Jæren Commuter Rail
Encyclopedia
The Jæren Commuter Rail is a commuter train service operated along the western-most part of the Sørland Line in Jæren
, Norway
. It is operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) with nine Class 72
electric multiple unit
s. The service acts as a commuter rail connecting Stavanger
to its suburbs, including Sandnes
, and to towns further south, in Klepp
, Time
, Hå
and Eigersund
. Although passenger services have operated along the lines since 1878, the commuter train service was inaugurated in 1992 with a significant increase of service, using existing rolling stock. The system has an annual ridership of 2.5 million passengers to date.
The service runs from Stavanger Station
to Egersund Station
, a distance of 75 kilometres (46.6 mi). It has four hourly services from Stavanger to Sandnes Station
, of which two continue to Nærbø Station
and one to Egersund. The section from Stavanger to Sandnes is double track
, while the rest is single track
. The infrastructure is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the line is also used by intercity and freight trains. Several proposed upgrades to the system have been made system, such as a branch along the Ålgård Line, a branch to Stavanger Airport, Sola
and reestablishing double track from Sandnes to Egersund.
, electrified
at and owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The line starts as double track
at Stavanger Station
, which is located in the central business district of Stavanger
and is the terminal station of the Sørland Line. The station is manned, serves intercity trains and is 10 minutes from the city's ferry terminal. Paradis Station
is 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi) from Stavanger and serves the residential areas of Storhaug
and Våland
. Around the station there will be established new office real estate. The station is within walking distance of Stavanger University Hospital
and Godalen Upper Secondary School, and is adjacent to the offices of the County Governor.
Mariero Station
is 4.1 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Stavanger and serves a mixed residential and commercial area, including Hetland Upper Secondary School. Jåttåvågen Station
serves a new neighborhood and is within a minutes walk of Viking Stadion
, the home ground of Tippeligaen
side Viking FK, Jåttå Upper Secondary School
and the future offices of Aker Solutions. Gausel Station
is located from 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Stavanger and serves a mixed commercial and residential area. In addition to being next to the offices of NOKAS
, the station is the main interchange with buses towards Forus
, which contains the offices of companies such as Statoil
, Telenor
and BP, and Stavanger Airport, Sola.
Sandnes Sentrum Station ("Sandnes Center") is the first station located within Sandnes
, and is located on an viaduct above the city center. Located 14.8 kilometres (9.2 mi) from Stavanger, it is also served by intercity trains and staffed. The station is the southern end of the double track. Sandnes Station
is 15.4 kilometres (9.6 mi) from Stavanger and is located slightly south of city center of Sandnes. Some of the commuter trains terminate at Sandnes. Ganddal Station
is 18.5 kilometres (11.5 mi) from Stavanger and serves a the mixed residential and industrial area of Ganddal
. The Ålgård Line branches off at the station.
Øksnevadporten Station
is the first in Klepp
and is located 22.4 kilometres (13.9 mi) from Stavanger. Klepp Station
is located 24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi) from Stavanger and serves the municipal center of Klepp. Bryne Station
is the only station in Time
and located at Bryne
, 29.8 kilometres (18.5 mi) from Stavanger. The station is staffed and also serves intercity trains.
Nærbø Station
is the first station in Hå
and serves the municipal center of Nærbø
. Some commuter trains terminate at Nærbø. Varhaug Station
is located 43.1 kilometres (26.8 mi) from Stavanger, while Vigrestad Station
is located 40.2 kilometres (25 mi) from Stavanger. Brusand Station
serves the residential area of Brusand
and is located 54.2 kilometres (33.7 mi) from Stavanger. Ogna Station
serves the residential area of Ogna
and is located 58.4 kilometres (36.3 mi) from Stavanger. Sirevåg Station
is located 60.4 kilometres (37.5 mi) from Stavanger and serves the fishing village of Sirevåg
.
Hellvik Station
is the first station in Eigersund
and located 66.8 kilometres (41.5 mi) from Stavanger. Egersund Station
is the terminal station of the line, and all remaining commuter trains stop there. The station is staffed and also served by intercity trains, and has correspondence with buses. The station located 74.7 kilometres (46.4 mi) from Stavanger is about 10 minutes north of the city center of Egersund
.
The operating deficits are covered through subsidies by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
. The trackage and other infrastructure is owned by the government agency Norwegian National Rail Administration, while the rolling stock
is owned and operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The service between Stavanger and Sandnes operate with a fixed schedule every 15 minutes. Of the trains to Sandnes, half continue onwards to Nærbø, giving a 30 minute headway. One train per hour operate all the way to Egersund. On weekends and late evenings, there is a reduced service. Travel time from Stavanger to Sandnes is 19 minutes, from Stavanger to Nærbø is 37 minutes, and from Stavanger to Egersund is 1 hour and 7 minutes.
Class 72 is a series of 36 four-car electric multiple units built by AnsaldoBreda. The units are permanently coupled together using Jacobs bogie
s. Each unit has a power output of 2550 kW, allowing a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). The trains are 85.57 metres (280.7 ft) long and weigh 156 tonnes (153.5 LT), and have seating for 310 passengers and one toilet. The trains have better accessibility
than the older units and unlike their predecessors are equipped with an electronic public information system. Nine of the units are used on the Jæren Commuter Rail, while the remaining 25 units are used on the Oslo Commuter Rail
.
between 1970 and 1993. A motor car has a power output of 1188 kW, allowing a speed of 130 kilometres per hour (80.8 mph). Each car is 24.85 metres (81.5 ft) long, with motor cars weighing 64 tonne and end cars weighing down to 28.8 tonnes (28.3 LT). Typical seating capacity is 96 passengers in the motor cars and 112 passengers in the end cars. The class was delivered in four versions, named A through D. After the initial delivery of fifteen 69As in 1970 and 1971, twenty 69Bs were delivered in 1974 and 1975. These were designed to operate on longer sections and were equipped with only one door per car. This turned out to extend stopping time too much, and the C and D versions were delivered with two doors per car. From 1975 to 1977, NSB took delivery of fourteen 69Cs and from 1983 to 1993 thirty-nine 69Ds. The latter is distinguishable because of its different front. NSB operates both two- and three-car sets, and up to three units can be run in multiple, allowing NSB to operate any train length from two to nine cars. Eighty-two units remain in service; although they have been retired from the Jæren Commuter Rail, NSB still uses them on the Oslo Commuter Rail, the Bergen Commuter Rail
and the Arendal Line
.
. On 21 December 1924, the Jæren Line's only branch opened, the Ålgård Line from Ganddal to Ålgård. On 1 March 1944, the Jæren Line became part of the Sørland Line, when the line opened between Sira
and Kristiansand
and the Jæren Line was converted to standard gauge
. The Sørland Line from Egersund to Stavanger was opened as electric on 3 June 1956. This resulted in Class 65 and Class 67 electric multiple units being used on local trains on the line. In 1960, the services were replaced by Class 68 units. The section from Stavanger to Sandnes became the first part of the Norwegian railway network
, after the Ofoten Line, to centrally controlled. The centralized traffic control
opened from Stavanger to Sandnes on 20 March 1964, and from Sandnes to Egersund on 7 July. The whole line received partial automatic train control
on 31 December 1986.
The commuter rail system was introduced from 1 January 1992, after an agreement between NSB, Rogaland County Municipality
and the six municipalities along the line. NSB introduced new Class 69 multiple units, while the county municipality introduced a fare coordination with the corresponding bus services. The increase in service involved 15 departures per direction per day, and the travel time from Stavanger to Egersund was reduced from 80 to 55 minutes. In addition, NSB started with a half-hour headway
between Stavanger and Sandnes. A new station, Sandnes Sentrum, was opened in the city center of Sandnes at the time the new service started. NSB stated that the goal was to increase the daily ridership from 2,900 to 5,000 passengers by 1994. The stations were also upgraded, including new sheds. The Scanet
train radio system was installed between 1993 and 1996.
The service was a success, and NSB received a 112% increase in ridership the first year. This resulted in the company introducing a similar service between Trondheim
and Innherred, the Trøndelag Commuter Rail, in 1993. In 1993, NSB won Statens Byggeskikkpris, among other things for the new sheds on the Jæren Line. By 1995, ridership was up 150% from before the service started. In 1997, NSB announced that they would order 36 new electric multiple units, which would among other things replace the aging trains on the Jæren Commuter Rail. The new Class 72 trains were put into service on 8 August 2002, several years behind schedule. In April 2004, the rail administration opened Jåttå Station
, which was located close to Viking Stadion
, the new home ground of Tippeligaen
side Viking FK.
By 2005, ridership had increased to 2.5 million per year, up 278% from 1991, giving a 7% market share in the corridor. To further increase capacity and regularity, the Norwegian National Rail Administration decided to rebuild the section from Stavanger to Sandnes to double track. At the same time, a new freight terminal was to be built at Ganddal, meaning that the section would only have to be shared with intercity trains. The upgrade involved closing Hillevåg Station, and building three new stations: Paradis, Jåttåvågen and Gausel. Construction was started in 2006 and was estimated to be completed by 2009. It was estimated to cost 2.2 billion Norwegian krone
. From April to November 2009, the section from Ganddal to Stavanger was closed while the last part of the upgrade was completed. The new line was opened on 16 November 2009 and from 14 December, the 15-minute headway was introduced between Stavanger and Sandnes.
The National Rail Administration has developed a plan for possible expansion of the commuter rail. The main possibilities have been discussed: rebuilding the section from Sandnes to Egersund to double track, taking back into use the Ålgård Line, which branches off at Ganddal, and building a new branch from south of Gausel to Stavanger Airport, Sola. An alternative to several of the options is a light rail, which may or may not be built as a tram-train
, which would use parts of the existing double track between Stavanger and Sandnes.
The Ålgård Line is a 12.24 kilometres (7.6 mi) long railway which branches from the Sørland Line at Ganddal. It runs via Foss-Eikeland
and Figgjo
to Ålgård
, and was opened on 20 December 1924. Passenger services were terminated on on 1 November 1955, making it the line with the most frequent passenger traffic in Norway to be closed. Freight trains operated until 1988. The first 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) are used for freight trains to access a cement factory. The line has officially been closed, but has not been abandoned. The National Rail Administration retains ownership and can in the future renovate the line for operation. The annual traffic potential for the Ålgård Line is 600,000 passengers. Plans call for stations at Vagle, Figgjo, Kongeparken
and Ålgård. It is possible to operate the trains that currently terminate at Sandnes to Ålgård without new infrastructure investments to the Sørland Line. However, the line would need a full upgrade, including new tracks, electric system and signaling. Ålgård is also a good location for a park and ride
for European Route E39
.
A branch to Sola has been considered to allow the trains to operate to Sola
and the airport. The line would branch from the Sørland Line south of Gausel, and be built so trains from the branch could run both northwards and southwards. Proposed stations include the airport, Solakrossen
, Forus
West, Statoil
's head office and possibly the shopping center Kvadrat. This would give a travel time of 17 minutes from the airport to the city center, and 10 minutes from the airport to Sandnes. This route has, however, also been proposed as part of the light rail system. It would give about 2.5 million annual passengers.
Plans have been made that would either double or triple the frequency on all the services on the existing commuter rail network. However, increased frequency south of Sandnes will require double track. Should the frequency be doubled, double track would have to be built to where the current service to Nærbø terminates. Plans call for these trains to possibly be extended to either Varhaug or Vigrestad. Should the frequency be tripled, double track would be needed all the way to Egersund. Parts of the Jæren Line is straight enough to permit speeds between 200 kilometre per hour. However, several shorter parts need to be rebuilt to allow this, particularly between Egersund and Ogna, and from Bryne to Ganddal. In particular, the section from Ogna to Egersund would probably have to follow an all-new route, should it be rebuilt to double track. The effect of higher maximum speeds is greatest for intercity trains, as the commuter trains have so frequent stops they have little to gain from the increased speeds.
When the Jæren Line was built, the station in Egersund was located in the city center. With the opening of the Sørland Line, the station was moved 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) north of the city center. Egersund Station
has been proposed moved back to its old location for the commuter rail, giving Egersund two stations: one for commuter trains and one for regional trains. The right-of-way still exists for this route, making construction easy. A new Sørland Line has also been proposed, which would run south instead of north from Egersund. This would mean that a city center location for Egersund Station would be better for intercity trains as well.
Rogaland County Municipality is in the planning process of building a light rail in Greater Stavanger. The initial plans call for a Y-shaped service which could be operational by 2018, with possibilities for further expansion. As of 2010, the plans call for a 16.2 kilometres (10.1 mi) line from Stavanger to Sandnes, and a 7.7 or branch to the airport. The travel time from Sandnes to Stavanger would be 29 minutes, and is therefore a supplement to the commuter rail. The light rail would have interchange with the light rail at Stavanger, Paradis, Jåttåvågen, Gausel and Sandnes Sentrum. Several new branches of the light rail have been proposed for later construction.
Jæren
Jæren is a traditional district in the county of Rogaland. The others are Dalane, Ryfylke and Haugalandet.Jæren is the largest flat lowland area in Norway, stretching from the municipality of Randaberg in the north to Hå in the south. The coast is flat compared to the rest of the Norwegian coast,...
, 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...
. It is operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) with nine Class 72
NSB Class 72
NSB Class 72 is a class of 36 electric multiple units built by AnsaldoBreda for the Norwegian State Railways. Delivered between 2002 and 2005, the four-car units operate on the Oslo Commuter Rail and the Jæren Commuter Rail. The trains have a capacity of 310 passengers and the motors allow a...
electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s. The service acts as a commuter rail connecting Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
to its suburbs, including Sandnes
Sandnes
is a city and municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren.-History:Sandnes was separated from Høyland as a municipality of its own in 1860, and gained city status the same year...
, and to towns further south, in Klepp
Klepp
Klepp is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The parish of Klep was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
, Time
Time, Norway
Time is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren. The administrative centre of Time is the town of Bryne.-Name:...
, Hå
Hå
Hå is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Hå is the southernmost municipality in the district Jæren.The parish of Haa was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . It was divided into Nærbø and Varhaug in 1894. The municipality of Hå was created after the merger of Nærbø, Varhaug,...
and Eigersund
Eigersund
Eigersund is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Egersund landdisstrikt was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Augne was separated from Eigersund in 1839. Helleland and the town of Egersund were merged with Eigersund on 1 January 1965.-Location:Eigersund extends from the...
. Although passenger services have operated along the lines since 1878, the commuter train service was inaugurated in 1992 with a significant increase of service, using existing rolling stock. The system has an annual ridership of 2.5 million passengers to date.
The service runs from Stavanger Station
Stavanger Station
Stavanger Station is a railway station located in downtown Stavanger in Rogaland, Norway and the terminus of the Sørland Line. The station is served by regional trains to Kristiansand and the Jæren Commuter Rail.-History:...
to Egersund Station
Egersund Station
Egersund Station is a railway station located at Egersund in Eigersund, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is south of Stavanger and is served by regional trains between Stavanger and Kristiansand as well as being the terminus of the Jæren Commuter Rail to Stavanger.-History:The station is...
, a distance of 75 kilometres (46.6 mi). It has four hourly services from Stavanger to Sandnes Station
Sandnes Station
Sandnes Sentrum Station is a railway station located in downtown Sandnes in Rogaland, Norway. The station is served by regional trains to Kristiansand and the Jæren Commuter Rail. The station is south of Stavanger Station.-History:...
, of which two continue to Nærbø Station
Nærbø Station
Nærbø Station is a railway station located at Nærbø in Hå, Norway on Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund, and one of the two bihourly train services as Nærbø as its terminal station. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
and one to Egersund. The section from Stavanger to Sandnes is double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
, while the rest is single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
. The infrastructure is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the line is also used by intercity and freight trains. Several proposed upgrades to the system have been made system, such as a branch along the Ålgård Line, a branch to Stavanger Airport, Sola
Stavanger Airport, Sola
Stavanger Airport, Sola is an international airport located in Sola, Norway, southwest of Stavanger. It is Norway's third-busiest airport, with both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter traffic for the offshore North Sea oil installations...
and reestablishing double track from Sandnes to Egersund.
Route
The commuter rail service runs along the full length of the Jæren Line, the old name of the section of the Sørland Line from Stavanger to Egersund. The line is standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
at and owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The line starts as double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
at Stavanger Station
Stavanger Station
Stavanger Station is a railway station located in downtown Stavanger in Rogaland, Norway and the terminus of the Sørland Line. The station is served by regional trains to Kristiansand and the Jæren Commuter Rail.-History:...
, which is located in the central business district of Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
and is the terminal station of the Sørland Line. The station is manned, serves intercity trains and is 10 minutes from the city's ferry terminal. Paradis Station
Paradis Station
Paradis Station is a railway station located at Paradis in Stavanger, Norway. Located from Stavanger Station, it is served by the Stavanger Commuter Rail operated by the Norwegian State Railways by up to four hourly trains in each direction. The station is located along the double track section...
is 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi) from Stavanger and serves the residential areas of Storhaug
Storhaug
-Neighbourhoods:Although the borders of neighbourhoods do not correspond exactly to the borough borders, Storhaug roughly consists of the following neighbourhoods : Johannes, Nylund, Varden, Bergjeland and Øyane.-Politics:...
and Våland
Våland
Våland is a neighborhood in the borough of Eiganes og Våland in Stavanger, Norway. It is located to the south of central Stavanger and east of Mosvatnet lake ....
. Around the station there will be established new office real estate. The station is within walking distance of Stavanger University Hospital
Stavanger University Hospital
Stavanger Universitetssjukehus in Stavanger, Norway, is Norway's fourth largest hospital.The hospital has more than 7000 employees and caters for a population of 300,000. It serves as the local hospital from the municipality of Hjelmeland in the north to the municipality of Sokndal in the south,...
and Godalen Upper Secondary School, and is adjacent to the offices of the County Governor.
Mariero Station
Mariero Station
Mariero Station is a railway station located at Mariero in Stavanger, Norway. Located from Stavanger Station, it is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail operated by the Norwegian State Railways by up to four hourly trains in each direction. The station is located along the double track section of...
is 4.1 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Stavanger and serves a mixed residential and commercial area, including Hetland Upper Secondary School. Jåttåvågen Station
Jåttåvågen Station
Jåttåvågen Station is a railway station located at Jåtten in Stavanger, Norway. Located from Stavanger Station, it is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail operated by the Norwegian State Railways by up to four hourly trains in each direction. The station is located along the double track section of...
serves a new neighborhood and is within a minutes walk of Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion is a football stadium, built at Jåttåvågen, in Stavanger, Norway. It was inaugurated in May 2004 and cost 160 million NOK to build . 50 million NOK, plus the lot it was built on, was a gift from the municipality. It replaced Stavanger Stadion as the home stadium for Viking F.K....
, the home ground of Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
side Viking FK, Jåttå Upper Secondary School
Jåttå Upper Secondary School
Jåttå Upper Secondary School is an upper secondary school in Stavanger, Norway, with 1000 pupils. It was opened for the 2007-08 semester.-References:* http://www.rogalandsavis.no/nyheter/article2656219.ece...
and the future offices of Aker Solutions. Gausel Station
Gausel Station
Gausel Station is a railway station located at Gausel in Stavanger, Norway. Located from Stavanger Station, it is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail operated by the Norwegian State Railways by up to four hourly trains in each direction. The station is located along the double track section of the...
is located from 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Stavanger and serves a mixed commercial and residential area. In addition to being next to the offices of NOKAS
NOKAS
Nokas AS is a Norwegian security company established in 1987 as Vakt Service AS. The company is headquartered in Tonsberg . The largest shareholders is Orkla ASA and Wang Invest AS who are owned by Heine Wang, who is the company's CEO...
, the station is the main interchange with buses towards Forus
Forus
Forus is an industrial district in the borough Hinna in Stavanger, Norway. It borders to the Gandsfjord and stretches south and west to the municipalities Sandnes and Sola...
, which contains the offices of companies such as Statoil
Statoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
, Telenor
Telenor
Telenor Group is the incumbent telecommunications company in Norway, with headquarters located at Fornebu, close to Oslo. Today, Telenor Group is mostly an international wireless carrier with operations in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Asia, working predominantly under the Telenor brand...
and BP, and Stavanger Airport, Sola.
Sandnes
is a city and municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren.-History:Sandnes was separated from Høyland as a municipality of its own in 1860, and gained city status the same year...
, and is located on an viaduct above the city center. Located 14.8 kilometres (9.2 mi) from Stavanger, it is also served by intercity trains and staffed. The station is the southern end of the double track. Sandnes Station
Sandnes Station
Sandnes Sentrum Station is a railway station located in downtown Sandnes in Rogaland, Norway. The station is served by regional trains to Kristiansand and the Jæren Commuter Rail. The station is south of Stavanger Station.-History:...
is 15.4 kilometres (9.6 mi) from Stavanger and is located slightly south of city center of Sandnes. Some of the commuter trains terminate at Sandnes. Ganddal Station
Ganddal Station
Ganddal Station is a railway station located just south of Sandnes in Rogaland, Norway on Sørlandsbanen. The station is served by commuter train between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is south of Stavanger....
is 18.5 kilometres (11.5 mi) from Stavanger and serves a the mixed residential and industrial area of Ganddal
Ganddal
Ganddal is a borough of the city of Sandnes, Norway. It has a population of 6,235.It has one of the city's largest industrial areas and the Jæren Line railroad runs through the area, which is served by the commuter and goods station, Ganddal Station. This will be Norway's second largest and serve...
. The Ålgård Line branches off at the station.
Øksnevadporten Station
Øksnevadporten Station
Øksnevadporten Station is a railway station located at Kvernaland in Klepp, Norway on Sørlandsbanen. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
is the first in Klepp
Klepp
Klepp is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The parish of Klep was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ....
and is located 22.4 kilometres (13.9 mi) from Stavanger. Klepp Station
Klepp Station
Klepp Station is a railway station located three kilometers east of Kleppe in Klepp, Norway on Sørlandsbanen. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
is located 24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi) from Stavanger and serves the municipal center of Klepp. Bryne Station
Bryne Station
Bryne Station is a railway station located in downtown Bryne, Norway on Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund as well as regional trains between Stavanger and Kristiansand. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
is the only station in Time
Time, Norway
Time is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren. The administrative centre of Time is the town of Bryne.-Name:...
and located at Bryne
Bryne
Bryne is a city, located in, and the administrative centre of, the municipality of Time, Norway. Bryne is located about 25 minutes south of Stavanger by train. The area of Bryne is 4,79 km²....
, 29.8 kilometres (18.5 mi) from Stavanger. The station is staffed and also serves intercity trains.
Nærbø Station
Nærbø Station
Nærbø Station is a railway station located at Nærbø in Hå, Norway on Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund, and one of the two bihourly train services as Nærbø as its terminal station. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
is the first station in Hå
Hå
Hå is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Hå is the southernmost municipality in the district Jæren.The parish of Haa was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . It was divided into Nærbø and Varhaug in 1894. The municipality of Hå was created after the merger of Nærbø, Varhaug,...
and serves the municipal center of Nærbø
Nærbø
Nærbø is the biggest village in the municipality of Hå, situated in the southern corner of the region of Rogaland. According to the Norwegian bureau of statistics the population of Nærbø was 5881 on January 1, 2009...
. Some commuter trains terminate at Nærbø. Varhaug Station
Varhaug Station
Varhaug Station is a railway station located at Varhaug in Hå, Norway on Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
is located 43.1 kilometres (26.8 mi) from Stavanger, while Vigrestad Station
Vigrestad Station
Vigrestad Station is a railway station located at Vigrestad in Hå, Norway on Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
is located 40.2 kilometres (25 mi) from Stavanger. Brusand Station
Brusand Station
Brusand Station is a railway station located at Brusand in Hå, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is served by Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is south of Stavanger and was opened one year after Jæren Line was completed, in 1879.-External links:*...
serves the residential area of Brusand
Brusand
Brusand is a village in the municipality of Hå, Norway. Its population is 384.Brusand is a train station on Jærbanen. Only local trains stop at Brusand ....
and is located 54.2 kilometres (33.7 mi) from Stavanger. Ogna Station
Ogna Station
Ogna Station is a railway station located at Ogna in Hå, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is south of Stavanger.-External links:*...
serves the residential area of Ogna
Ogna
Ogna is a village and former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway.Ogna was separated from Eigersund in 1839. It was merged with Nærbø and Varhaug to create the old municipality of Hå January 1, 1964....
and is located 58.4 kilometres (36.3 mi) from Stavanger. Sirevåg Station
Sirevåg Station
Sirevåg Station is a railway station located at Ogna in Hå, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is 60.36 km south of Stavanger. The station was opened in 1879, one year after Jæren Line....
is located 60.4 kilometres (37.5 mi) from Stavanger and serves the fishing village of Sirevåg
Sirevåg
Sirevåg is a village in the municipality of Hå, Norway. Its population is 385.Sirevåg is a train station on Jærbanen. Only local trains stop at Sirevåg ....
.
Hellvik Station
Hellvik Station
Hellvik Station is a railway station located at Hellvik in Eigersund, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund. The station is 66.79 km south of Stavanger. The station was opened in 1879, one year after Jæren Line.-External...
is the first station in Eigersund
Eigersund
Eigersund is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. Egersund landdisstrikt was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Augne was separated from Eigersund in 1839. Helleland and the town of Egersund were merged with Eigersund on 1 January 1965.-Location:Eigersund extends from the...
and located 66.8 kilometres (41.5 mi) from Stavanger. Egersund Station
Egersund Station
Egersund Station is a railway station located at Egersund in Eigersund, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is south of Stavanger and is served by regional trains between Stavanger and Kristiansand as well as being the terminus of the Jæren Commuter Rail to Stavanger.-History:The station is...
is the terminal station of the line, and all remaining commuter trains stop there. The station is staffed and also served by intercity trains, and has correspondence with buses. The station located 74.7 kilometres (46.4 mi) from Stavanger is about 10 minutes north of the city center of Egersund
Egersund
The town of Egersund was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . It was merged with the surrounding municipality of Eigersund January 1, 1965....
.
Service
Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications is a Norwegian ministry established in 1946, and is responsible for transportation and communication infrastructure in Norway. It is led by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa...
. The trackage and other infrastructure is owned by the government agency Norwegian National Rail Administration, while the rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
is owned and operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The service between Stavanger and Sandnes operate with a fixed schedule every 15 minutes. Of the trains to Sandnes, half continue onwards to Nærbø, giving a 30 minute headway. One train per hour operate all the way to Egersund. On weekends and late evenings, there is a reduced service. Travel time from Stavanger to Sandnes is 19 minutes, from Stavanger to Nærbø is 37 minutes, and from Stavanger to Egersund is 1 hour and 7 minutes.
Rolling stock
Jacobs bogie
Jacobs bogies are a type of rail vehicle bogie commonly found on articulated railcars and tramway vehicles....
s. Each unit has a power output of 2550 kW, allowing a top speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). The trains are 85.57 metres (280.7 ft) long and weigh 156 tonnes (153.5 LT), and have seating for 310 passengers and one toilet. The trains have better accessibility
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
than the older units and unlike their predecessors are equipped with an electronic public information system. Nine of the units are used on the Jæren Commuter Rail, while the remaining 25 units are used on the Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by the Norwegian State Railways and its subsidiary NSB Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units . The network spans eight routes...
.
Retired
Class 69 is a series of 88 two and three-car electric multiple units built by Strømmens VærkstedStrømmens Værksted
Strømmens Værksted A/S was an industrial company based in Skedsmo, Norway, specializing in the production of rolling stock. Founded in 1873, it remains as a part of Bombardier Transportation...
between 1970 and 1993. A motor car has a power output of 1188 kW, allowing a speed of 130 kilometres per hour (80.8 mph). Each car is 24.85 metres (81.5 ft) long, with motor cars weighing 64 tonne and end cars weighing down to 28.8 tonnes (28.3 LT). Typical seating capacity is 96 passengers in the motor cars and 112 passengers in the end cars. The class was delivered in four versions, named A through D. After the initial delivery of fifteen 69As in 1970 and 1971, twenty 69Bs were delivered in 1974 and 1975. These were designed to operate on longer sections and were equipped with only one door per car. This turned out to extend stopping time too much, and the C and D versions were delivered with two doors per car. From 1975 to 1977, NSB took delivery of fourteen 69Cs and from 1983 to 1993 thirty-nine 69Ds. The latter is distinguishable because of its different front. NSB operates both two- and three-car sets, and up to three units can be run in multiple, allowing NSB to operate any train length from two to nine cars. Eighty-two units remain in service; although they have been retired from the Jæren Commuter Rail, NSB still uses them on the Oslo Commuter Rail, the Bergen Commuter Rail
Bergen Commuter Rail
Bergen Commuter Rail sometimes called Vossebanen is a commuter rail between Bergen and Arna, Voss and Myrdal, Norway. The service is operated by Norwegian State Railways using Class 69 electric multiple units...
and the Arendal Line
Arendal Line
The Arendal Line is a long railway line between Arendal and Simonstad in Norway. At Nelaug, north of Arendal, the line intersects with the Sørland Line. The southern section is electrified and provides a feeder passenger service. The line originally ran north from Arendal to Treungen and the...
.
History
The Jæren Line opened as a narrow gauge railway between Stavanger and Egersund on 1 March 1878. The railway was extended from Egersund to Flekkefjord on 1 November 1904 as the Flekkefjord LineFlekkefjord Line
The Flekkefjord Line is a abandoned branch line to the Sørland Line. It ran between Sira and Flekkefjord in Vest-Agder, Norway. The only current activity on the line is tourist draisines. The station buildings along the line were designed by the architect Paul Armin Due—these have all been...
. On 21 December 1924, the Jæren Line's only branch opened, the Ålgård Line from Ganddal to Ålgård. On 1 March 1944, the Jæren Line became part of the Sørland Line, when the line opened between Sira
Sira, Norway
Sira is a village located within the municipality of Flekkefjord in south-western Norway. The village is located at the border of the counties Vest-Agder and Rogaland, along European route E39 and the railway Sørlandsbanen. The village is served by Sira Station.Sira takes its name from the Sira...
and Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
and the Jæren Line was converted to 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...
. The Sørland Line from Egersund to Stavanger was opened as electric on 3 June 1956. This resulted in Class 65 and Class 67 electric multiple units being used on local trains on the line. In 1960, the services were replaced by Class 68 units. The section from Stavanger to Sandnes became the first part of the Norwegian railway network
Rail transport in Norway
The Norwegian railway system comprises 4,087 km of track of which 2,622 km is electrified and 242 km double track. There are 696 tunnels and 2760 bridges....
, after the Ofoten Line, to centrally controlled. The centralized traffic control
Centralized traffic control
Centralized traffic control is a form of railway signalling that originated in North America and centralizes train routing decisions that were previously carried out by local signal operators or the train crews themselves. The system consists of a centralized train dispatcher's office that...
opened from Stavanger to Sandnes on 20 March 1964, and from Sandnes to Egersund on 7 July. The whole line received partial automatic train control
Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...
on 31 December 1986.
The commuter rail system was introduced from 1 January 1992, after an agreement between NSB, Rogaland County Municipality
Rogaland county municipality
Rogaland County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Rogaland, Norway. The main responsibilities of the county municipality includes the running of 29 upper secondary schools. It administrates the county roadways, public transport, dental care, culture and cultural heritage...
and the six municipalities along the line. NSB introduced new Class 69 multiple units, while the county municipality introduced a fare coordination with the corresponding bus services. The increase in service involved 15 departures per direction per day, and the travel time from Stavanger to Egersund was reduced from 80 to 55 minutes. In addition, NSB started with a half-hour headway
Headway
Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for...
between Stavanger and Sandnes. A new station, Sandnes Sentrum, was opened in the city center of Sandnes at the time the new service started. NSB stated that the goal was to increase the daily ridership from 2,900 to 5,000 passengers by 1994. The stations were also upgraded, including new sheds. The Scanet
Scanet
Scanet is a defunct, analog train radio system used by the Norwegian State Railways and later the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The system was developed by Ascom Radiocom and was installed on the primary Norwegian railways between 1993 and 1996...
train radio system was installed between 1993 and 1996.
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 Innherred, the Trøndelag Commuter Rail, in 1993. In 1993, NSB won Statens Byggeskikkpris, among other things for the new sheds on the Jæren Line. By 1995, ridership was up 150% from before the service started. In 1997, NSB announced that they would order 36 new electric multiple units, which would among other things replace the aging trains on the Jæren Commuter Rail. The new Class 72 trains were put into service on 8 August 2002, several years behind schedule. In April 2004, the rail administration opened Jåttå Station
Jåttå Station
Jåttå Station is a railway station located at Jåttå in Stavanger, Norway. The station is served by the Jæren Commuter Rail between Stavanger and Egersund...
, which was located close to Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion
Viking Stadion is a football stadium, built at Jåttåvågen, in Stavanger, Norway. It was inaugurated in May 2004 and cost 160 million NOK to build . 50 million NOK, plus the lot it was built on, was a gift from the municipality. It replaced Stavanger Stadion as the home stadium for Viking F.K....
, the new home ground of Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
side Viking FK.
By 2005, ridership had increased to 2.5 million per year, up 278% from 1991, giving a 7% market share in the corridor. To further increase capacity and regularity, the Norwegian National Rail Administration decided to rebuild the section from Stavanger to Sandnes to double track. At the same time, a new freight terminal was to be built at Ganddal, meaning that the section would only have to be shared with intercity trains. The upgrade involved closing Hillevåg Station, and building three new stations: Paradis, Jåttåvågen and Gausel. Construction was started in 2006 and was estimated to be completed by 2009. It was estimated to cost 2.2 billion Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
. From April to November 2009, the section from Ganddal to Stavanger was closed while the last part of the upgrade was completed. The new line was opened on 16 November 2009 and from 14 December, the 15-minute headway was introduced between Stavanger and Sandnes.
Future
Tram-train
A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run both on an urban tramway network and on main-line railways to combine the tram's flexibility and availability and the train's greater speed...
, which would use parts of the existing double track between Stavanger and Sandnes.
The Ålgård Line is a 12.24 kilometres (7.6 mi) long railway which branches from the Sørland Line at Ganddal. It runs via Foss-Eikeland
Foss-Eikeland
Foss-Eikeland is a village in Ganddal, Sandnes, Norway. The Ålgård Line previously had a station there....
and Figgjo
Figgjo
Figgjo is a borough of the city of Sandnes, Norway. It has a population of 1,805.By Statistics Norway it is also considered to be an urban area separate from Sandnes city, but it has grown together with Ålgård in the neighboring municipality Gjesdal. Figgjo and Ålgård have a combined population of...
to Ålgård
Ålgård
Ålgård is an area functioning as the administrative centre for the Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland, Norway, in the Jæren region. It is 10 km southeast of Sandnes...
, and was opened on 20 December 1924. Passenger services were terminated on on 1 November 1955, making it the line with the most frequent passenger traffic in Norway to be closed. Freight trains operated until 1988. The first 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) are used for freight trains to access a cement factory. The line has officially been closed, but has not been abandoned. The National Rail Administration retains ownership and can in the future renovate the line for operation. The annual traffic potential for the Ålgård Line is 600,000 passengers. Plans call for stations at Vagle, Figgjo, Kongeparken
Kongeparken
Kongeparken is an amusement park in the village Ålgård, near Stavanger, Norway. Kongeparken is the biggest amusement park in the southwest of Norway and Rogaland's biggest tourist attraction...
and Ålgård. It is possible to operate the trains that currently terminate at Sandnes to Ålgård without new infrastructure investments to the Sørland Line. However, the line would need a full upgrade, including new tracks, electric system and signaling. Ålgård is also a good location for a park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
for European Route E39
European route E39
E 39 is the designation of a 1330 km long north-south road in Norway and Denmark, running from Klett just south of Trondheim to Aalborg, via Orkanger, Vinjeøra, Halsa ... Straumsnes, Krifast, Batnfjordsøra, Molde ... Vestnes, Skodje, Ålesund ... Volda ... Nordfjordeid ... Sandane, Førde,...
.
A branch to Sola has been considered to allow the trains to operate to Sola
Sola
Sola is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is part of the region of Jæren. The old municipality of Håland was divided into Sola and Madla in 1930....
and the airport. The line would branch from the Sørland Line south of Gausel, and be built so trains from the branch could run both northwards and southwards. Proposed stations include the airport, Solakrossen
Solakrossen
Solakrossen is the administrative center of Sola, Norway....
, Forus
Forus
Forus is an industrial district in the borough Hinna in Stavanger, Norway. It borders to the Gandsfjord and stretches south and west to the municipalities Sandnes and Sola...
West, Statoil
Statoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
's head office and possibly the shopping center Kvadrat. This would give a travel time of 17 minutes from the airport to the city center, and 10 minutes from the airport to Sandnes. This route has, however, also been proposed as part of the light rail system. It would give about 2.5 million annual passengers.
Plans have been made that would either double or triple the frequency on all the services on the existing commuter rail network. However, increased frequency south of Sandnes will require double track. Should the frequency be doubled, double track would have to be built to where the current service to Nærbø terminates. Plans call for these trains to possibly be extended to either Varhaug or Vigrestad. Should the frequency be tripled, double track would be needed all the way to Egersund. Parts of the Jæren Line is straight enough to permit speeds between 200 kilometre per hour. However, several shorter parts need to be rebuilt to allow this, particularly between Egersund and Ogna, and from Bryne to Ganddal. In particular, the section from Ogna to Egersund would probably have to follow an all-new route, should it be rebuilt to double track. The effect of higher maximum speeds is greatest for intercity trains, as the commuter trains have so frequent stops they have little to gain from the increased speeds.
When the Jæren Line was built, the station in Egersund was located in the city center. With the opening of the Sørland Line, the station was moved 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) north of the city center. Egersund Station
Egersund Station
Egersund Station is a railway station located at Egersund in Eigersund, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is south of Stavanger and is served by regional trains between Stavanger and Kristiansand as well as being the terminus of the Jæren Commuter Rail to Stavanger.-History:The station is...
has been proposed moved back to its old location for the commuter rail, giving Egersund two stations: one for commuter trains and one for regional trains. The right-of-way still exists for this route, making construction easy. A new Sørland Line has also been proposed, which would run south instead of north from Egersund. This would mean that a city center location for Egersund Station would be better for intercity trains as well.
Rogaland County Municipality is in the planning process of building a light rail in Greater Stavanger. The initial plans call for a Y-shaped service which could be operational by 2018, with possibilities for further expansion. As of 2010, the plans call for a 16.2 kilometres (10.1 mi) line from Stavanger to Sandnes, and a 7.7 or branch to the airport. The travel time from Sandnes to Stavanger would be 29 minutes, and is therefore a supplement to the commuter rail. The light rail would have interchange with the light rail at Stavanger, Paradis, Jåttåvågen, Gausel and Sandnes Sentrum. Several new branches of the light rail have been proposed for later construction.