Valdres Line

The Valdres Line (Template:Langx) was a Norwegian railway that connected to the Gjøvik Line at Eina with Fagernes in the district of Valdres. The first stretch opened on 23 November 1902, and the entire route was operational on October 10, 1906. The line was shut down for regular traffic as of 1 January 1989.

The entire length of the line was Template:Convert. It connected the rural areas of Land and Valdres by rail to the main railroad network in Norway, including Oslo and international points beyond. Though there is no regular traffic on the line the Template:Convert stretch from Eina to Dokka is still permitted for trains and considered part of the national rail network.

History

The line was built by a private company, AS Valdresbanen, in four phases:

1. Eina to Dokka (approximately 47 km): regular traffic 28 November 1902
2. Dokka to Tonsåsen (31 km): 1 November 1903
3. Tonsåsen to Aurdal (18 km): 29 September 1906
4. Aurdal to Fagernes (13 km): 29 September 1906

In 1937, the Norwegian government through the Norwegian State Railways took over operations of the line, and in 1953 the line and equipment was modernized to the point that the trip from Oslo to Fagernes took 4.5 hours. In 1955 and 1956 tunnels were built at Høgberget and Tonsåsen, respectively. When Norwegian authorities decided to electrify half of the line distance of Norway in the 1950s and 60s, the Valdres Line was not chosen to be electrified, even though the Gjøvik Line was.

In 1985, a bus service was established between Oslo and Fagernes, reducing the number of annual passengers on the train line by 19,000. In 1988, the Norwegian legislature decided to shut down regular traffic on the Valdres Line while keeping the tracks between Eina and Leira open for purposes of national security. In 1989, a grassroots movement was started to keep the line, but to no avail. In 1991, the tracks between Leira and Fagernes were lifted (removed). A private company is formed to arrange chartered trips on the remaining railway.

Station number	Station name	Distance from						Altitude		Comments
		Eina		Oslo		Fagernes
		km	miles	km	miles	km	miles	m	ft
1621	Eina	–	–	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Connection with the Gjøvik Line
.	Bridge over Einavann	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	Length Template:Convert
.	Ra sidetrack	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	/
1700.01	Røste	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	established 1969, closed April 14, 1970
1700.02	Vestli	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	Closed 1952
1701	Trevatn	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Sp 01/07/59 u 07/01/68, hp/L ca/1970, closed January 1 89
1701.01	Halmrastsæter	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	(hp) 01/06/1969, closed 14/04/1970
1702	Skrukli	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	U 07/01/68, hp/L 05/08/83, closed January 1, 1989
1702.01	Opperud	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	closed 1952
1703	Fall	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Sp 07/01/68, u 10/06/68 hp/L 09/10/74, hp 15/11/84. Closed January 1, 1989
1703.01	Klinkenberg	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	(hp) 01/06/1969, closed 14/04/1970
1704	Hov	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	U/x January 1, 1989
1704.01	Kluke	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	closed 1939
1704.02	Gabrielstugua	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	(hp) 01/06/1969, closed 14/04/1970
1705	Bjørnerud	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	S 1949, Sp 05/05/1959, hp/L 01/09/1959 hp 14/05/1968, closed January 1, 1989
1705.01	Steinsvoll	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	(hp) 01/06/1969, closed 14/04/1970
..	Underpass riksvei 33	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	Concrete bridge, length Template:Convert
1706	Fluberg	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Sp 07/01/1968, u 10/06/1968, hp/L November 1987, closed January 1, 1989
1706.01	Kronborg	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	(hp) 01/06/1969, closed 14/04/1970
1707	Odnes	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Sp 07/01/1968, u 10/06/1968, u/g January 1, 1989, l...//
1707.01	Åvella	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	(hp) 01/06/1969, closed 14/04/197
1708	Dokka	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	S/g January 1, 1989
.	Bridge over Dølveita	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	length Template:Convert
.	Bridge over Dokka	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	length Template:Convert
1709	Nordsinni	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	U 07/01/1968, hp 24/11/1971, closed January 1, 1989
.	Håkonstad Tunnel	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	length Template:Convert
1710	Etna	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	U 07/01/1968, hp November 1987, closed January 1, 1989
.	Høgberget Tunnel	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	length Template:Convert
1711	Tonsåsen	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	U 01/08/1984, l January 1, 1989
1712	Bjørgo	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Sp 07/01/1968, closed January 1, 1989
1713	Aurdal	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Sp 07/01/1968, u January 1, 1983, hp November 1987, closed January 1, 1989
1714	Leira	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Sp 07/01/1968, u 10/06/1968, closed January 1, 1989
.	Fagernes Tunnel	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	Length Template:Convert, demolished fall of 1991
1715	Fagernes	Template:Convert	Template:Convert	–	–	Template:Convert	closed/ January 1, 1989

External links

• Valdres Line advocacy organization