Hell–Sunnanbanen
Encyclopedia
Hell, Norway
Hell is a village in the Lånke area of the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the western part of the municipality, about south of the municipal center of Stjørdalshalsen. The village has a population of 1,418...
to Sunnan
Sunnan
Sunnan or Sundan is a village in the municipality of Steinkjer in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the area between the lakes Snåsavatnet and Fossemvatnet about northeast of the town of Steinkjer...
in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Since 1926 the 105 km line constitutes a part of the Nordland Line.
The railway line between Throndhjem
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
and Hell, was opened in 1881 as a part of the Meråker Line to Meråker
Meråker
Meråker is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Midtbygda which is about west of Storlien in Sweden and east of Stjørdalshalsen in Stjørdal. Other villages in Meråker include Gudåa,...
and Storlien
Storlien
Storlien is a village and ski resort in the Åre municipality, in Jämtland, Sweden, a kilometre from the Swedish-Norwegian border.The village has only 78 permanent inhabitants. The work opportunities are based on tourism and shopping. Most tourists are Norwegians or Swedes. Shopping tourists arrive...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. In contrast to most lines in Norway at the time, it was only as the third line in Norway build with standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, due to its connection with the Swedish Norrländska Tvärbanan.
A northern extension from Hell through Innherred was discussed already from 1874, and finally 20 years later, in 1894, the decision was made by the Norwegian Parliament. The line would pass Stjørdal
Stjørdal
is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stjørdal, also called Stjørdalshalsen...
, Levanger
Levanger
Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger...
, Verdal
Verdal
Verdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra...
and Steinkjer
Steinkjer
is a town and a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Steinkjer, which is also the seat of the county government...
, and have its terminal at Sunnan on the southern end of lake Snåsavatnet
Snåsavatnet
Snåsavatnet is Norway's 6th largest lake, with an area of approximately . The surface is only above sea level. Snåsavatnet is located in the municipalities of Steinkjer and Snåsa in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The villages of Følling and Sunnan lie at the southwestern end of the lake and the...
. As for the Meråker Line, standard gauge was chosen.
The construction started in 1899 and operations started as sections were finished from 1902 to 1905, until the full length was opened 14 November 1905. Although it was the first event of this kind in newly independent Norway, king Haakon VII
Haakon VII of Norway
Haakon VII , known as Prince Carl of Denmark until 1905, was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg...
did not have the time to come, so the inauguration was made by the county governor of Nordre Trondhjems Amt (Nord-Trøndelag)
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
, Torvald Løchen.
| From | To | Length | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hell Hell In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations... |
Stjørdal Stjørdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stjørdal, also called Stjørdalshalsen... |
3.0 km | 1 October 1902 |
| Stjørdal Stjørdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Stjørdal, also called Stjørdalshalsen... |
Levanger Levanger Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger... |
49.4 km | 29 October 1902 |
| Levanger Levanger Levanger is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Levanger... |
Verdal Verdal Verdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra... |
12.4 km | 1 November 1904 |
| Verdal Verdal Verdal is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Verdalsøra... |
Sunnan Sunnan Sunnan or Sundan is a village in the municipality of Steinkjer in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the area between the lakes Snåsavatnet and Fossemvatnet about northeast of the town of Steinkjer... |
40.4 km | 15 November 1905 |
The continuation further north was stalled for many years, as the route could not be decided. The main alternatives discussed was via Snåsa
Snåsa
Snåsa is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Innherred region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Snåsa. Other villages include Agle and Jørstad....
and Namsos
Namsos
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund, Klinga, Ramsvika, Skomsvoll, and Spillum....
, respectively. Consequently, Sunnan resumed the terminal until 1926 when the next section to Snåsa was opened. The Nordland Line to Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
was finalized in 1962.