Nationaltheatret station
Encyclopedia
Nationaltheatret Station is an underground railway station on the Drammen Line serving Vika
and the central business district of Oslo
, Norway
. It is the second-busiest railway station in Norway, behind Oslo Central Station (Oslo S), from which Nationaltheatret is 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi) away. Owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration, Nationaltheatret serves regional services to the Vestfold Line and intercity services on the Sørland Line operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), the Oslo Commuter Rail
operated by NSB and NSB Gjøvikbanen, and the Airport Express Train
.
The station is located below a Oslo Metro station with the same name
. At ground level there is transfer to the Oslo Tramway and Ruter
buses. Nationaltheatret is the only underground mainline
railway station in Norway, and named for the adjacent National Theatre. The station opened as the terminus of Holmenkolbanen
's light rail
services in 1928. The railway station opened on 1 June 1980 and was upgraded to four tracks in 1999. The older section received a full renovation in 2008.
and Victoria Terrasse
, facing Ruseløkkveien; and, there is an entrance from Johanne Dybwads plass, which is the site of the National Theatre. From the east, there is an entrance from Henrik Ibsens gate. There is a large, open vestibule
near the surface at the entrance to Ruseløkkveien. It has high-mounted windows facing south, giving natural lighting. The area features escalators and elevators to the platforms, manned ticket sale, lockers, kiosks and cafés. The station is also equipped with ticket machine
s and features baggage trolleys, washrooms, automated teller machine
s and a Western Union
bank. Parking is available 300 metres (984.3 ft) away at Vika, where car rental
is also provided. Bicycle parking and taxi stands are located at street level.
There are two platforms and four tracks, with the older tracks 1 and 2 serving west-bound trains towards Skøyen and Drammen, while the newer tracks 3 and 4 serve east-bound trains to Oslo S. The platforms are 242 metre long, respectively, and located 30 metres (98.4 ft) below the surface. The station has a capacity for 40,000 passenger per day and is the second-busiest in Norway.
takes 4 hours and 23 minutes and 7 hours and 59 minutes to Stavanger
. NSB's regional service along the Vestfold Line also calls at Nationaltheatret, normally with a one-hour headway
. Eastwards, these continue past Oslo S and serve the southern part of the Dovre Line until Lillehammer
. All eight lines of the Oslo Commuter Rail stop at Nationaltheatret. However, not all services of all line operate west of Oslo S. The Airport Express Train operates direct, high-speed
services to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
every 20 minutes, with the journey taking 28 minutes.
Located above the railway station, but nonetheless underground, is a metro station, which serves all six lines of the Oslo Metro. The next west-bound station is Majorstuen
(formerly Valkyrie plass
, but that station exists no more), while the next east-bound station is Stortinget
. At ground level, there is transfer to lines 13 and 19 of the Oslo Tramway. The station is located on the Briskeby Line
and serves westbound trains heading along the Briskeby and Lilleaker Lines, and eastbound station, via Jernbanetorget
, along the Ekeberg Line
and the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line. The station also serves Ruter
buses 30, 31, 32, 70, 82 and 83.
Planning of the extension of the suburban light rail Holmenkollen Line to the city center started in 1901. Construction began in 1912, but stopped again in 1914 because the municipality and the company could not agree on the location of the terminal station
. The municipality wanted it at Ruseløkkveien. The following year, the municipality launched a contest to make the best suggestion for the tram networks. It took five years to select a winner, and this allowed the municipality and company to make a compromise by locating the terminus at Nationaltheatret. But not until 1926 was permission granted for the station. Construction commenced and the station and tunnel opened in 1928.
By the 1930s, Oslo had two main railway stations, Oslo East Station and Oslo West Station. Serving as the terminal station of the Drammen Line, Oslo West Station (Oslo V) was located in Vika, at the heart of the central business district of Oslo. The much larger Oslo East Station (Oslo Ø) served most commuter, regional and intercity trains. In 1938, the Station Committee of 1938 was established to look into a possible connection of the Drammen Line to Oslo Ø. Led by Axel Grenholm, the committee recommended building a branch from the Drammen Line as a tunnel under the city center, allowing all trains would terminate at Oslo Ø. It was proposed that the tunnel would run from Lassons gate west of Oslo V to Fred. Olsens gate, with an intermediate station close to the location of Oslo V.
In 1946, the Planning Office for Oslo Central Station, led by Fin Hvoslef, was established by the government. In 1950, they presented a new report, which recommended that a new route for the tunnel be considered, to ease construction and increase safety. This was in part based on an engineering report from 1949, which had made the first detailed plans for the line. Another committee, led by Oddvar Halvorsen, was established in 1960 to look at the matter again. Also it recommended a tunnel and a central station. However, it felt that the tunnel should be longer and intersect with the Drammen Line at a point between Skarpsno
and Skøyen
, and build a second station at Frogner. The proposal was presented to the Parliament of Norway on 4 November 1961, along with several other matters related to rail transport investments. Construction of the Oslo Tunnel, Oslo Central Station and Nationaltheatret was passed unanimously.
Another planning office was established in 1962, initially led by Erik Himle
. The final plans for the route were passed by parliament in 1968, and construction started in 1971. The initial station was entirely blasted in bedrock
and consisted of a single platform, 220 metres (721.8 ft) long and 11 metres (36.1 ft) wide. Adjacent to the bedrock is a layer of construction concrete and above the platforms, there are corrugated steel plates to catch drips and to reduce noise. The section of line past Nationaltheatret was part of a 480 metres (1,574.8 ft) section of the Oslo Tunnel designated Studenterlunden
. Of this, 280 metres (918.6 ft) was to run with the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro directly above it, resulting in a two-story tunnel. However, just east of Nationaltheatret, the two lines diverge, so the metro station is not directly on top of the railway station.
The tunnel was officially opened on 30 May 1980 by Minister of Transport and Communications
Ronald Bye
and officially taken into use on 1 June. The tunnel, including Nationaltheatret, cost NOK 625 million Norwegian krone
(NOK), of which Oslo Municipality had paid NOK 170 million. At first, the tunnel and Nationaltheatret was used by commuter trains from Lillestrøm
to Drammen
and Spikkestad
, and trains from Eidsvoll
and Årnes
used the tunnel and turned at Skøyen. On 27 May 1989, Oslo V was closed and all traffic started running via Nationaltheatret.
From 1998, the Airport Express Train would start operating, and more capacity would be needed, both at Nationaltheatret and through the Oslo Tunnel. In 1995, NSB held an architecture competition to expand the station, which was won by LPO Arkitektur og Design and their design "Next To Nothing". Construction commenced in October 1997 and consisted of building 830 metres (2,723.1 ft) of new tunnel, a new double platform, a larger vestibule, escalators and artwork. During the work, 110000 cubic metres (3,884,613.3 cu ft) of rock were blasted and 33000 cubic metres (1,165,384 cu ft) of concrete were poured. The station was decorated with works by Anne Karine Furunes, Terje Roalkvam and Katrine Giæver. The upgrades cost NOK 920 million and was officially opened by King Harald V
on 16 December 1999.
The new entrance was designed by Arne Eggen and decorated by Terje Roalkvam. Other art was designed by Bård Breivik and Ole Enstad, including reuse of some of the original vestibule art from 1980, including a green marble wall designed by Katrine Giæver that runs along the hallway leading to the metro station. The new platform was built using typical 1990s materials, such as glass, metal and concrete, contrasting the old platform which was much darker and featured dark terracotta tiles which were popular during the 1970s.
In 2008, the old section of Nationaltheatret Station was renovated, including tracks 1 and 2 and the two original entrances. Upgrades included new lighting, a new public address system, new escalator
s which have lighting that changes color, a more powerful fire safety system, improved emergency exit
s and replacement of cables and baldachin
. The upgrade made the old section lighter, and visually similar to the new section, as it was previously painted in dark red. Between 2008 to 2012, the Norwegian National Rail Administration is performing a major upgrade to the section between Lysaker and Etterstad, including the permanent way
past Nationaltheatret. Among the upgrades are axle counter
s, mounting of an overhead conductor rail
, new switches
and new tracks
.
Vika, Oslo
Vika is a neighborhood in the borough Frogner in Oslo, Norway. It is located between the Oslofjord, Aker Brygge, Pipervika, Slottsparken and Oslo City Hall....
and the central business district of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, 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 the second-busiest railway station in Norway, behind Oslo Central Station (Oslo S), from which Nationaltheatret is 1.4 kilometre (0.869921831309729 mi) away. Owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration, Nationaltheatret serves regional services to the Vestfold Line and intercity services on the Sørland Line operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), 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...
operated by NSB and NSB Gjøvikbanen, and the Airport Express Train
Flytoget
is a Norwegian high-speed airport rail link connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget AS , it operates on the high-speed Gardermoen Line using sixteen GMB Class 71 electric trains. Normal service frequency is once every ten minutes, with half...
.
The station is located below a Oslo Metro station with the same name
Nationaltheatret (station)
Nationaltheatret is an underground metro station and tram stop serving Vika and the city center of Oslo, Norway. It is located on the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro and on the Briskeby Line of the Oslo Tramway. Also located at the same place is Nationaltheatret Station of the Drammen Line. The...
. At ground level there is transfer to the Oslo Tramway and Ruter
Ruter
Ruter As is the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus, Norway. The company, organized as a limited company is responsible for managing, but not operating, public transport in the two counties, including bus, the Oslo Metro, the Oslo Tramway and ferries...
buses. Nationaltheatret is the only underground mainline
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....
railway station in Norway, and named for the adjacent National Theatre. The station opened as the terminus of Holmenkolbanen
Holmenkolbanen
A/S Holmenkolbanen was a company that owned and operated part of the Oslo Tramway and Oslo Metro in Norway from 1898 until 1975 when services were taken over by the majority owner Oslo Sporveier. Holmenkolbanen opened the Holmenkoll Line in 1898, and expanded it to become the first Nordic...
's light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
services in 1928. The railway station opened on 1 June 1980 and was upgraded to four tracks in 1999. The older section received a full renovation in 2008.
Facilities
Nationaltheatret is Norway's only underground mainline railway station, located within the Oslo Tunnel on the Drammen Line. At ground level, there are three entrances to the station. On the west side of the station, the main entrance is from beneath 7. juni-plassen7. juni-plassen
7. juni-plassen is a square in Oslo, Norway.It is located at Ruseløkka in Vika, southeast of Slottsparken and the Royal Palace and west of the National Theatre....
and Victoria Terrasse
Victoria Terrasse
Victoria Terrasse is a building complex in central Oslo, Norway.Built in the 1880s, it was taken over the by Norwegian government in 1913 and put to use by the police and various political departments....
, facing Ruseløkkveien; and, there is an entrance from Johanne Dybwads plass, which is the site of the National Theatre. From the east, there is an entrance from Henrik Ibsens gate. There is a large, open vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
near the surface at the entrance to Ruseløkkveien. It has high-mounted windows facing south, giving natural lighting. The area features escalators and elevators to the platforms, manned ticket sale, lockers, kiosks and cafés. The station is also equipped with ticket machine
Ticket machine
A ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine , is a vending machine that produces tickets. For instance, ticket machines dispense train tickets at railway stations and tram tickets at some tram stops and in some trams...
s and features baggage trolleys, washrooms, automated teller machine
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s and a Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
bank. Parking is available 300 metres (984.3 ft) away at Vika, where car rental
Car rental
A car rental or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time for a fee...
is also provided. Bicycle parking and taxi stands are located at street level.
There are two platforms and four tracks, with the older tracks 1 and 2 serving west-bound trains towards Skøyen and Drammen, while the newer tracks 3 and 4 serve east-bound trains to Oslo S. The platforms are 242 metre long, respectively, and located 30 metres (98.4 ft) below the surface. The station has a capacity for 40,000 passenger per day and is the second-busiest in Norway.
Service
The Norwegian State Railways' intercity services along the Sørland Line call at Nationaltheatret, up to four times per day per direction. The fastest service to KristiansandKristiansand Station
Kristiansand Station is a railway station located in downtown Kristiansand in Vest-Agder, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is served by regional trains to Oslo and Stavanger...
takes 4 hours and 23 minutes and 7 hours and 59 minutes to Stavanger
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:...
. NSB's regional service along the Vestfold Line also calls at Nationaltheatret, normally with a one-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...
. Eastwards, these continue past Oslo S and serve the southern part of the Dovre Line until Lillehammer
Lillehammer Station
Lillehammer is a railway station located in downtown Lillehammer, Norway, on the Dovre Line. The station was opened in 1894 with the construction of the railway between Hamar Station and Tretten Station. The station got a major overhaul before the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...
. All eight lines of the Oslo Commuter Rail stop at Nationaltheatret. However, not all services of all line operate west of Oslo S. The Airport Express Train operates direct, high-speed
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
services to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...
every 20 minutes, with the journey taking 28 minutes.
Located above the railway station, but nonetheless underground, is a metro station, which serves all six lines of the Oslo Metro. The next west-bound station is Majorstuen
Majorstuen (station)
Majorstuen is a subway station on the Oslo Metro and a light rail station on the Briskeby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located in the Majorstuen neighborhood in the Frogner borough....
(formerly Valkyrie plass
Valkyrie plass (station)
Valkyrie plass is a former subway station on the Oslo Metro.The station was opened when the Holmenkoll Line was extended from Majorstuen to Nationaltheatret on 28 June 1928...
, but that station exists no more), while the next east-bound station is Stortinget
Stortinget (station)
Stortinget is an underground rapid transit station on the Common Line of the Oslo Metro, Norway. It is located in the heart of the city center, next to Stortinget, the Parliament of Norway. The station is served by all six lines of the metro. At the street level, the station serves tram routes 17,...
. At ground level, there is transfer to lines 13 and 19 of the Oslo Tramway. The station is located on the Briskeby Line
Briskeby Line
The Briskeby Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs between Jernbanetorget, through the neighborhoods of Briskeby and Uranienborg, before arriving at Majorstuen...
and serves westbound trains heading along the Briskeby and Lilleaker Lines, and eastbound station, via Jernbanetorget
Jernbanetorget (station)
Jernbanetorget is both a rapid transit station on the Oslo Metro and a light rail station of the Oslo Tramway. The metro station is in the Common Tunnel used by all lines under the city centre. It is located between Stortinget to the west and Grønland to the east. Until the construction of the...
, along the Ekeberg Line
Ekeberg Line
The Ekeberg Line is a long light rail line of the Oslo Tramway which runs from Gamlebyen to Ljabru in Oslo, Norway. Operated by lines 18 and 19, it serves the area of Nordstarand and the neighborhoods of Ekeberg, Jomfrubråten, Bekkelaget and Ljan. The line is operated by Oslo Sporvognsdrift using...
and the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line. The station also serves Ruter
Ruter
Ruter As is the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus, Norway. The company, organized as a limited company is responsible for managing, but not operating, public transport in the two counties, including bus, the Oslo Metro, the Oslo Tramway and ferries...
buses 30, 31, 32, 70, 82 and 83.
History
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
. The municipality wanted it at Ruseløkkveien. The following year, the municipality launched a contest to make the best suggestion for the tram networks. It took five years to select a winner, and this allowed the municipality and company to make a compromise by locating the terminus at Nationaltheatret. But not until 1926 was permission granted for the station. Construction commenced and the station and tunnel opened in 1928.
By the 1930s, Oslo had two main railway stations, Oslo East Station and Oslo West Station. Serving as the terminal station of the Drammen Line, Oslo West Station (Oslo V) was located in Vika, at the heart of the central business district of Oslo. The much larger Oslo East Station (Oslo Ø) served most commuter, regional and intercity trains. In 1938, the Station Committee of 1938 was established to look into a possible connection of the Drammen Line to Oslo Ø. Led by Axel Grenholm, the committee recommended building a branch from the Drammen Line as a tunnel under the city center, allowing all trains would terminate at Oslo Ø. It was proposed that the tunnel would run from Lassons gate west of Oslo V to Fred. Olsens gate, with an intermediate station close to the location of Oslo V.
Skarpsno Station
Skarpsno Station is a closed railway station located on Skøyen–Filipstad Line in Oslo, Norway.Skarpsno is a residential area; also many foreign embassies are located here...
and Skøyen
Skøyen Station
Skøyen is a railway station located in Oslo, Norway and is part of Drammen Line. The station serves commuter trains, some regional trains and the Flytoget airport express train service. Skøyen station is owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.Though some continue on, the...
, and build a second station at Frogner. The proposal was presented to the Parliament of Norway on 4 November 1961, along with several other matters related to rail transport investments. Construction of the Oslo Tunnel, Oslo Central Station and Nationaltheatret was passed unanimously.
Another planning office was established in 1962, initially led by Erik Himle
Erik Himle
Erik Himle is a Norwegian civil servant and politician for the Labour Party.Himle graduated with the cand.oecon. degree in 1948, and from the Nato Defence College in 1957...
. The final plans for the route were passed by parliament in 1968, and construction started in 1971. The initial station was entirely blasted in bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
and consisted of a single platform, 220 metres (721.8 ft) long and 11 metres (36.1 ft) wide. Adjacent to the bedrock is a layer of construction concrete and above the platforms, there are corrugated steel plates to catch drips and to reduce noise. The section of line past Nationaltheatret was part of a 480 metres (1,574.8 ft) section of the Oslo Tunnel designated Studenterlunden
Studenterlunden
Studenterlunden is a park in the city center of Oslo, Norway. It is surrounded by Karl Johans gate, Stortingsgata, Universitetsgata and Frederiks gate. Within the park lays the National Theatre. It also contains one of the entrances to Nationaltheatret Station of the Oslo Metro and Nationaltheatret...
. Of this, 280 metres (918.6 ft) was to run with the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro directly above it, resulting in a two-story tunnel. However, just east of Nationaltheatret, the two lines diverge, so the metro station is not directly on top of the railway station.
The tunnel was officially opened on 30 May 1980 by Minister of Transport and Communications
Minister of Transport and Communications (Norway)
The Minister of Transport and Communications is a Councillor of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications. Since 20 October 2009, the position has been held by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa of the Centre Party...
Ronald Bye
Ronald Bye
Ronald Joseph Bye is a former Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was Minister of Transport and Communications 1978-1981.-References:...
and officially taken into use on 1 June. The tunnel, including Nationaltheatret, cost NOK 625 million 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"...
(NOK), of which Oslo Municipality had paid NOK 170 million. At first, the tunnel and Nationaltheatret was used by commuter trains from Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm Station
Lillestrøm Station is a railway station located at Lillestrøm in Skedsmo, Norway. The station serves as the main transportation hub of the eastern parts of Greater Oslo and all trains east of Oslo stop at Lillestrøm...
to Drammen
Drammen Station
Drammen is a railway station located in downtown Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Randsfjord Line, the Drammen Line and the Vestfold Line...
and Spikkestad
Spikkestad Station
Spikkestad Station is a railway station located at Spikkestad in Røyken, Norway and the terminus of Spikkestadbanen. The station was opened as part of Drammenbanen in 1885, but in 1973 the new Lieråsen Tunnel opened through Lieråsen, and the old part of Drammenbanen was transformed to a commuter...
, and trains from Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll Station
Eidsvoll is a railway station located at Eidsvoll in Akershus, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Trunk Line, the Gardermoen Line and the Dovre Line. Though the Dovre Line and the Trunk Line/Gardermoen Line practically are the same continual railway, there is a naming change at the...
and Årnes
Årnes Station
Årnes Station is a railway station located in Årnes in Nes, Norway on Kongsvingerbanen. The station was built in 1862 as part of Kongsvingerbanen. The station is served hourly by the Oslo Commuter Rail line 460 operated by Norges Statsbaner, in addition to extra rushhour trains and express trains...
used the tunnel and turned at Skøyen. On 27 May 1989, Oslo V was closed and all traffic started running via Nationaltheatret.
From 1998, the Airport Express Train would start operating, and more capacity would be needed, both at Nationaltheatret and through the Oslo Tunnel. In 1995, NSB held an architecture competition to expand the station, which was won by LPO Arkitektur og Design and their design "Next To Nothing". Construction commenced in October 1997 and consisted of building 830 metres (2,723.1 ft) of new tunnel, a new double platform, a larger vestibule, escalators and artwork. During the work, 110000 cubic metres (3,884,613.3 cu ft) of rock were blasted and 33000 cubic metres (1,165,384 cu ft) of concrete were poured. The station was decorated with works by Anne Karine Furunes, Terje Roalkvam and Katrine Giæver. The upgrades cost NOK 920 million and was officially opened by King Harald V
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
on 16 December 1999.
The new entrance was designed by Arne Eggen and decorated by Terje Roalkvam. Other art was designed by Bård Breivik and Ole Enstad, including reuse of some of the original vestibule art from 1980, including a green marble wall designed by Katrine Giæver that runs along the hallway leading to the metro station. The new platform was built using typical 1990s materials, such as glass, metal and concrete, contrasting the old platform which was much darker and featured dark terracotta tiles which were popular during the 1970s.
In 2008, the old section of Nationaltheatret Station was renovated, including tracks 1 and 2 and the two original entrances. Upgrades included new lighting, a new public address system, new escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
s which have lighting that changes color, a more powerful fire safety system, improved emergency exit
Emergency exit
An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc....
s and replacement of cables and baldachin
Baldachin
A baldachin, or baldaquin , is a canopy of state over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent architectural feature, particularly over high altars in cathedrals, where such a structure is more correctly called a ciborium when it is...
. The upgrade made the old section lighter, and visually similar to the new section, as it was previously painted in dark red. Between 2008 to 2012, the Norwegian National Rail Administration is performing a major upgrade to the section between Lysaker and Etterstad, including the permanent way
Permanent way
The permanent way is the elements of railway lines: generally the pairs of rails typically laid on the sleepers embedded in ballast, intended to carry the ordinary trains of a railway...
past Nationaltheatret. Among the upgrades are axle counter
Axle counter
An axle counter is a device on a railway that detects the passing of a train in lieu of the more common track circuit. A counting head is installed at each end of the section, and as each axle passes the head at the start of the section, a counter increments...
s, mounting of an overhead conductor rail
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, new switches
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
and new tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
.