Nordlandsbanen
Encyclopedia
The Nordland Line is a railway line between Trondheim
and Bodø
in Norway
. Running for approximately 729 km, it is the Norwegian railway system
's longest line, and the only one in Norway to cross the Arctic Circle
. It is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. Though the Ofoten Line is further north, it only connects to the rest of the Norwegian network through Sweden
.
31 kilometres (19.3 mi) north of Trondheim, but this stretch has been reclassified by the Norwegian National Rail Administration as part of the Nordland Line. After Hell the railway passes through the towns of Stjørdal
, Levanger
, Verdal
, Steinkjer
, Mosjøen
, Mo i Rana
and Fauske
before reaching Bodø. The line has three branch lines: the Meråker Line (to Sweden), the Namsos Line and Sulitjelma Line. The latter two are currently disused and the Sulitjelma Line has been removed.
Unlike most of the Norwegian rail network, the Nordlands Line is not electrified
. Passenger traffic is fairly heavy between Trondheim and Steinkjer through the commuter train service Trønderbanen, but is significantly lighter further north. Most passenger services are provided by diesel multiple unit
s (DMU), while the night train service
, conveying sleeping car
s is locomotive
-hauled. The use of DMUs on Norway's longest railway route has been somewhat controversial, given the lower level of comfort offered by this type of train. In February 2007, NSB announced reintroduction of traditional locomotive-hauled trains for the full distance day train.
). The new Hell–Sunnan Line was built branching off from the Meråker Line reaching Levanger in 1902, Verdal in 1904 and Sunnan
in 1905. It subsequently reached Snåsa
in 1926 and Grong
in 1929. The branch line from Grong to Namsos, the Namsos Line, was opened in 1933. Before the German invasion of Norway
in 1940, the Nordland Line had reached Mosjøen. Construction continued under German supervision during the war, and by 1945 it had reached Dunderland
. The section to Fauske opened in 1958 and the final part to Bodø opened in 1962. During the occupation Germany forces started building an extension of the railway from Fauske to Narvik
, the Polar Line, but this was never completed during the war, and abandoned by Norwegian authorities afterwards.
During World War II
, the Nordland Line was among the lines targeted by saboteurs, and the Jørstad River bridge sabotage in 1945 resulted in the deaths of 70–80 German troops.
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 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...
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...
. Running for approximately 729 km, it is the Norwegian railway system
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....
's longest line, and the only one in Norway to cross the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. It is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. Though the Ofoten Line is further north, it only connects to the rest of the Norwegian network through 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....
.
Operations
The line originally split from the Meråker Line at Hell StationHell Station
Hell Station is a railway station located in the village of Hell in the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located at the intersection of the Nordland Line and Meråker Line....
31 kilometres (19.3 mi) north of Trondheim, but this stretch has been reclassified by the Norwegian National Rail Administration as part of the Nordland Line. After Hell the railway passes through the towns of 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...
, 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...
, Mosjøen
Mosjøen
-History:Mosjøen was founded in the 17th century as local farmers met here to trade, and has been growing since then. Sawmills were built here in 1866 by a British company, and Mosjøen got township rights in 1875. It is the oldest town in the Helgeland region and the second oldest town in Nordland...
, Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana
Mo i Rana is a town in the municipality of Rana, Nordland, Norway, located just south of the Arctic Circle and in the region Helgeland. The town is called "Mo i Rana" to distinquish it from other places named Mo - most notably the town of Mosjøen, also in Helgeland - though locally the town is...
and Fauske
Fauske
is a town and municipality located in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Fauske with approximately 6,000 inhabitants....
before reaching Bodø. The line has three branch lines: the Meråker Line (to Sweden), the Namsos Line and Sulitjelma Line. The latter two are currently disused and the Sulitjelma Line has been removed.
Unlike most of the Norwegian rail network, the Nordlands Line is not 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...
. Passenger traffic is fairly heavy between Trondheim and Steinkjer through the commuter train service Trønderbanen, but is significantly lighter further north. Most passenger services are provided by diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s (DMU), while the night train service
NSB Night Train
NSB Night Train is a night sleeping car service provided by the Norwegian State Railways on four routes; Oslo - Bergen , Oslo - Stavanger , Oslo - Trondheim and Trondheim - Bodø .The service is provided using El 18 locomotives with WLAB2 and B7 cars on the electrified lines in Southern Norway,...
, conveying sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s is locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
-hauled. The use of DMUs on Norway's longest railway route has been somewhat controversial, given the lower level of comfort offered by this type of train. In February 2007, NSB announced reintroduction of traditional locomotive-hauled trains for the full distance day train.
History
The first part of the route towards Bodø, from Trondheim to Hell, was opened in 1882 as part of the Meråker Line, which links Trondheim to the Swedish border and the Swedish railway system (MittbananMittbanan
The Central Line is a long railway line between Sundsvall and Storlien in Sweden. It continues as the long Meråker Line through Norway to Hell Station and onwards to Trondheim. The railway shares line with Inland Line between Brunflo and Östersund while the line between Ånge and Bräcke is double...
). The new Hell–Sunnan Line was built branching off from the Meråker Line reaching Levanger in 1902, Verdal in 1904 and 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 1905. It subsequently reached 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....
in 1926 and Grong
Grong
is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Medjå. Other villages in the municipality include Bergsmoen, Formofoss, Gartland, and Harran....
in 1929. The branch line from Grong to Namsos, the Namsos Line, was opened in 1933. Before the German invasion of Norway
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
in 1940, the Nordland Line had reached Mosjøen. Construction continued under German supervision during the war, and by 1945 it had reached Dunderland
Dunderland
Dunderland is a village in the Dunderlandsdal valley in Rana municipality, Norway.The village has a train station on Nordlandsbanen, between Skonseng and Lønsdal. The station is 127 meters above sea level.-External links:*...
. The section to Fauske opened in 1958 and the final part to Bodø opened in 1962. During the occupation Germany forces started building an extension of the railway from Fauske to Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
, the Polar Line, but this was never completed during the war, and abandoned by Norwegian authorities afterwards.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Nordland Line was among the lines targeted by saboteurs, and the Jørstad River bridge sabotage in 1945 resulted in the deaths of 70–80 German troops.