Bergen Line
Westbound train east ofTungevatnet, betweenHaugastøl andFinse
Overview
Native name	Bergensbanen
Owner	Bane NOR
Termini	Hønefoss[1] Bergen[1]
Stations	39[2][3]
Service
Type	Railway
System	Norwegian railway
Operator(s)	Vy Tog CargoNet
Rolling stock	El 18
History
Opened	27 November 1909[4]
Technical
Line length	371 km (231 mi)[1]
Number of tracks	Single[1]
Character	Express trains Freight trains
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)[5]
Electrification	15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Operating speed	160 km/h (100 mph)
Highest elevation	1,237 metres (4,058 ft)[6]
Route map Distance Station Elevation km amsl For this part, see theGjøvik Line 0.0000 Oslo Central Station(Oslo S) (1854) For this part, see theDrammen Line A newRingerike Line is being planned Roa Station TheGjøvik Line continues to the north 52.8600 Drammen Station (1866) 2.2m FromDrammen toHønefoss, see theRandsfjord Line Hole Station a proposed station on the new line Junction ofRoa-Hønefoss Line andRandsfjord Line 89.5700 Hønefoss Station (1868) 96.8m Junction withRandsfjord Line (toHen)   Hønefoss toFlå 91.5000 Sørumtoppen Station (1954-1970) E16 highway 92.4900 Weksal Station (1930-1970) 93.1200 Ramsrud Station (1930-1970) 94.3300 Halsteinrud Station (1930-1970) 96.2200 Nøkleby Station (1915-1970) branch line to former Station Tveit Tunnel (115 m) 98.3800 Heggen Station (1930-1970) Heggen Bridge over riverHegga 99.4200 Østveme Station (1930-1970) 100.4500 Veme Station (1909-1986) 102.1000 Borglund Station (1930-1970) 102.5700 Fonkalsrud Station (1930-1970) Fonkalsrud Bridge over the river Væla (20 m) 103.3800 Jonsrud Station (1930-1970) 104.7300 Garhammer Station (1930-1970) 106.5700 Bårnås Station (1913-1970) 107.9500 Evjen Station (1930-1970) 109.2500 Skraperud Station (1930-1970) branch line toSoknabruket 110.1600 Lofthus Station (1930-1970) Sokna Bridge over the riverSogna (34 m) 111.9900 Sokna Station (1909-1988, freight only since 1988) 113.8000 Kroksrud Station (1934-1982) Ulsrud Tunnel (106 m) Rud Tunnel (31 m) 115.1000 Grindbakken Station (1930-1982) Juvet Tunnel (163 m) 116.5400 Juve Station (1932-1982) Store Langevassoset Tunnel (331 m) Lille Langevassoset Tunnel (38 m) 117.6000 Langevassoset Station (1949-1982) 120.6000 Rallerud Station (1914-1984) 123.1400 Hansomplass Station (1930-1982) 125.2000 Haversting Station (1930-1982) Haversting Tunnel (2,300 m) Øvre lille Ørgenvika Tunnel (66 m) Nedre lille Ørgenvika Tunnel (120 m) 128.2800 Ørgenvika Station (1909-1982) Lange Ørgenvika Tunnel (193 m) Trolldalen Tunnel (634 m) 129.7000 Trolldalen Station (1986) Nedre Trolldal Tunnel (153 m) Dragonbråten Tunnel (123 m) Start—Old Line Øvre Lindelia Tunnel (73 m) Midtre Lindelia Tunnel (39 m) Lindelia Tunnel (872 m) Nedre Lindelia Tunnel (211 m) End—Old Line Rugbråten Tunnel (205 m) 136.5300 Sønsteby Station (1930-1982) 138.7400 Trommald Station (1931-1982) 140.7800 Gulsvik Station (1907-1986) Gulsvik Tunnel (1,002 m) Store Haremo Tunnel (415 m) Lille Haremo Tunnel (63 m) 147.4000 Flatsjø Station (1930-1982) 149.6700 Buøyni Station (1935-1982) Flå Tunnel (30 m) 152.0000 Flå Station (1907) 155.0m   Flå toNesbyen   Bridge over the riverSaulidelva (24 m) 153.8900 Hei Station (1935-1982) 156.0000 Kvie Station (1930-1982) 156.6000 Jorde Station (1947-1982) Østre Gaptjernnatten Tunnel (28 m) Vestre Gaptjernnatten Tunnel (48 m) 159.8700 Austvoll Station (1907-1984) Mælebråten Tunnel (56 m) Tjærenatten Tunnel (247 m) Østre Kolsrud Tunnel (340 m) 163.9700 Kolsrud Station (1914-1982) Midtre Kolsrud Tunnel (26 m) Vestre Kolsrud Tunnel (48 m) Nøbb Tunnel (98 m) Kleven Tunnel (35 m) Rauk Tunnel (90 m) 169.9700 Bergheim Station (1913-1984) Sevre Tunnel (291 m) 171.6000 Velta Station (1938-1982) Geitsund Tunnel (64 m) Børtnes Tunnel (71 m) Løvik Tunnel (22 m) 173.7700 Bromma Station (1907-1984) Gråsult Tunnel (57 m) Nordhagen Tunnel (51 m) 176.6400 Støa Station (1936-1982) 178.8300 Liodden Station (1913-1984) Blingsmo Tunnel (60 m) Heggen bridge over the riverTodøla (25 m) 182.7600 Grønna Station (1931-1982) 185.4200 Nesbyen Station (1907) 168.8m 191.7500 Gunnbjørnsdokk Station (1930-1982) Svenkerud Bridge over the riverHallingdalselva (53 m) Rv7 (ca. 15 m) 194.5800 Svenkerud Station (1914-1984) 199.9200 Eikle Station (1935-1982) 202.3800 Gol Station (1907) 207.4m   Gol toÅl Øynestrond road crossing 210.7800 Rotneim Station (1930-1982) 213.1500 Trillhus Station (1931-1982) 217.8500 Torpo Station (1907) 326.6m 221.4000 Torpemoen Station (1958-1982) 223.6700 Sando Station (1931-1982) 225.1700 Jegermoen Station (1954-1982) 228.2100 Ål Station (1907) 436.6m   Ål toHaugastøl 241.5600 Hol Station (1907-1983) Svenkerud bridge over the riverUsta (41.4 m) 247.5200 Breidfoss Station (1931-1949) 250.8700 Bardøla Station (1947-1949) 252.7400 Geilo Station (1907) 794.2m Såbal Tunnel (313 m) Smettbak Bridge (14 m) Ustaoset Tunnel (101 m) 264.6700 Ustaoset Station (1912) 990.6m Karistøl Tunnel (37 m) 275.5000 Haugastøl Station (1908) 988.0m   Crossing theHardangervidda plateau Start—Old Line (closed–1993) Gråskallen Tunnel (2,710 m) Tungapassing loop 288.7000 Tunga Station (1911-1993) End—Old Line Bridge overØvsta Storurevatnet lake Kongsnut Tunnel (426 m) Tunnel (618 m) 302.1000 Finse Station (1908) 1222.2m Start—Old Line (closed–1993) Finsetunnelen (10,300 m) 1,237m 309.5100 Fagernutpassing loop Låghellerhøgdene Tunnel (850 m) 318.5700 Høgheller End—Old Line Øvre Høgda Tunnel (143 m) Nedre Høgda Tunnel (80 m) Øvre Høgheller Tunnel (106m) Nedre Høgheller Tunnel (154 m) Øvre Midtstua Tunnel (55 m) Nedre Midtstua Tunnel (55 m) Skara Tunnel (66 m) Skomå Tunnel (52 m) Hallingskeid Tunnel (111 m) 322.8000 Hallingskeid Station (1908) 1110.1m Østre Hallingskeid Tunnel (103 m) Vestre Hallingskeid Tunnel (78 m) Grøndalshalsen Tunnel (265 m) Øvre Tjoadal Tunnel (486 m) Midtre Tjoadal Tunnel (41 m) Nedre Tjoadal Tunnel (72 m) Øvre Grøndalen Tunnel (242 m) Nedre Grøndalen Tunnel (163 m) Klevefeten Tunnel (154 m) Kleven Tunnel (136 m) Kleva bridge over the riverMoldåa (30 m) Klevenosi Tunnel (126 m) Øvre Lillekleven Tunnel (54 m) Nedre Lillekleven Tunnel (146 m) Seltuft Tunnel (45 m) Øvre Seltuftberg Tunnel (279 m) Nedre Seltuftberg Tunnel (96 m) Øvre Bodladal Tunnel (55 m) Nedre Bodladal Tunnel (21 m) Reinunga Tunnel (1,820 m) Styvedalen Tunnel (65 m) Lille Geithammer Tunnel (76 m) Midtre Geithammer Tunnel (39 m) Store Geithammer Tunnel (584 m) Myrdalsleite Tunnel (31 m) Junction toFlåm Line 335.8000 Myrdal Station (1908) 866.8m   Myrdal toMjølfjell Gravhal Tunnel (5,311 m) 342.1500 Upsete Station (1908) 850.2m Upsete Tunnel (430 m) Rustedal Tunnel (79 m) 344.8000 Vieren Station (1948) Langvannsoset Tunnel (115 m) Øvre Ørneberget Tunnel (140 m) Nedre Ørneberget Tunnel (76 m) 347.5000 Ørneberget Station (1958) Kleivane Tunnel (1,220 m) Ljosandal Tunnel (253 m) 349.3700 Ljosanbotn Station (1948) Helle Tunnel (29 m) Rjoandal Tunnel (229 m) 354.2200 Mjølfjell Station (1908) 627.2m   Mjølfjell toVossevangen Almenningen Tunnel (15 m) Grytestølen Tunnel (70 m) 357.5500 Eggjareid Station (1936) 359.8000 Volli Station (1936-2012) Øvre Vold Tunnel (59 m) Midtre Vold Tunnel (78 m) Nedre Vold Tunnel (28 m) 362.7300 Reimegrend Station (1908) 464.6m Store Skiple Tunnel (564 m) 366.3000 Skiple Station (1931) Lille Skiple Tunnel (150 m) 369.4000 Øyeflaten Station Bø Tunnel (89 m) 371.5200 Urdland Station (1908) Urdland Tunnel (545 m) 304.0m Rastadlia I Tunnel (57 m) Rastadlia II Tunnel (229 m) Rastadlia III Tunnel (248 m) Rastadlia IV Tunnel (313 m) 375.9000 Kløve Station (1908) 379.0300 Ygre Station (1908) 168.0m Ygre Tunnel (62 m) 381.5600 Gjerdåker Station Tvilde Tunnel (338 m) Bridge over the riverStrandelva (59m) Bridge over theE16 highway (15 m) 385.3200 Voss Station (1883) 56.5m   Vossevangen toEvanger Hardanger Line (closed) Palmafoss Station (1935) Start—Old Line (closed–1990) Kvålsåsen Tunnel (4,923 m) Djukastein Station (1936-1990) End—Old Line 393.3800 Bulken Station (1883) Bulken Tunnel (705 m) E16 highway (ca. 30 m) Bridge over the riverVosso (48 m) 396.1600 Seimsgrend Station (1936) Ho Tunnel (710 m) 399.8000 Saghaug Station (1936-1991) Skorve Tunnel (7 m) 403.6600 Evanger Station (1883) Start—Old Line (closed–1962) Hærnes Tunnel (3,336 m) End—Old Line Kattegjelet Tunnel (529 m) Kattegjel Viaduct Tunnel (19 m) Lillevik Tunnel (292 m) 410.2400 Jørnevik Station (1936) Røvstona Tunnel (542 m) 414.1300 Bolstadøyri Station (1883) Start—Old Line (closed–1987) Bolstad Tunnel (110 m) Trollkona Tunnel (8,043 m) Verpelstad Station Dalseid Station End—Old Line 425.2900 Dale Station Holhøyden Tunnel (73 m) 425.2900 Dale Station (1883) 43.4m Dalegården Spur Dalebrygga Tunnel (475 m) Daleura Tunnel (29 m) 430.0000 Hellestræ Station (1936-1991) Start—PlannedArne-Stanghelle Project Stanghelle Bridge (32.8 m) New Stanghelle Station 432.2200 Stanghelle Station (1883) 440.5300 Vaksdal Station Hetta Tunnel (1,243 m) 435.6200 Fossmarkli Station (1936) Lille Fossmark I Tunnel (38 m) Lille Fossmark II Tunnel (93 m) Store Fossmark Tunnel (742 m) Skreien I Tunnel (300 m) Skreien II Tunnel (662 m) 440.5300 Vaksdal Station (1883) 16.0m Vaksdal Bridge (22 m) New Vaksdal Station Vaksdal Tunnel (180 m) Boge I Tunnel (70 m) Boge II Tunnel (81 m) 442.3600 Bogegrend Station (1938) 452.4100 Trengereid Station Gamle Vossebanen (old path along the fjord) Bogelia hvelv I Tunnel (92 m) Bogelia hvelv II Tunnel (37 m) Bogelia hvelv III Tunnel (30 m) Bogelia hvelv IV Tunnel (83 m) Bogelia hvelv V Tunnel (109 m) Kjenes Tunnel (410 m) Hananipa Tunnel (6,096 m) Trengereid Spur Tunnel (54 m) 452.4100 Trengereid Station (1883) Trengereid I Tunnel (83 m) Sunnes bekk Tunnel (83 m) Trengereid II Tunnel (116 m) Slåttabekk Tunnel (20 m) Risnes I Tunnel (26 m) Risnes II Tunnel (92 m) Risnes III Tunnel (291 m) 453.7800 Risneset Station (1935-1991) Romslo I Tunnel (581 m) Romslo II Tunnel (377m) 455.1300 Romslo Station (1935-1991) Songstad I Tunnel (583 m) Songstad II Tunnel (330 m) Songstad III Tunnel (295 m) Gamle Vossebanen (old path along the fjord) Herland Tunnel (781 m) 458.6300 Takvam Station (1966-2012) Takvam Tunnel (251 m) Tunestveidt Tunnel (61 m) 459.3600 Tunestveit Junction (Gamle Vossebanen) Arnanipa Tunnel (2,190 m) End—PlannedArne-Stanghelle Project 461.9300 Arna nye Station (1964) 8.0m Ulriken Tunnel (7,670 m) Bridge over the road Kalfarveien (68 m) E39 highway branch line to Solheim onGamle Vossebanen 471.2500 Bergen Station (1913) 3.9m Nygårdstangen terminal Nygårdsparken Havnebane nord (1421 m, 1921) 471.0000 Bergen Station (1913) 3.9m Dokken branch line toSkutevik Skoltegrunnskaien This diagram: view talk edit

TheBergen Line, or theBergen Railway (Bokmål:Bergensbanen orNynorsk:Bergensbana), is a 371-kilometre (231 mi) longscenicstandard gauge railway line betweenBergen andHønefoss,Norway.^[1] The name is often applied to the entire route from Bergen toOslo, including theRandsfjord andDrammen lines between Hønefoss and Oslo, covering a total distance of 496 kilometres (308 mi).^[7] It is the highest mainline railway line in Northern Europe,^[8] crossing theHardangervidda plateau at 1,237 metres (4,058 ft) above sea level.^[6]

The railway opened from Bergen toVoss in 1883 as thenarrow gaugeVoss Line. In 1909, the route was continued over the mountain to Oslo and the whole route converted tostandard gauge, and the Voss Line became part of the Bergen Line.^[9] The line issingle track,^[1] and waselectrified in 1954–64.^[10] The Bergen Line is owned and maintained byBane NOR, and served with passenger trains byVy Tog and freight trains byCargoNet. TheFlåm Line remains as the only branch line, after the closure of theHardanger Line.^[1] The western section from Bergen to Voss is also served by theBergen Commuter Rail, and was shortened following the 1966 opening of theUlriken Tunnel.

The first documented proposal for building a railway between Norway's two largest cities was announced byAndreas Tanberg Gløersen on 24 August 1871 inBergensposten. The forest supervisor in Voss suggested building the railway via Voss andHallingdal, connecting with theKrøderen Line. In 1866, Gløersen had come up with the idea of theJæren Line. Within days of his proposal for the Bergen Line, the city council expressed support for the suggestion. In 1872, the railway directorCarl Abraham Pihl and two engineers went on a survey tour along suggested line.^[11] At the time it was common that proposals for railways came from local initiative, and that local municipalities and private investors would then pay for about 20% of the investments, the state covering the rest, mostly throughforeign debt.^[12]

On 20 October 1871 two engineers traversed the two possible routes from Bergen to Voss; the one viaFana,Os andHardangerfjord, the other viaDale andSørfjord. Though covering a less populated area, the latter would be cheaper to build, and have less elevation. A railway committee was created on 25 January 1872 with a limited mandate, which was expanded on 20 December. At the same time there was a dispute between theMinistry of Labour and Pihl about whether to prioritize the Bergen Line, but in July 1872 surveys were performed in person by Pihl and two engineers, and their report was positive. At the same time he launched the idea of a branch line upValdres toLærdal.^[13]

By 1873, an agreement had been reached as to theright-of-way to Voss, but not onwards towards Oslo. On 13 January 1874, the Bergen city council started issuing stock for the Voss Line, to begin with 400,000Norwegian speciedaler (NOK 1.6 million^{[as of?]}) were issued. In the1873 parliamentary election the railway supporterPeter Jebsen was elected, spending the next few years furiously defending the railway.Parliament chose to not issue new railway projects in the 1874 session, and instead adopt a complete plan for all railway construction in the country—to be proposed by a committee. When the committee reported on 20 March 1875, the Voss Line was not included since it could not show a higher profitability than 1%. During the 1875 session there was not a majority for the Voss Line, partially due to the lack of capital available from local investors. This was based on a claim fromJohan Jørgen Schwartz, the chairman of the committee, that the investment costs were underestimated. This was countered byNils Henrik Bruun, a constructor from Bergen, who was willing to construct all tunnels on the railway for less than the budgeted sum. When Jebsen in addition was willing to act as personal guarantee for Bruun in case of his death, the majority in the parliament shifted. On 9 June 1875 parliament voted with 61 against 42 to build the Voss Line.^[14]

The Voss Line was built with narrow gauge,1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in). The first parts of the construction started in December 1875, while the largest part started in March 1876. During the winter the engineers had done the last finesses on the plans. At any given time at least 800 men worked on construction,^[15] and at the peak 1,800 men were employed.^[16] They worked 12 hours per day, for which they had a daily wage of NOK 2.55, the highest wage fornavvies in the country.^[17] To a large extent the labor came from Sweden, who had just finished theNorway/Vänern Line and had an excess of skilled labor for construction. This import of labor had the effect of pumping money into the local economy, and several taverns were built along the line. There were some accidents, and several deaths among the workers.^[18]

The construction work was finished in 1882 and some test services began, though not scheduled until the spring of 1883. Official opening commenced on 11 July 1883. Many of the navvies settled on Vossebanen after construction, and started working for theNorwegian State Railways (NSB) on the operation of the line.^[19]

By the time the Voss Line was completed Norway had entered arecession. Parliament was not willing to give more money to railways, and the country had to make do with a transport plan launched in 1886 that did not follow up with any funding. On 1 March 1894 parliament after five days of debate chose, with 60 against 53 votes, to build the Bergen Line.^[20] Several different routes had been proposed, including overKrøderen, or downNumedal (where theNumedal Line would later be built). In the end Hallingdal was chosen, connecting to Hønefoss and on to Oslo via Sandvika. To save costs a preliminary line would connect Hønefoss toRoa with the branchRoa–Hønefoss Line. The final line would run along theGjøvik Line to Oslo. The line would also connect to the rest of the network via theRandsfjorden Line at Hønefoss.

Local financing was ready within a year, yet it took six years to survey the line properly, and construction start had to wait until 1901.^[21] Construction started with the building of roads to get in supplies to the construction sites, completed in 1902. The construction was exceptionally challenging, taking place at high altitudes in a region without roads and with a climate that saw many metres of snow in the winter and temperatures far below freezing.^[22] 113 tunnels, totaling 28 kilometres (17 mi) had to be built; the longest, the 5,311-metre (17,425 ft)Gravehalsen Tunnel, alone costing NOK 3 million and was the longest tunnel north of the Alps. It took six years to build, and had to be excavated manually through solidgneiss.^[23] Laying of track was started in 1906, and in 1907 the two groups, both having started at their own end, met at Ustaoset. A small celebration was held at the spot (see image).

It had been decided that the Bergen Line, unlike the Voss Line, was to be built withstandard gauge. So, the newly laid line from Bergen to Voss had to be converted in time for the opening of the Bergen Line. This was especially challenging because of the continuous traffic on the line, with 36 departures per day to Nesttun, six to Garnes and four to Voss. In preparation a few curves had to be straightened, the tunnels widened and the bridges strengthened. On the night of 10–11 August 1904 all the track was changed and in the morning the trains could operate on standard gauge to Voss.^[24]

The first services started on 1 July 1907 from Voss toMyrdal. An official opening train attempted to cross part of the line toGulsvik on 9 December 1907, but got stuck in heavy snow and had to return. The railway had to close and it took one and a half months to clear it of snow. Even arotary snowplow at 750 kW was not powerful enough to get rid of the snow. A new attempt to open the line in 1908 succeeded, and a train ran from Gulsvik to Bergen. The line from Roa to Gulsvik was still under construction, so passage was along theDrammen Line via theKrøder Line with ship overKrøderen to Gulsvik. The first scheduled train fromOslo West Station to Bergen departed on 10 June 1908.^[25]

On 25 November 1909 a train en route from Bergen rolled intoOslo Østbanestasjon, and two days later the railway was officially opened at Voss.King Haakon VII stated upon the opening that the line was the Norwegian engineering masterpiece of his generation.^[26]

InWorld War II, during theGerman occupation of Norway, it was a demanding time for theNorwegian State Railways as a whole.^[27] This railway line was also very busy. The track was in heavy use for both German military and civilian transportation, and much of the equipment and maintenance was lacking.

On 28 February 1944, a descending eastbound freight train loaded with oil and petrol lost its braking power and became a runaway train, finally ploughing into a westbound passenger train at Breifoss, just east ofGeilo. The crash and subsequent fire killed 25 civilians and an unknown number of German soldiers. Poor lubrication oil combined with the cold weather is believed to have caused the accident.^[28][29][30]

With Norway's abundance ofhydroelectricity and the high cost of importing coal to run the steam locomotives, there was considerable economic benefit to be realised by electrifying the line. Plans for theelectrification of the line had existed since the line was opened. In 1912 the line from Nesttun to Bergen was proposed electrified and rebuilt to double track,^[31] following the opening of the electrifiedThamshavn Line in 1908.^[9] During the planning of theHardanger Line and the Flåm Line during the 1930s it was again proposed to electrify the line. However, although both the branch lines were built with electric traction, the main line was not. Counter-suggestions were raised proposing a conversion to the locomotives running onoil orcoal dust. In 1939 a plan for national electrification was launched, and the Voss Line was top priority. But the breakout of World War II set the plans back, and not until the 1950s was it again possible to afford such investments.^[32] Vossebanen took electric traction into use on 2 July 1954.^[9] The electricity is supplied via an overhead line.

In 1952 a new plan was launched by parliament to electrify 1,153 kilometres (716 mi) of railway, with the line from Voss to Hønefoss prioritized fourth. This section of the line was considered "difficult" because of tight curves, difficult track alignment; and also that theOverhead line might be vulnerable to bad weather, particularly snow and ice. A test 16.5KV transformer was set up at Finse to see if the catenary could be kept ice-free, and it could.^[33]

The following year NSB launched the "away with the steam" campaign that would replace allsteam locomotives with electric ordiesel traction. Since electrification was not imminent, theNSB introduced diesel traction on the Bergen Line in 1958.^[34] The line was electrified in four stages, from Roa to Hønefoss on 1 February 1961, from Hønefoss to Ål on 1 December 1962, from Ål to Ustaoset on 15 December 1963 and finally from Ustaoset to Voss on 7 December 1964.^[9] As the point of electrification moved across the mountain, so did the point NSB changed locomotive on the train. The new locomotiveEl 13 was put into service on the electric parts. The electrification cost NOK 143 million.^[35]

The express trains have as one of the main lines always been allocated the newest locomotives by NSB. When theEl 14 was delivered in 1968,^[36] it was put into service on Bergensbanen, as was theEl 16 in 1977,^[37] theEl 17 in 1981,^[38] and finally theEl 18 in 1996.^[39] The older locomotives have been relegated to freight service. In 2000electric multiple units were put into service with theClass 73tilting trains, branded as Signatur and capable of 210 kilometres per hour (130 mph). However, they cannot be used at those speeds on any part of the Bergen Line, and only some parts of theAsker Line and around Finse can they operate quicker than the other rollingstock used.^[40] There has also been reason to doubt their winter capability on the very demanding Bergen Line. Occasionally they have been stuck in the snow,^[41] and on 21 February 2007, a multiple unit derailed after running into a pack of snow.^[42] As refurbished carriages become available, the multiple units will be removed from the line, and replaced by traditional locomotive-hauled trains.^[43]

The Norwegian State Railways (Norwegian:Norges Statsbaner orNSB), agovernment agency / directorate, was the state-owned railway organisation which operated the majority of the railway network in Norway between 1883 and the end of 1996.

On 1 December 1996, Norwegian State Railways (NSB) was demerged to create three organisations:^[44]

• the infrastructure operatorNorwegian National Rail Administration;
• theNorwegian Railway Inspectorate;
• and the train operator (Norwegian:Norges Statsbaner BA) (Norwegian State Railways BA or NSB): theBA indicating a limited liability company without shares. The name and logo "NSB" continued to be used by the train operator Norges Statsbaner BA.

On 1 January 2017, as part of the railway reforms:^[44]

• the Norwegian National Rail Administration was split intoBane NOR, the government agency responsible for railway infrastructure; and theNorwegian Railway Directorate, a government agency having strategic responsibility of the railway network;
• the (Norwegian:Norges Statsbaner BA), (Norwegian State Railways BA), orNSB BA, changed from a limited liability company without shares to one that had shares, so theBA became anAS. The new names were: (Norwegian:Norges Statsbaner AS) orNSB AS: theAS indicating that it was now alimited company with a share holding.
• On 24 April 2019NSB was renamedVygruppen and rebranded asVy.^[45]

In September 1954, Rieber suggested a package for the politicians, where he would create a company that would borrow money to build both the Ulriken Tunnel, a shortening of the line from Hønefoss to Sandvika (the "proposed"Ringerike Line) and electrify the railway. This would save 64 kilometres (40 mi).^[46] Since NSB based their fares on the route length travelled, financing would be covered by a surcharge equal to the distance saved; ticket price would remain the same and within twenty years the debt would be covered. The government opposed the suggestion — the newspaper editor andNorwegian Labour Party politicianTrygve Bratteli commenting that even though the financing was private, it would still have to use the same funding as government debt, and would jeopardize other projects, like theNordland Line.^[47]

Shortly afterwards a revised plan, the "Little Rieberplan" was accepted.^[46] The first 32 kilometres (20 mi) of the line from Bergen to Takvam represented a very roundabout way, and it was clear that it would be possible to reduce the line by 21 kilometres (13 mi) with the construction of three single-track tunnels,Ulriken Tunnel (7,660 metres or 25,130 feet),Arnanipa Tunnel (2,177 metres or 7,142 feet) and Tunestveit Tunnel (40 metres or 130 feet).^[48] This plan was approved by parliament in 1956, based on private financing from the businessmanFritz Rieber. Construction started in 1959 with the tunnels being finished in 1963, while track laying was finished on 29 May 1964, when the first train entered the tunnel.^[49] As the new tunnel line deviated from the original line near Arna, a newArna station had to be constructed adjacent to the tunnel mouth. This also opened in May 1964. The opening of this tunnel meant that it replaced part of the original and that part was no longer needed as a main line. It became a heritage line: theOld Voss Line (Norwegian:Gamle Vossebanen).

As of May 2nd 2024 there is double track service between Bergen central station and Arna station.

In January 2016,Norwegian National Rail Administration had plans for doubling the Ultriken tunnel, but it was abolished at the end of that year.Bane NOR who took over the responsibilities for the network, authorised its contractors to start building a second single-track tunnel through the mountain adjacent to the 1960s tunnel. It was to be constructed in a number of main contracts: the first was boring the single-bore 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi)) tunnel, which began in January 2016, and was completed on 29 August 2017.^[50] The second was the installation of the infrastructure: installing the rails in the form of a castfixed track; the overhead catenary; a tunnel drainage system; installing a remotely-controlled signalling system both in the tunnel and atArna station, to replace the manually controlled system at Arna station that has been in use since 1964; and upgrading half of Arna station.^[51] The new tunnel opened on 13 December 2020 and the signalling system was linked into the train control centre in Bergen.^[51]

Because of space constraints at Arna station, due to the need to move trains between platforms within the station, the new tunnel has a double portal at Arna station and is double-tracked for a short distance, before combining into a single running track.

Bane NOR awarded a contract to Grupo Azvi to refurbish the old 1960s tunnel, with work due to start in February 2021 and due to finish in June 2023.^[51] The requirement is do this refurbishment without lifting the existing rail track.^[52] As part of this work it will be fire-proofed; two diagonal tunnels at the Arna end are to be blasted between the old and the new tunnels to allow trains to switch from one to the other; as well as blasting 16 other common interconnections for escape and for installing infrastructure.

Double running will only be achieved when the refurbishment of the old 1960s tunnel is complete; and the second half of Arna station, linked to the old tunnel has been rebuilt. To obtain the full benefit of this work, it is intended to double the track all the way from the tunnel to Bergen.^[51]

In 1980, theOslo Tunnel was opened, allowing trains along the Drammen Line to go to the newOslo Central Station, an upgrade of the former Oslo Ø. As a consequence of this, passenger trains were since the late 1980s rerouted via Drammen instead of via Roa, following theDrammen Line and the Randsfjord Line to Hønefoss. This allows the trains to pass through more densely populated areas and on trackage with more capacity. However, the change of route actually increased the length between the two termini by 23 kilometres (14 mi). But the better track standard via Drammen results in about the same travel time. Freight trains still goes via Roa.^[53]

v t e Haugastøl–Hallingskeid
Legend
km elev (M) or length (m) inmetres Bergen Line toGol 275.50 Haugastøl 1908 988.0 M new line via Gråskallen Tunnel 288.70 Tunga Buskerud County boundary new line Vestland 302.10 Finse 1908 1,222.2 M new line via Finse Tunnel 1993 306.90 Finsenunten 1,237 M 312.28 Kvinå 1959 313.00 Taugevatn 1,300 M c.300 m c.850 m 318.57 Høgheller junction 322.80 Hallingskeid 1908 1,110.1 M Bergen Line toVoss km elev (M) or length (m) inmetres

During winter NSB had large costs keeping the line snow-free. Large diesel-electric snowploughs were stationed atFinse, and tens of kilometers ofsnow sheds were built on the most vulnerable parts. Especially the 22 kilometres (14 mi) part betweenFinse Station andHallingskeid was a drain on resources, and heavy snowfall and drifts regularly closed the entire line. A solution was proposed by NSB's directorRobert Nordén in 1984, involving construction of a 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) tunnel between the two stations.^[54] In the tunnel there had to be a 900 metres (3,000 ft) longpassing loop, to ensure even distances between passing loops along the line.

In 1989 theParliament of Norway approved the plans, including the upgrade of part of the line east of Finse. In total NOK 750 million was invested in rebuilding 32 kilometres (20 mi) of line, shortening it by 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi). At the same time the permitted speed could be increased from 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) to 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph). The tunnel opened on 16 June 1992 while the rest of the upgrades opened in five steps between 1995 and 1998. The highest point on the line, previously at 1,301 metres (4,268 ft), became 1,237 metres (4,058 ft)—located inside the tunnel.^[54] After the tunnel opened, the Finse snow removal facility was closed.^[55]

Snow drifts and harsh weather (see "Construction of the Bergen Line" section above) had been a problem in the higher-altitude regions of the Bergen line: in one case causing the abandonment of an official opening in December 1909. Hallingskied station is a station built on theHardangervidda plateau, within an area without population or road access, at an elevation of 1,110 meters (3,640 ft) abovemean sea level. The station therefore serves trekkers and mountaineers.

The first station, built in the early 1900s, did not have asnow tunnel when it opened, but snow tunnels and snow fences were progressively added after the autumn of 1909 to cover the running line, thepassing loop and the station itself. Part of the snow tunnel caught fire in 1948 and spread to the station; and, there was another fire in the snow tunnel in 1953. Yet another fire in 1960, this time external to the tunnel, caused the loss of the snow tunnel; the railway station, which was rebuilt in 1970; and the station hotel, which was not replaced.

On 16 June 2011, a possible welding accident may have been the "cause behind a fire" in the snow tunnel atHallingskeid Station. The fire led to the complete destruction of all infrastructure in the snow tunnel, the twinClass 73electric multiple unit trapped in the tunnel as the electrical supply to thecatenary failed; andTelenor telephone cables and communications systems in the area. There were no injuries to the passengers, but they lost all their belongings left behind in the train. This closed the line for seven-days betweenMyrdal andFinse; and through traffic on the Bergen line did not reopen until the evening of 23 June 2011.^[56] The official accident report, published in May 2012 by theNorwegian Safety Investigation Authority was unable to establish a clear and demonstrable direct cause for the fire: but they stated that the highest risks wereHot work, electrical installations, or hot particles from trains.^[57]

The Bergen Line as a through line is used for up to five express trains operated by Norwegian State Railways, as well as freight trains byCargoNet. From Myrdal to Bergen there are commuter rail services operated by NSB.

The total distance from Oslo to Bergen via Drammen is 493 kilometres (306 mi), while the Bergen Line proper is 372 kilometres (231 mi).^[1] The line has 182 tunnels,^[1] totaling ca. 73 kilometres (45 mi), of which ten are over 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi).^[58]Finse Station remains the highest elevated station at 1,222.2 metres (4,010 ft), while the highest point is now in the Finse Tunnel at 1,237 metres (4,058 ft).^[6]

SectionOslo –Drammen see

→ Main article:Drammenbanen

SectionDrammen –Hønefoss see

→ Main article:Randsfjordbanen

Hønefoss inStorelva (Ringerike) valley is left by the line northwest into theSogna valley, where the route uses its northern valley flanks toSokna. To get to theKrøderen (lake) valley, Bergen Line followsRudselva, passes byLangevannet andBreidvannet lakes and also through the 2.3 kilometerHaversting tunnel, which runs parallel to theNorwegian National Road 7, (Riksvei 7),Ørgenvik tunnel.Hallingdal valley is used as a natural corridor further north-west, mostly on the left river bank, serving the larger settlements ofFlå andNesbyen. AtSvenkerud to the north of Nesbyen the valley flank is changed. Southwestbound toGol, the ascent becomes gradually steeper in the following section toGeilo.

TheHardangervidda is actually crossed behind Geilo. Located in the valley of one of the two upper tributaries of Hallingdalselva, theUsteåne, the railway line runs alongside a number of smaller lakes to the culmination point nearFinse. Before Finse, the 2.7 kilometer longGråskallen tunnel at Haugastøl station is the first important improvement of the section. Immediately after the highest station Finse, the more than 10 kilometer longFinsetunnel was built, which replaced the original open route at over 1200 meters above sea level. AtHøgheller junction, the new line merges back into the original road, which runs along the northern flank of theMoldåtal with numerous enclosures. After bridging the river and thus changing the traveled on side of the valley, the route passes bySeltuftvatnet andReinungavatnet lakes. Behind that,Myrdal andFlåmsbana is reached.

With the followingGravhals tunnel, more than five kilometers long, the mountain massif to thecatchment area of theVosso is pierced: Now the railway line, built partly high on the northern flanks of the valleys, uses the merging upper valleys of theUppsetf, theKleielva and theRaundalselva westwards until lakeVangsvatnet inVoss Municipality is reached.

From here, theVosso valley corridor is used on its northern flank as far asBulken station. AtBolstadøyri, where theAtlantic Ocean is reached by its branchBolstadfjord, the route crosses over to the southern valley flank. With the more than eight kilometer longTrollkona Tunnel, opened in 1987, the route reaches lowerBergsdal andDale (Vaksdal).Trollkona had become necessary due to the expansion of theEuropean route E16 (main road connection betweenOslo andBergen) alongside the Bolstadfjord using partly the old railway line substructure. South of Dale, atStanghelle, theVeafjord, which merges into theSørfjord (Osterøy), is reached. On its south-east bank, the route toHerland passes by theOsterøy Bridge. Worth mentioning is the six kilometer longHananipa tunnel betweenVaksdal andTrengereid, which was put into operation in 1970 as line improvement. The 2.2 kilometer longArnanipa tunnel is located behindHerland, immediately followed by the 7.6 kilometer longUlriken Tunnel, by which the original, much longer, route viaNesttun could be shortened in 1964. Having reached the urban area ofBergen, the route follows a short part of the old line to theBergen terminus.

Vy Tog operates a commuter rail service from Bergen with two hourly departures to Arna, plus fourteen daily departures to Voss, of which up to six continue to Myrdal. The entire rolling stock is from 2019 consisting ofStadler FLIRTElectric multiple units after a process of which led to phasing out the oldNSB Class 69.^[59] The first part to Arna represents an important part of the public transport in Bergen, since the rail direct line through the mountainUlriken is considerably faster than driving over and around.

Express trains operated by NSB have always been the primary passenger service on Bergensbanen. Passenger trains follow the Drammen Line and the Asker Line to Drammen, before heading north to Hønefoss on the Randsfjord Line. The express trains offer both transport from villages along the line to either Bergen or Oslo, as well travel between Norway's two largest cities. Expresses arelocomotive-hauled trains with modernized coaches.^[60] Six nights a week there is anight train service. Several parts of the line service places without road access, such as Finse and Myrdal.^[61] Operating deficits are covered by theNorwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications.^[62]In 2018 the fastest line used 6 hours and 32 minutes from Oslo to Bergen.^[63]

Freight trains are operated byCargoNet, hauled byEl 14 andEl 16 locomotives. Most transport is from the terminal at Alnabru in Oslo to the terminal at Bergen Station. Freight trains use the Roa-Hønefoss Line instead of going via Drammen since it is shorter—distance is more important than speed for freight trains. CargoNet operates up to four daily trains from Oslo, plus one from Drammen.^[64] Rail freight on (theBergensbanen), the Bergen line, increased by 80% from 2001 to 2005, but further growth is not possible without better infrastructure. In 2006, CargoNet indicated they wanted five morepassing loops, as well as lengthening them to increase freight train length from 400 metres (1,300 ft) to 600 metres (2,000 ft), claiming they could double freight traffic with adequate infrastructure.^[65][66]

Parts of the closed sections of Vossebanen, fromMidttun toGarnes have been converted to aheritage railway—theOld Voss Line—that is operated with steam trains by theNorwegian Railway Club during the summer.^[67] At Finse there is anavvy museum, and the old navvy road has become a cycle track.^[68]

The branchFlåm Line has been converted to a tourist route. The railway has spectacular scenery and a vertical descent of 864 metres (2,835 ft) or 5.5% along the 20 kilometres (12 mi) route from Myrdal to Flåm. Passenger services are provided byVy, but marketing is performed byFlåm Utvikling.^[69] The stock used on the railway areEl 18 hauling NSB B3 wagons, the latter all painted green.^[70]

In 2002 the Norwegian National Rail Administration warned that lack of funding might lead to a closure of all long-distance passenger trains in Norway, including the Bergen Line.Torild Skogsholm,Minister of Transport and Communications assured that it was not the government's policy to close railway lines.^[71] In 2004 theProgress Party suggested closing down the railway line and replacing it with a motorway between Bergen and Oslo, arguing that the railway was unprofitable, and that bus transport was cheaper while easier truck transport would aid business. Other political parties rejected the proposal pointing out the better environmental performance of the railway and that the railway transports large volumes of freight.^[72]

The original plans for Bergensbanen from 1894 included the construction of a new line—theRingerike Line—from Hønefoss toSandvika just west of Oslo. This line would reduce the distance on Bergensbanen by 60 kilometres (37 mi) and 50 minutes travel time. There has been a continual decision to build this railway line, but it has never received any funding.^[73] These plans were discussed more after 2000, and a detailed plan has been done. Combined with other improvements totaling investments of NOK 7 billion, travel time could be reduced to four and a half hours.^[74] The project is scheduled to be started in 2024, and finished around 2030, now at a cost of 36 billion NOK including 20 km motorway.^[75]

In January 2025, a contract was put out to tender for a project constructing a series of new rail and road tunnels near the western end of the line. Starting 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north-east of Bergen at Arna, the proposed route continues through a newly constructed station at Vaksdal, to finally rejoin the existing alignment at Stanghelle. The project would bypass the existing stretch of winding single-track rail skirting the South-Eastern shore ofVeafjorden, with around 30 kilometres (19 mi) of new double-track rail and parallel road tunnels. The new tunnel would support train speed up to 200 km/h, reducing travel time between Arna and Stanghelle stations from an average of 28 minutes to under 14 minutes.^[76] The Arne-Stanghelle Joint Project is funded by Bane NOR and theNorwegian Public Roads Administration as part of the 2025-2036 NorwegianNational Transport Plan, and is projected to take 12 to 14 years to complete, with an initial forecast budget of 40 billion kroner.^[77]

Several suggestions for high-speed rail from Oslo to Bergen have been launched. Preliminary studies performed for the National Rail Administration suggested a positivecost-benefit ratios on building high-speed rail from Oslo to Bergen. The most suitable route would approximately follow the existing route (but with a new tunnel Oslo–Hønefoss). Oslo–Trondheim and Oslo–Halden are assumed to be built earlier because of lower cost.^[78] Two lobbyist suggestions to the route have also been launched. The one involves a "high-speed ring" from Oslo, via Numedal to Geilo, then following Bergensbanen to Bergen and continuing south toStavanger and back to Oslo viaKristiansand.^[79]Norsk Bane has launched the idea of building a common line from Oslo toHaukeli and then branching off to Bergen and Stavanger.^[80]

Such long-distance high-speed railways are not included in the preliminary long-term plan for 2010–2040, and it is likely that railways Hamar–Trondheim and Drammen–Kristansand will be built first since they are easier to build. It is likely that a high-speed railway to Bergen will be built sometime in the period 2030–2060.

This image gives a graphical illustration of the gradient of the line, with both Oslo and Bergen at, or very close to, sea level; and the highest point on the line being near to Finse, at or above 1,222 metres (height above sea level).

	Station	Elevation (m)[2]	Distance from Oslo (km)	Distance from Bergen (km)
	Oslo S	2	0	493
	Asker	104	24	469
	Drammen	2	41	452
	Hokksund	8	58	435
	Vikersund	67	84	409
	Hønefoss	96	112	381
	Flå	155	174	319
	Nesbyen	168	208	285
	Gol	207	225	268
	Ål	436	250	243
	Geilo	794	275	218
	Ustaoset	990	286	207
	Haugastøl	988	297	196
	Finse	1222	324	169
	Hallingskeid	1110	345	148
	Myrdal	867	358	135
	Upsete	850	364	129
	Mjølfjell	627	376	117
	Voss	57	407	86
	Dale	43	447	46
	Arna	8	483	10
	Bergen	2	493	0

• List of highest railways in Europe