Nordland Line

Nordland Line
An NSB Di 4 unit on the Nordland Line at Saltfjellet
Overview
Type	Railway
System	Norwegian railway
Termini	Trondheim Central Station Bodø Station
Stations	43
Operation
Opened	1882 (to Hell) 1962 (to Bodø)
Owner	Norwegian National Rail Administration
Operator(s)	Norges Statsbaner CargoNet Cargolink
Character	Long-haul passenger/freigh Commuter trains
Rolling stock	Class92, Class 93, Di 4, CD66
Technical
Line length	729 kilometres (453 mi)
No. of tracks	Single
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	No
Route map 728.75 km Bodø (1961) branch line to Dreyfushammaren 720.72 km Mørkved (1987) 719.38 km Støver (1962) 710.75 km Tverrlandet (1961) 704.00 km Oteråga (1962) 685.62 km Valnesfjord (2001) Sommarsetlia (ca. 2,000 m) Polar Line started during WWII 674.23 km Fauske (1958) Sulitjelma Line (abandoned) Finneid (1956) Tuva (ca. 1,400 m) Langrudodden (ca. 1,300 m) Skruhammaren (ca. 1,100 m) 660.12 km Setså (1958) Nonshøgda (ca. 1,000 m) 647.76 km Rognan (1958) branch line 634.44 km Røkland (1955) 627.00 km Rusåga (1955) 621.45 km Trettnes (1955) 610.80 km Kjemåga (1955) 602.15 km Lønsdal (1947) 592.42 km Semska (1947) Highest point 680 m asl 581.46 km Stødi (1947) 579.30 km Arctic Circle (1993–2004) 571.09 km Bolna (1947) 561.83 km Krokstrand (1947–1989) 552.17 km Hjartåsen (1947) 543.05 km Dunderland (1945) branch line to Ørtfjellmoen 535.49 km Ørtfjell (1945–1959) 534.63 km Ørtfjell (1983) 527.35 km Grønfjelldal (1942-1974) Dunderland Line start branch line to Storforsen 522.88 km Storforshei (1942) Illhollia (ca. 1,700 m) 512.65 km Skonseng (1942) 506.51 km Mjølalia (1942) 500.85 km Gullsmedvik (1942) branch line to Rana Gruber branch line to Mellomvika Mo i Rana Freight Terminal 497.98 km Mo i Rana (1942) branch line to Mo industripark 485.77 km Dalselv (1942) 473.05 km Finneidfjord (1942) 468.68 km Bjerka (1942) 464.85 km Røsså (1942) 458.82 km Selhornvik (1942) Hattneset (ca. 1,600 m) 447.61 km Elsfjord (1941) 440.77 km Dreyvatn (1941) 432.03 km Toven (1941) 425.21 km Drevja (1941) 423.31 km Forsmo (1946) industrial track to Arbor Mosjøen 419.49 km Holandsvika (1941) 414.62 km Søfting (1941–1989) Åsmulen (ca. 1,050 m) track to Mosjøen 406.01 km Mosjøen (1940) 393.78 km Kvalfors (1940) 378.63 km Laksfors (1940) 367.24 km Trofors (1940) 354.49 km Svenningdal (1940) 339.37 km Holmvassås (1940) 331.69 km Sefrivatn (1940) branch line to Sefrivatn pukkverk 321.74 km Majavatn (1940) 313.04 km Smalåsen (1940) 302.57 km Bjørnstad (1940) 290.25 km Namsskogan (1940) branch line branch line 277.27 km Brekkvasselv (1940) 266.05 km Flåtådal (1940) 254.64 km Lassemoen (1940) Folmerelva (ca. 90 m) 243.68 km Aunfoss (1940) 235.79 km Harran (1940) Gløshaugen (ca. 1,050 m) 228.66 km Gartland (1940) Husfjellet (ca. 2,600 m) 219.54 km Grong (1929) Namsos Line 199.06 km Lurudal (1929) 194.66 km Myrset (1929) 181.64 km Snåsa (1926) 173.57 km Jørstad (1926) Heggesbekk ( -1972) 154.10 km Valøy (1926) Tiltnes ( -1987) 136.66 km Sunnan (1905) 133.17 km Fossemvatnet (1909-1972) 130.34 km Byafossen (1905) branch line to Nordsidleiret (abandoned) 125.50 km Steinkjer (1905) branch line to Sørsidleiret port 118.76 km Vist (1905-1990) 114.84 km Mære (1917) 112.93 km Sparbu (1905) Vollan ( -1990) 105.47 km Røra (1905) Bjørga Fleskhus 96.23 km Verdal (1904) branch line to Verdal port 93.70 km Bergsgrav (1977) Rinnan sidespor 91.63 km Rinnan (1904) Østborg 85.18 km HiNT (2001) 84.54 km Elberg (1968) branch line to Havnevegen 83.90 km Levanger (1902) 83.30 km Sykehuset Levanger Eggen (1938) 76.01 km Skogn (1902) branch line to Fiborgtangen 69.65 km Ronglan (1902) 64.83 km Hammerberg (1939) 61.40 km Åsen (1902) 57.43 km Vudu (1950) 50.55 km Langstein (1902) 44.94 km Alstad (1902-1993) 41.90 km Skatval Vold 34.67 km Stjørdal (1902) branch line Trondheim Airport (1994) Sandferhus ( -1989) Meråker Line 31.54 km Hell (1881) 27.70 km Muruvik (1921) 27.68 branch line to Muruvika 25.10 km Solbakken (1959) branch line to Hommelvik port 23.75 km Homla (85.8 m) 23.14 km Hommelvik (1881) branch line to Hommelvik port 22.30 km Hallstad (1912) 20.36 km Roten 18.55 km Midtsandan (1898) 16.62 km Torp 15.90 km Nedre Malvik 15.53 km Haugan 14.77 km Malvik (1881) 13.76 km Vikhamarløkka 12.69 km Vikhammer (1893) 11.71 km Saksvik 11.08 km Hundhammeren Være 7.42 km Ranheim (1881) industrial track to Ranheim Papirfabrikk 6.63 km Presthus 4.91 km Charlottenlund (1899) 4.45 km Rotvoll (1909) 3.49 km Leangen (1881) Stavne–Leangen Line 2.91 km Ladalen (1989) 1.77 km Lilleby (1967) 1.02 km branch to Nedre Elvehavn 0.99 km Lademoen (1904) 0.00 km Trondheim S (1881)

The Nordland Line (Norwegian: Nordlandsbanen) is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø in Norway. Running for approximately 729 km, it is the Norwegian railway system's longest line, and the only one in Norway to cross the Arctic Circle. It is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. Though the Ofoten Line is further north, it only connects to the rest of the Norwegian network through Sweden.

Operations

The line originally split from the Meråker Line at Hell Station 31 kilometres (19 mi) north of Trondheim, but this stretch has been reclassified by the Norwegian National Rail Administration as part of the Nordland Line.^[1] After Hell the railway passes through the towns of Stjørdal, Levanger, Verdal, Steinkjer, Mosjøen, Mo i Rana and Fauske before reaching Bodø. The line has three branch lines: the Meråker Line (to Sweden), the Namsos Line and Sulitjelma Line. The latter two are currently disused and the Sulitjelma Line has been removed.

Unlike most of the Norwegian rail network, the Nordlands Line is not electrified. Passenger traffic is fairly heavy between Trondheim and Steinkjer through the commuter train service Trønderbanen, but is significantly lighter further north. Most passenger services are provided by diesel multiple units (DMU), while the night train service, conveying sleeping cars is locomotive-hauled. The use of DMUs on Norway's longest railway route has been somewhat controversial, given the lower level of comfort offered by this type of train. In February 2007, NSB announced reintroduction of traditional locomotive-hauled trains for the full distance day train.^[2]

History

The first part of the route towards Bodø, from Trondheim to Hell, was opened in 1882 as part of the Meråker Line, which links Trondheim to the Swedish border and the Swedish railway system (Mittbanan). The new Hell–Sunnan Line was built branching off from the Meråker Line reaching Levanger in 1902, Verdal in 1904 and Sunnan in 1905. It subsequently reached Snåsa in 1926 and Grong in 1929. The branch line from Grong to Namsos, the Namsos Line, was opened in 1933. Before the German invasion of Norway in 1940, the Nordland Line had reached Mosjøen. Construction continued under German supervision during the war, and by 1945 it had reached Dunderland. The section to Fauske opened in 1958 and the final part to Bodø opened in 1962. During the occupation Germany forces started building an extension of the railway from Fauske to Narvik, the Polar Line, but this was never completed during the war, and abandoned by Norwegian authorities afterwards.

During World War II, the Nordland Line was among the lines targeted by saboteurs, and the Jørstad River bridge sabotage in 1945 resulted in the deaths of 70–80 German troops.

External links

• Norwegian National Rail Administration's list of stations on the Nordland Line

References

1. ^ Norwegian National Rail Administration. "Jernbanefakta" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20071014193546/http://www.jernbaneverket.no/jernbanenettet/jernbane_nettet_i_tall/. Retrieved 2008-02-07. 
2. ^ Helgeland Arbeiderblad (2007-02-18). "Lok og vogner på Nordlandsbanen (Engine and carriages on the Nordland Railway)" (in Norwegian). http://www.helgeland-arbeiderblad.no/nyheter/article2593977.ece. 

The train station in Bodø

Bodø Station

Fauske Station

Rognan Station

Saltfjellet

Lønsdal Station

Bolna Station

Dunderland Station

Mo i Rana Station

Bjerka Station

Mosjøen Station

Trofors Station

Namsskogan Station

Lassemoen Station

Grong Station

Snåsa Station

Jørstad Station

Steinkjer Station

Verdal Station

Stjørdal Station

Trondheim Central Station