehammer. The government has an ambition too do so by 2030.

External links

(note: most trains do not stop at the smaller stations)

Notes

  1. Bjerke & Holom, 2004, p. 75
  2. Bjerke & Holom, 2004, p.74-75
  3. Bjerke & Holom, 2004, p. 90
  4. Bjerke & Holom, 2004, p. 75

References

Bjerke, T. & Holom, F. (2004). Banedata 2004. Hamar/Oslo: Norsk Jernbanemuseum & Norsk Jernbaneklubb

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