Norges Statsbaner
Encyclopedia
Norges Statsbaner AS, also known as the Norwegian State Railways and NSB, is a company which is responsible for most passenger train operation in Norway
. Owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
, it is also engaged in real estate through Rom Eiendom
, bus transport through Nettbuss
, cargo trains through CargoNet
and foreign train transport through Tågkompaniet
. In 2009, NSB transported 52 million train passengers and 104 million bus passengers.
The Norwegian passenger train division has a fleet of 36 Class 72
and 82 Class 69 electric multiple units (EMU) and 14 Class 92 diesel multiple units (DMU) for commuter services. The company has a further 22 Class 73
and 16 Class 70 EMUs and Class 93 DMUs for regional and intercity trains, which are also provided by 22 El 18
and 5 Di 4
locomotives which haul Class 5 and Class 7 passenger cars. NSB receives subsidies to operate unprofitable route from its owner, while services on the Gjøvik Line have been made subject to public service obligation
s, which is operated by NSB's subsidiary NSB Gjøvikbanen.
The current company was established on 1 December 1996, when the former government agency with the same name was split into the new NSB, the infrastructure company the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
.
between Oslo
and Eidsvoll
, was opened on 1 September 1854. This 68 km long standard gauge railway terminated at the end of the lake Mjøsa
and steam ship services were provided up the lake to Lillehammer
. This first railway was constructed by British
engineer
s, and the financing was divided between British investors and the Government of Norway. The total construction cost of this railway was 2 million Spesidaler
, though the investment was highly profitable because of the large amount of lumber
transported on the rail. This railway represented an enormous boost to the vital Norwegian lumber industry. Also along this and all later railways were constructed telegraph lines. Hovedbanen was formally a private railway until 1926, but the Norwegian Government had great influence on the railway from the very beginning.
The next railway to be constructed was also the first state railways, decided in the Parliament of Norway in 1857. On 23 June 1862 the narrow gauge Hamar-Grundsetbanen was opened. It was followed by the standard gauge Kongsvingerbanen
that opened on 3 October between Lillestrøm
and Kongsvinger
, thus making a connection to Sweden
(that Norway at that point was in union with) possible. The third of the first three lines was the narrow gauge Trondhjem-Størenbanen, opened in 1864. In the following years many other railways where constructed, including the Randsfjord Line in 1868, the Drammen Line in 1872, the Røros Line in 1877, the Jær Line in 1878, the Østfold Line in 1879 and the Eastern Østfold Line (1882), the Hedmark Line in 1880 and both the Vestfold Line and the Meråker Line in 1882. These railways were completely controlled by the state even if others had stocks and got revenue.
for all state railways built from 1857 and later. The state railways was grouped into six districts, each governed by a district headmaster (Distrikts Chef) and his office. These were situated in Kristiania, Drammen
, Hamar
, Trondhjem
, Stavanger
and Bergen
. Offices in Kristiansand
, Narvik
and Arendal
was established later. These administrative structure was mostly unchanged until 1989.
in 1942 and the Sørland Line in 1944.
the expansion of the railway network practically stopped, with the sole exception of the work to get the Nordland Line to Bodø
, a task first completed in 1962. In the 1952 the Norwegian authorities decided that 50% of the railway network length, compromising 80% of the traffic, was to be electrified at 15 kV AC
and that the rest of the network was to be operated with diesel locomotive
s. The practical result was a continuous work to electrify the entire network south of lake Mjøsa, in addition to the Dovre Line. This line would be the last electrified, a job completed in 1970.
To operate the modernised network, NSB went to the acquisition of two new main locomotive types, the Di 3
for diesel operations and the El 11
for electrical operations, the Di 3s being delivered from 1957 and the El 11s from 1951. The diesel locomotives were supplemented with the shunters Di 2
while the El 11s were supplemented with an upgraded El 13
class.
opened in 1980. It allowed trains from the west of Oslo to run to the new Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) and in 1989 Oslo West Line Station
was closed. The tunnel especially revolutionised the commuter train service around Oslo, allowing trains to operate on both sides of Oslo city centre.
while a new Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
was created to supervise all railway operations in the country. NSB was renamed NSB BA and created as a limited company
, wholly owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
. Also, NSB was made a corporation
, with NSB Biltrafikk (now Nettbuss
) and NSB Eiendom (now ROM Eiendomsutvikling) made subsidiaries of NSB.
In 1998 the new Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
opened, replacing the old Oslo Airport, Fornebu
that had been too small since the 1980s. Part of the political compromise to build the new airport was a twofold consequence for NSB. First of all it was decided that the new airport was to have an as environmentally friendly ground infrastructure as possible, resulting in the decision to build a high speed railway on the 56 km stretch from Oslo Central Station to the airport, which would only take 19 minutes. But at the same time it was a political demand that the new airport not cost the tax
payers any money, and it was decided that the entire construction was to be financed with loan
s. The result was that the airport was to be financed, built and operated by the Airport Authority
subsidiary Oslo Lufthavn AS while the rail connection was to be financed, built and operated by the NSB subsidiary NSB Gardermobanen
. But problems arose during the construction of Gardermobanen
because of a leak in the tunnel Romeriksporten
, resulting in major budget overruns and a delay in the opening of the tunnel. Still, Norway's first high speed railway line opened on time on 8 October 1998 at the same time as the new airport, though Romeriksporten was not opened until 22 October 1999, more than a year after its scheduled opening. The service is operated using 16 custom built Class 71 electric multiple units, with a capacity for 168 passengers and maximum speed of 210 km/h.
NSB tried to modernize itself in the late 1990s through the acquisition of new rolling stock and a new brand image. The first stock to be delivered were 22 El 18
electric locomotives. These were to take over the passenger train traffic in Southern Norway while the El 16s and El 14s were moved to the freight division and the El 17s were scrapped, relegated to shunting or sold to Flåmsbana
. The new locomotives were capable of speeds up to 200 km/h. For the diesel lines NSB attempted to buy 12 Di 6
from Siemens
, but had to return them after they failed to operate sufficiently in the Northern Norwegian cold. NSB also decided to rebrand itself with three district brands: NSB Signatur (express trains), NSB Agenda
(regional trains) and NSB Puls (local trains). At the same time NSB ordered new electric multiple units, first of all for the new Airport Express Train service, Class 71. This was followed up with 16 new Signatur trains of Class 73
that were to be used on the express services on Bergensbanen, Dovrebanen and Sørlandsbanen and equipped with tilting
technology. This was an attempt to create a high speed railway service using existing rail track, though the operating times between Oslo and the terminuses were only reduced by about an hour. These trains were painted blue and grey, and were the first non-red trains to be operated by NSB in decades. At the same time NSB announced the introduction of the Agenda concept, that was to replace the NSB InterCity Express
services and the diesel services. While the Class 70s were simply repainted, the diesel services on Nordlandsbanen, Raumabanen and Rørosbanen were upgrades with 15 new Class 93 units in 2001, though criticized for lack of comfort, have increased the speed on the railways. NSB also discontinued night train services on Raumabanen and Rørosbanen. NSB also received, starting in 2002 36 new electrical local trains, Class 72
. These were painted grey/green (for the use of the brand name Puls) and were put in service around Oslo and Stavanger. NSB has now discontinued the use of brand names on its rail products.
By 2002 the conservative-liberal government
wanted to further deregulate
the Norwegian railway sector, and made NSB a public limited company
NSB AS on 1 July. NSB had been through a process of making the company more of a corporation, with the IT section made the subsidiary Arrive and the maintenance transformed to Mantena
. NSB also purchased part of the Swedish Tågkompaniet
while the old freight train section NSB Gods was transformed to CargoNet
. 45% of the subsidiary was then sold to the Statens Järnvägar
successor Green Cargo. In 2004 the government also split NSB Gardermobanen in two, deleting the companies debt, transferring the track it owned to Jernbaneverket and the train operations to a new, government-owned enterprise, Flytoget
.
NSB operates with three main types of passenger rail transport: intercity trains, regional trains and commuter trains.
electric multiple units (formerly branded as Signatur) or with traditional locomotive pulled trains (electric locomotives El18
and coaches Class 7
). A night train
service with WLAB2 sleeping coaches is also offered on these lines. On the Nordland Line between Trondheim
and Bodø
NSB operates using diesel locomotives Di4
, making it the only line still serviced by such for regular passenger service.
These routes are operated:
NSB has two regional rail services. All regional trains are to receive the new livery of red and grey. NSB has previously used the brand name Agenda on its regional services.
Regional services use Class 70 (Skien
–Lillehammer
) and Class 73b
(Oslo S – Halden
– (Gothenburg
)). The service is provided hourly along the Trunk Line, the Vestfold Line and the Østfold Line. The trains running between Lillehammer and Skien serve Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
, providing an alternative to the Oslo Airport Express Train ().
On the non-electrified
Meråker Line, Nordland Line, Rauma Line and Røros Line. NSB operates regional services using NSB Class 92 and Class 93 diesel multiple units. NSB operates the following routes:
, Bergen
, Oslo
, Skien
, Stavanger
and Trondheim
NSB operates commuter train services using Class 69 and Class 72
electric multiple units and Class 92 diesel multiple units. The services usually have hourly or semi-hourly frequency. NSB tried using the brand name Puls for the commuter trains, and have painted some of the trains green. The Puls brand has been discontinued.
Around Oslo the following services are provided: (with Class 69 and Class 72)
Other commuter train services:
for a ten-year public service obligation
contract with the Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communication. The Norwegian Minister of Transportation and Communications
, Liv Signe Navarsete
(Centre Party
), has announced that the present government
(as of 2006) will discontinue the previous governments
announcements to put more rail line operations on public tender.
in 2000 because of an axle breaking due to metal fatigue
. As of 2005 however, these trains have been performing satisfactorily.
In August 2008, NSB announced it had ordered 50 new five-unit trainsets of the Stadler FLIRT
class. These will be used for local service in the Greater Oslo area (24 sets) and also regional service in southern Norway (26 sets). The delivery is scheduled for 2012, by that time much of the rail network is expected to be upgraded to double track
, enabling an increase in frequency. The contract which is worth approximately 840 mill. Swiss franc
s gives NSB an option to buy an additional 100 sets. These trainsets have been specifically modified to operate in Norwegian climate and have a maximum speed of 200 km/h.
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...
. Owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
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...
, it is also engaged in real estate through Rom Eiendom
ROM Eiendom
Rom Eiendom is a subsidiary of the Norwegian State Railways responsible for managing the commercial sections of the companies real estate. With headquarters in Oslo, the company manages . The vast majority of this is in or in connection with railway stations...
, bus transport through Nettbuss
Nettbuss
Nettbuss AS is the largest bus company in Norway owned by the Norwegian State Railways . It was until 2000 known as NSB Biltrafikk. The company has 14 operating subsidiaries throughout Norway and in Denmark and Sweden....
, cargo trains through CargoNet
CargoNet
CargoNet AS is the primary operator of freight trains on the Norwegian railway system. It was formed as NSB Gods after NSB fissioned into a passenger and a freight company. NSB Gods changed its name to CargoNet at the beginning of 2002. It is owned by NSB and the Swedish freight company Green Cargo...
and foreign train transport through Tågkompaniet
Tågkompaniet
Tågkompaniet or Svenska Tågkompaniet AB is a Swedish railway company that operates franchises in Northern Sweden and Greater Stockholm. The company was founded in 1999 by three former railway employees in Statens Järnvägar and the investment company Småföretagsinvest/Fylkinvest...
. In 2009, NSB transported 52 million train passengers and 104 million bus passengers.
The Norwegian passenger train division has a fleet of 36 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...
and 82 Class 69 electric multiple units (EMU) and 14 Class 92 diesel multiple units (DMU) for commuter services. The company has a further 22 Class 73
NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
and 16 Class 70 EMUs and Class 93 DMUs for regional and intercity trains, which are also provided by 22 El 18
NSB El 18
NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works for the Norwegian State Railways . The class is a modification of the Swiss Federal Railways Re 460 locomotive and built at Adtranz Strømmen in 1996 and 1997...
and 5 Di 4
NSB Di 4
The NSB Di 4 is a diesel-electric locomotive used by Norwegian NSB railways to haul passenger trains on stretches which are not electrified. They are used mostly on Nordlandsbanen, since the other unelectrified stretches are usually served by diesel multiple units.The five Di 4s which were built...
locomotives which haul Class 5 and Class 7 passenger cars. NSB receives subsidies to operate unprofitable route from its owner, while services on the Gjøvik Line have been made subject to public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
s, which is operated by NSB's subsidiary NSB Gjøvikbanen.
The current company was established on 1 December 1996, when the former government agency with the same name was split into the new NSB, the infrastructure company the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
The Norwegian Railway Inspectorate is a Norwegian government agency responsible for control and supervision of rail transport in Norway, including railways, tramways, rapid transits, heritage railways and side tracks....
.
Prehistory: 1854–1883
The first Norwegian locomotive railway, HovedbanenHovedbanen
The Hoved Line is a railway line in Norway which runs between Oslo and Eidsvoll. The line is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.-History:...
between 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...
and Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
, was opened on 1 September 1854. This 68 km long standard gauge railway terminated at the end of the lake Mjøsa
Mjøsa
Mjøsa is Norway's largest lake, as well as one of the deepest lakes in Norway and in Europe as a whole, after Hornindalsvatnet. It is located in the southern part of Norway, about 100 km north of Oslo...
and steam ship services were provided up the lake to Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
. This first railway was constructed by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s, and the financing was divided between British investors and the Government of Norway. The total construction cost of this railway was 2 million Spesidaler
Norwegian speciedaler
The speciedaler was the currency of Norway between 1816 and 1875. It replaced the rigsdaler specie at par and was subdivided into 120 skilling . It was replaced by the Norwegian krone when Norway joined the Scandinavian Monetary Union...
, though the investment was highly profitable because of the large amount of lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
transported on the rail. This railway represented an enormous boost to the vital Norwegian lumber industry. Also along this and all later railways were constructed telegraph lines. Hovedbanen was formally a private railway until 1926, but the Norwegian Government had great influence on the railway from the very beginning.
The next railway to be constructed was also the first state railways, decided in the Parliament of Norway in 1857. On 23 June 1862 the narrow gauge Hamar-Grundsetbanen was opened. It was followed by the standard gauge Kongsvingerbanen
Kongsvingerbanen
The Kongsvinger Line is a railway line between the towns of Lillestrøm and Kongsvinger in Norway and onwards to Charlottenberg in Sweden. The railway was opened on 3 October 1862 and is Norway's second standard gauge line . It was electrified in 1951...
that opened on 3 October between Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm
' is a city in the municipality of Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. The municipal administration is located in Lillestrøm.Facilities in Lillestrøm include hotels, Norway trade fairs, a brand new cinema, a mall, Lillestrøm torv, restaurants, a high speed commuter train that reaches both Oslo and...
and Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger
is a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
, thus making a connection to 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....
(that Norway at that point was in union with) possible. The third of the first three lines was the narrow gauge Trondhjem-Størenbanen, opened in 1864. In the following years many other railways where constructed, including the Randsfjord Line in 1868, the Drammen Line in 1872, the Røros Line in 1877, the Jær Line in 1878, the Østfold Line in 1879 and the Eastern Østfold Line (1882), the Hedmark Line in 1880 and both the Vestfold Line and the Meråker Line in 1882. These railways were completely controlled by the state even if others had stocks and got revenue.
Foundation
Norwegian State Railways was formally founded in 1883 by establishing a central head office (Hovedstyrelsen) in KristianiaOslo
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...
for all state railways built from 1857 and later. The state railways was grouped into six districts, each governed by a district headmaster (Distrikts Chef) and his office. These were situated in Kristiania, Drammen
Drammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
, Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, Trondhjem
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...
, 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 Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. Offices in 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...
, 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...
and Arendal
Arendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
was established later. These administrative structure was mostly unchanged until 1989.
Great expansion
In 1890 the Norwegian Parliament decided to restart railway projects in Norway, after seven years of complete stop. A lot of lines were constructed in the years to come, and the nation got some kind of a railway network, with Oslo as a centre. The main lines were completed gradually with the Bergen Line in 1909, the Dovre Line in 1921, the Nordland Line to Mo i RanaMo 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...
in 1942 and the Sørland Line in 1944.
1945–1970
After World War IIWorld 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 expansion of the railway network practically stopped, with the sole exception of the work to get the Nordland Line to Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
, a task first completed in 1962. In the 1952 the Norwegian authorities decided that 50% of the railway network length, compromising 80% of the traffic, was to be electrified at 15 kV AC
15 kV AC
The AC railway electrification system is used in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway. The high voltage enables high power transmission with low losses powering traction motors available since the beginning of the 20th century...
and that the rest of the network was to be operated with diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s. The practical result was a continuous work to electrify the entire network south of lake Mjøsa, in addition to the Dovre Line. This line would be the last electrified, a job completed in 1970.
To operate the modernised network, NSB went to the acquisition of two new main locomotive types, the Di 3
NSB Di 3
NSB Di 3 is a class of 35 diesel-electric locomotives built by Nydqvist och Holm for the Norwegian State Railways . The class was built between 1954 and 1969, and delivered in two series, Di 3a and Di 3b. They are based on the Electro-Motive Division F7 and are equipped with EMD 567 engines...
for diesel operations and the El 11
NSB El 11
The NSB El 11 was an electric locomotive which was operated for both passenger and freight trains by NSB. It was the third type of Norwegian electric locomotive with bogies, after the NSB El 7 and NSB El 9. They were manufactured by Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri and Thune mekaniske verksted...
for electrical operations, the Di 3s being delivered from 1957 and the El 11s from 1951. The diesel locomotives were supplemented with the shunters Di 2
NSB Di 2
NSB Di 2 was a diesel-hydraulic locomotive used by the Norwegian State Railways . The 54 delivered locomotives had three axels and were used as shunters throughout the entire NSB system.-History:...
while the El 11s were supplemented with an upgraded El 13
NSB El 13
NSB El 13 is a Norwegian electric locomotive which was used by Norges Statsbaner for both passenger and freight trains.The locomotive is a heavier and upgraded version of the NSB El 11 which was popular among its crew but unsuitable for journeys in heavy snow on lines such as Bergensbanen. Like...
class.
1970–1995
After decades of planning and construction, the Oslo TunnelOslotunnelen
The Oslo Tunnel is a , double-track, railway tunnel which runs between Olav Kyrres plass and Oslo Central Station in Oslo, Norway. The tunnel constitutes the eastern-most section of the Drammen Line and runs below the central business district of Oslo...
opened in 1980. It allowed trains from the west of Oslo to run to the new Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) and in 1989 Oslo West Line Station
Oslo Vestbanestasjon
Oslo West Station or Oslo V, is a former railway station located in Vika in Oslo, Norway. It was the terminus of the Drammen Line between 1872 and 1980, until the Oslo Tunnel opened. The station remained in use until 1989, when all traffic was moved to the new Oslo Central Station...
was closed. The tunnel especially revolutionised the commuter train service around Oslo, allowing trains to operate on both sides of Oslo city centre.
1996 to present
On 1 December 1996 the largest structural change in Norwegian railway history in the 20th century occurred. NSB was split in three separate governmental agencies. The ownership, maintenance and construction of the track was transformed to the newly created government agency JernbaneverketJernbaneverket
The Norwegian National Rail Administration is a government agency responsible for owning and maintaining the Norwegian railway network, including the track, stations, classification yards, traffic management and timetables...
while a new Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
The Norwegian Railway Inspectorate is a Norwegian government agency responsible for control and supervision of rail transport in Norway, including railways, tramways, rapid transits, heritage railways and side tracks....
was created to supervise all railway operations in the country. NSB was renamed NSB BA and created as a limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
, wholly owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
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...
. Also, NSB was made a corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
, with NSB Biltrafikk (now Nettbuss
Nettbuss
Nettbuss AS is the largest bus company in Norway owned by the Norwegian State Railways . It was until 2000 known as NSB Biltrafikk. The company has 14 operating subsidiaries throughout Norway and in Denmark and Sweden....
) and NSB Eiendom (now ROM Eiendomsutvikling) made subsidiaries of NSB.
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...
opened, replacing the old Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu was the main airport serving Oslo and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and the area has since been redeveloped. The airport was located at Fornebu in Bærum, from the city center. Fornebu had two runways, one...
that had been too small since the 1980s. Part of the political compromise to build the new airport was a twofold consequence for NSB. First of all it was decided that the new airport was to have an as environmentally friendly ground infrastructure as possible, resulting in the decision to build a high speed railway on the 56 km stretch from Oslo Central Station to the airport, which would only take 19 minutes. But at the same time it was a political demand that the new airport not cost the tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
payers any money, and it was decided that the entire construction was to be financed with loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
s. The result was that the airport was to be financed, built and operated by the Airport Authority
Avinor
Avinor AS is a state owned limited company in that operates most of the civil airports in Norway. The Norwegian state, via the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications controls 100 percent of the share capital. Avinor was created on 1 January 2003, by the privatization of the...
subsidiary Oslo Lufthavn AS while the rail connection was to be financed, built and operated by the NSB subsidiary NSB Gardermobanen
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...
. But problems arose during the construction of Gardermobanen
Gardermobanen
The Gardermoen Line is a high-speed railway line between Oslo and Eidsvoll, Norway, running past Lillestrøm and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. The line is long and replaced the older Hoved Line as the main line north-east of Oslo...
because of a leak in the tunnel Romeriksporten
Romeriksporten
The Romerike Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Norway that connects Oslo with Lillestrøm. Being the longest railway tunnel in Norway, the tunnel forms the first half of the Gardermoen Line...
, resulting in major budget overruns and a delay in the opening of the tunnel. Still, Norway's first high speed railway line opened on time on 8 October 1998 at the same time as the new airport, though Romeriksporten was not opened until 22 October 1999, more than a year after its scheduled opening. The service is operated using 16 custom built Class 71 electric multiple units, with a capacity for 168 passengers and maximum speed of 210 km/h.
NSB tried to modernize itself in the late 1990s through the acquisition of new rolling stock and a new brand image. The first stock to be delivered were 22 El 18
NSB El 18
NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works for the Norwegian State Railways . The class is a modification of the Swiss Federal Railways Re 460 locomotive and built at Adtranz Strømmen in 1996 and 1997...
electric locomotives. These were to take over the passenger train traffic in Southern Norway while the El 16s and El 14s were moved to the freight division and the El 17s were scrapped, relegated to shunting or sold to Flåmsbana
Flåmsbana
The Flåm Line is a long railway between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. As a branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is . The line has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. It has a maximum...
. The new locomotives were capable of speeds up to 200 km/h. For the diesel lines NSB attempted to buy 12 Di 6
NSB Di 6
NSB Di 6 is a class of twelve diesel-electric locomotives built by Siemens for the Norwegian State Railways from 1995 to 1996. Twelve engines were built at the MaK plant in Kiel whilst it was part of Siemens Schienenfahrzeugtechnik, and numbered Di 6-661 to 6-672.-Construction:During the late...
from Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
, but had to return them after they failed to operate sufficiently in the Northern Norwegian cold. NSB also decided to rebrand itself with three district brands: NSB Signatur (express trains), NSB Agenda
NSB Agenda
NSB Agenda was a brand name created by Norges Statsbaner for their regional train service, and used on the services in Eastern, Central and Northern Norway...
(regional trains) and NSB Puls (local trains). At the same time NSB ordered new electric multiple units, first of all for the new Airport Express Train service, Class 71. This was followed up with 16 new Signatur trains of Class 73
NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
that were to be used on the express services on Bergensbanen, Dovrebanen and Sørlandsbanen and equipped with tilting
Tilting train
A tilting train is a train that has a mechanism enabling increased speed on regular rail tracks. As a train rounds a curve at speed, objects inside the train experience centrifugal force. This can cause packages to slide about or seated passengers to feel squashed by the outboard armrest due to...
technology. This was an attempt to create a high speed railway service using existing rail track, though the operating times between Oslo and the terminuses were only reduced by about an hour. These trains were painted blue and grey, and were the first non-red trains to be operated by NSB in decades. At the same time NSB announced the introduction of the Agenda concept, that was to replace the NSB InterCity Express
NSB InterCity Express
NSB InterCity Express or ICE is a premium medium distance railway service provided by Norges Statsbaner on the routes Lillehammer–Oslo–Skien and Oslo–Halden–Göteborg with hourly headway...
services and the diesel services. While the Class 70s were simply repainted, the diesel services on Nordlandsbanen, Raumabanen and Rørosbanen were upgrades with 15 new Class 93 units in 2001, though criticized for lack of comfort, have increased the speed on the railways. NSB also discontinued night train services on Raumabanen and Rørosbanen. NSB also received, starting in 2002 36 new electrical local trains, 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...
. These were painted grey/green (for the use of the brand name Puls) and were put in service around Oslo and Stavanger. NSB has now discontinued the use of brand names on its rail products.
By 2002 the conservative-liberal government
Second cabinet Bondevik
Bondevik's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 19 October 2001 and 17 October 2005. It was led by Kjell Magne Bondevik and consisted of the Conservative Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. It had the following composition:...
wanted to further deregulate
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
the Norwegian railway sector, and made NSB a public limited company
Aksjeselskap
Aksjeselskap is the Norwegian term for a stock-based company. It is usually abbreviated AS or A/S, especially when used in company names. An AS is always a limited company, i.e. the owners cannot be held liable for any debt beyond the stock capital...
NSB AS on 1 July. NSB had been through a process of making the company more of a corporation, with the IT section made the subsidiary Arrive and the maintenance transformed to Mantena
Mantena
Mantena is a Norwegian rolling stock maintenance company owned by Norges Statsbaner . It has workshops at Grorud and Lodalen in Oslo, Marienborg in Trondheim as well as in Skien and Drammen. In addition to NSB, customers include CargoNet, Kollektivtransportproduksjon, Ofotbanen, Green Cargo, Hector...
. NSB also purchased part of the Swedish Tågkompaniet
Tågkompaniet
Tågkompaniet or Svenska Tågkompaniet AB is a Swedish railway company that operates franchises in Northern Sweden and Greater Stockholm. The company was founded in 1999 by three former railway employees in Statens Järnvägar and the investment company Småföretagsinvest/Fylkinvest...
while the old freight train section NSB Gods was transformed to CargoNet
CargoNet
CargoNet AS is the primary operator of freight trains on the Norwegian railway system. It was formed as NSB Gods after NSB fissioned into a passenger and a freight company. NSB Gods changed its name to CargoNet at the beginning of 2002. It is owned by NSB and the Swedish freight company Green Cargo...
. 45% of the subsidiary was then sold to the Statens Järnvägar
Statens Järnvägar
The Swedish State Railways or SJ, originally the Royal Railway Board , is a former government agency responsible for operating the state railways in Sweden....
successor Green Cargo. In 2004 the government also split NSB Gardermobanen in two, deleting the companies debt, transferring the track it owned to Jernbaneverket and the train operations to a new, government-owned enterprise, Flytoget
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...
.
Services
See Norwegian railway network.NSB operates with three main types of passenger rail transport: intercity trains, regional trains and commuter trains.
Intercity trains / Long-distance trains
The intercity trains (fjerntog) services are offered on the Bergen Line, the Dovre Line and the Sørland Line. The four day trains are operated with Class 73NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
electric multiple units (formerly branded as Signatur) or with traditional locomotive pulled trains (electric locomotives El18
NSB El 18
NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works for the Norwegian State Railways . The class is a modification of the Swiss Federal Railways Re 460 locomotive and built at Adtranz Strømmen in 1996 and 1997...
and coaches Class 7
Norwegian railway carriages
There are three basic types of Norwegian railway carriage used commonly by NSB on the Norwegian railway system, the Class 3, Class 5 and Class 7 series...
). A night train
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,...
service with WLAB2 sleeping coaches is also offered on these lines. On the Nordland Line between Trondheim
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...
NSB operates using diesel locomotives Di4
NSB Di 4
The NSB Di 4 is a diesel-electric locomotive used by Norwegian NSB railways to haul passenger trains on stretches which are not electrified. They are used mostly on Nordlandsbanen, since the other unelectrified stretches are usually served by diesel multiple units.The five Di 4s which were built...
, making it the only line still serviced by such for regular passenger service.
These routes are operated:
- OsloOsloOslo 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...
–TrondheimTrondheimTrondheim , 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...
(Dovrebanen) (via: Lillestrøm, Oslo Airport Gardermoen, Hamar, Brumunddal, Moelv, Lillehammer, Hunderfossen, Ringebu, Vinstra, Kvam, Otta, Dovre, Dombås, Hjerkinn, Kongsvoll, Oppdal, Berkåk, Støren, Heimdal, Trondheim S) - Oslo–BergenBergenBergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
- Oslo–KristiansandKristiansand-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...
Regional trains
Regional services use Class 70 (Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
–Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
) and Class 73b
NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
(Oslo S – Halden
Halden
is a both a town and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The seat of the municipality, Halden is a border town located at the Tista river delta on the Iddefjord, the southernmost border crossing between Norway and Sweden.-History:...
– (Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
)). The service is provided hourly along the Trunk Line, the Vestfold Line and the Østfold Line. The trains running between Lillehammer and Skien serve 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...
, providing an alternative to the Oslo Airport Express Train ().
On the non-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...
Meråker Line, Nordland Line, Rauma Line and Røros Line. NSB operates regional services using NSB Class 92 and Class 93 diesel multiple units. NSB operates the following routes:
- Trondheim–Bodø (Nordland Line)
- Trondheim–ÖstersundÖstersundÖstersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...
(SwedenSwedenSweden , 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....
) (Meråker Line) - Trondheim–RørosRørosis a town and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Røros. Other villages include Brekken, Glåmos, Feragen, Galåa, and Hitterdalen....
(Røros Line) - Trondheim–OppdalOppdalis a village and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Dovre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppdal. Other villages in the municipality include Lønset, Vognillan, Fagerhaug, and Holan...
(Dovre Line) - Røros–HamarHamaris a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
(Røros Line) - Dombås–ÅndalsnesÅndalsnesis a town in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is the administrative center of Rauma. The town has a population of 2,207...
(Rauma Line)
Commuter trains
Around the cities of ArendalArendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
, Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as 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...
, Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
, 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 Trondheim
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...
NSB operates commuter train services using Class 69 and 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 units and Class 92 diesel multiple units. The services usually have hourly or semi-hourly frequency. NSB tried using the brand name Puls for the commuter trains, and have painted some of the trains green. The Puls brand has been discontinued.
- (DrammenDrammenDrammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
)–AskerAskerAsker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...
–Oslo–LillestrømLillestrøm' is a city in the municipality of Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. The municipal administration is located in Lillestrøm.Facilities in Lillestrøm include hotels, Norway trade fairs, a brand new cinema, a mall, Lillestrøm torv, restaurants, a high speed commuter train that reaches both Oslo and...
(Trunk Line and Drammen Line) - Drammen–SkøyenSkøyenSkøyen is a neighborhood of Oslo, Norway. It is located in the western part of the city, in the borough of Ullern.The name "Skøyen" comes from Old Norse Skǫðin, of unknown etymology....
–Oslo–JessheimJessheimJessheim is a large village in the Ullensaker municipality in Akershus of Norway.The name "Jessheim" is from Norse Jasseimr or Jesseímr where the first part has unknown origin, while the second part means home. It is also possible that the first part "Jess" can mean jarl or jarls...
–DalDal, NorwayDal is a village in Eidsvoll, Akershus, Norway. The village has a railway station, Dal Station, served by the Oslo Commuter Rail....
(Trunk Line and Drammen Line) - EidsvollEidsvollis a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Sundet.-Name:...
–Oslo–Drammen–KongsbergKongsbergis a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
(Trunk Line and Sørland Line) - Skøyen–LillestrømLillestrøm' is a city in the municipality of Skedsmo, Akershus, Norway. The municipal administration is located in Lillestrøm.Facilities in Lillestrøm include hotels, Norway trade fairs, a brand new cinema, a mall, Lillestrøm torv, restaurants, a high speed commuter train that reaches both Oslo and...
–ÅrnesÅrnesÅrnes is the administrative centre of Nes municipality, Akershus, Norway.Its population is 3,140. Årnes is located in the nort-east of Akershus along Glomma , and is the largest municipality in Nes Kommune...
–(KongsvingerKongsvingeris a town and is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger....
) (Kongsvinger Line) - Skøyen–Oslo–SkiSki, Norwayis a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Follo. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Ski. Ski was separated from the municipality of Kråkstad on 1 July 1931 to form a separate municipality...
(Østfold Line) - SpikkestadSpikkestadSpikkestad is a population center in the Røyken municipality in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the Hurum Peninsula, closer to the Drammen Fjord than the Oslo Fjord....
–Oslo–MossMoss, Norwayis a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
(Spikkestad Line and Østfold Line) - Skøyen–Oslo–MysenMysenMysen is the administrative center of the municipality of Eidsberg in the county of Østfold in Norway.Between 1920 and 1961, it was a separate municipality. Mysen became an independent municipality on 1 July 1920 when it was spun off from Eidsberg. On 1 January 1961 Mysen was merged again with...
–(RakkestadRakkestadRakkestad is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rakkestad. It is divided into the parishes of Rakkestad, Degernes, and Os. The municipality is the county's second largest by area and one of Norway's largest agricultural...
) (Østfold Line)
Other commuter train services:
- Stavanger–EgersundEgersundThe town of Egersund was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . It was merged with the surrounding municipality of Eigersund January 1, 1965....
(Sørland Line) with Class 72 - Bergen–VossVossis a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....
–MyrdalMyrdalMyrdal is a surname, and may refer to:* Alva Myrdal , Swedish diplomat, politician and writer* Gunnar Myrdal , Swedish economist and politician* Jan Myrdal , Swedish author, leftist-political writer and columnist...
(Bergen Line) with Class 69 - LerkendalLerkendal, TrondheimLerkendal is an area and borough in Trondheim, Norway.The area is located south of Gløshaugen and Elgeseter, west of Berg, north of Tempe and east of the river Nidelva. The area is dominated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, SINTEF and the home stadium of Rosenborg, Lerkendal...
–Trondheim–SteinkjerSteinkjeris 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...
(Nordland Line) with diesel Class 92, on what used to be called TrønderbanenTrønderbanenThe Trøndelag Commuter Rail is a commuter train service operating in Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag, Norway. It is operated by Norwegian State Railways with Class 92 diesel multiple units. The service provides a commuter service connecting Trondheim to its suburbs, between towns in Innherred... - PorsgrunnPorsgrunnis a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Porsgrunn....
–NotoddenNotoddenis a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden....
(Bratsberg Line) with Y1 class railcar - Arendal–NelaugNelaugNelaug is a village in the southern part of the municipality of Åmli in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The population was 161. The village lies east of the Nelaug lake, which is regulated by a hydroelectric power plant...
(Arendal LineArendal LineThe 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...
) with Class 69
Gjøvikbanen
Services on Gjøvik Line were in 2005 transferred to NSB Gjøvikbanen after the NSB subsidiary had won a public tender bidRequest for tender
A request for tender, commonly abbreviated to RFT, is a formal, structured invitation to suppliers for the supply of products or services. In the public sector, such a process may be required and determined in detail by law to ensure that such competition for the use of public money is open, fair...
for a ten-year public service obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
contract with the Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communication. The Norwegian Minister of Transportation 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...
, Liv Signe Navarsete
Liv Signe Navarsete
Liv Signe Hundere Navarsete is the Norwegian Minister of Local Government and Regional Development and leader of the Center Party. She took office in 2005 serving in the Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet....
(Centre Party
Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...
), has announced that the present government
Second cabinet Stoltenberg
Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet is the current government of Norway. Appointed on 17 October 2005, it is a coalition between the Labour Party, the Socialist Left Party and the Centre Party, known as the Red–Green Coalition. The cabinet has ten members from the Labour Party, five from the Socialist...
(as of 2006) will discontinue the previous governments
Second cabinet Bondevik
Bondevik's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 19 October 2001 and 17 October 2005. It was led by Kjell Magne Bondevik and consisted of the Conservative Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. It had the following composition:...
announcements to put more rail line operations on public tender.
Rolling stock
During the 1990s NSB modernised their rolling stock, expanding their fleet of multiple units and retiring many of the traditional locomotive-hauled trains. Most of the locomotives were sold to the freight company CargoNet AS, but the models El18 and Di4 remain to pull passenger trains. Some of the new trains were plagued with troubles, in particular a brand new Class 73 derailed (fortunately at low speed) at NelaugNelaug
Nelaug is a village in the southern part of the municipality of Åmli in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The population was 161. The village lies east of the Nelaug lake, which is regulated by a hydroelectric power plant...
in 2000 because of an axle breaking due to metal fatigue
Metal Fatigue
Metal Fatigue , is a futuristic science fiction, real-time strategy computer game developed by Zono Incorporated and published by Psygnosis and TalonSoft .-Plot:...
. As of 2005 however, these trains have been performing satisfactorily.
In August 2008, NSB announced it had ordered 50 new five-unit trainsets of the Stadler FLIRT
Stadler FLIRT
Stadler FLIRT is an electric multiple unit produced by Stadler Rail AG. The articulated trainset comes in units of two to six cars with two to six motorized axles. The maximum speed is 200 km/h...
class. These will be used for local service in the Greater Oslo area (24 sets) and also regional service in southern Norway (26 sets). The delivery is scheduled for 2012, by that time much of the rail network is expected to be upgraded to 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 :...
, enabling an increase in frequency. The contract which is worth approximately 840 mill. Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s gives NSB an option to buy an additional 100 sets. These trainsets have been specifically modified to operate in Norwegian climate and have a maximum speed of 200 km/h.
Locomotives
- 2 Di 2NSB Di 2NSB Di 2 was a diesel-hydraulic locomotive used by the Norwegian State Railways . The 54 delivered locomotives had three axels and were used as shunters throughout the entire NSB system.-History:...
class diesel shunters - 5 Di 4NSB Di 4The NSB Di 4 is a diesel-electric locomotive used by Norwegian NSB railways to haul passenger trains on stretches which are not electrified. They are used mostly on Nordlandsbanen, since the other unelectrified stretches are usually served by diesel multiple units.The five Di 4s which were built...
class diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotiveA diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s, used mostly on NordlandsbanenNordlandsbanenThe 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...
. - 9 El 17NSB El 17The NSB El 17 is a class of twelve electric locomotives built by Thyssen-Henschel and Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri for the Norwegian State Railways . The class was built in two batches, the first delivered in 1982 and numbered 2221–2226, and the second delivered in 1987 and numbered 2227–2232...
class electric locomotiveElectric locomotiveAn electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s, three used for shunting and six run on FlåmsbanaFlåmsbanaThe Flåm Line is a long railway between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. As a branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is . The line has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. It has a maximum...
. - 22 El 18NSB El 18NSB El 18 is a class of 22 electric locomotives built by Adtranz and Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works for the Norwegian State Railways . The class is a modification of the Swiss Federal Railways Re 460 locomotive and built at Adtranz Strømmen in 1996 and 1997...
class electric locomotives, used on all main electrified lines.
Electric multiple units
- 80 Class 69 class 2-car or 3-car commuter trains, used around OsloOsloOslo 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...
, Bergen and ArendalArendalis a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
. - 16 Class 70 class 4-car intercity (medium distance) trains, used around Oslo.
- 36 Class 72NSB Class 72NSB 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...
class 4-car commuter trains, used around Oslo and Stavanger. - 16 Class 73NSB Class 73NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
class 4-car long-distance trains, used on BergensbanenBergensbanenThe Bergen Line , also called the Bergen Railway, is a standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Oslo, where the passenger trains go, a distance of...
, DovrebanenDovrebanenThe Dovre Line is the main line of the Norwegian railway system between Oslo and Trondheim. The 64 km section south of Eidsvoll has been replaced by the Gardermo Line, the only high-speed line in the country. The line between Eidsvoll and Dombås is from old times the Eidsvoll–Dombås Line. The line...
and SørlandsbanenSørlandsbanenThe Sørland Line is a railway line between Drammen via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The line is 545 km long between Oslo and Stavanger.-History:...
. - 6 Class 73b class 4-car intercity version of the Class 73 used on ØstfoldbanenØstfoldbanenThe Østfold Line is a standard gauge railway line that runs between Oslo, Norway, and the Swedish border at Kornsjø. Running through Follo and Østfold, it has both a Western and Eastern Line between Ski and Sarpsborg. The line opened in 1879 as the Smaalenene Line .The line is , while the Eastern...
.
Diesel multiple units
- 14 Class 92 class 2-car trains used for commuter services around TrondheimTrondheimTrondheim , 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 on RørosbanenRørosbanenThe Røros Line is a long railway line in Norway running between the towns of Hamar and Støren via Elverum and Røros. It connects to the Dovre Line at Hamar to Oslo and at Støren to Trondheim. The narrow gauge line was opened in 1877, running between Hamar and Trondheim, a total of...
. - 15 Class 93 class 2-car trains used on long distance and intercity services on RørosbanenRørosbanenThe Røros Line is a long railway line in Norway running between the towns of Hamar and Støren via Elverum and Røros. It connects to the Dovre Line at Hamar to Oslo and at Støren to Trondheim. The narrow gauge line was opened in 1877, running between Hamar and Trondheim, a total of...
, NordlandsbanenNordlandsbanenThe 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...
and RaumabanenRaumabanenThe Rauma Line is a long railway between Åndalsnes and Dombås in Norway. Running down the valley of Romsdalen, the line opened between 1921 and 1924 as a branch of the Dovre Line, which connects to Oslo and Trondheim. Originally intended as the first stage to connect Ålesund, and possibly also...
. Also known as Bombardier TransportationBombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
TalentTalent (train)The Talent is a multiple unit railcar manufactured by Bombardier that was developed by Waggonfabrik Talbot in Aachen shortly before the company was acquired by Bombardier in 1995...
BR643 Diesel Multiple Unit.
Diesel railcar
- 3 Y1Y1 (railcar)The Y1 is a diesel-hydraulic standard gauge railcar . It is in use in Croatia, Norway, Serbia, Kosovo and Sweden.The production of the railcars was begun in 1980 by Kalmar Verkstad and Fiat Ferroviaria for Sweden.- Italy :...
used on BratsbergbanenBratsbergbanenThe Bratsberg Line is a railway line between Eidanger and Notodden in Telemark, Norway. It opened in 1917, connecting the Tinnos Line, the Sørland Line and the Vestfold Line; allowing Norsk Hydro to transport fertilizer from their plant at Rjukan to the port in Skien...
between SkienSkien' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
and NotoddenNotoddenis a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden....
.
Carriages
- The non-motorized passenger carriages in operation are the B3-series (the oldest), B5-series and B7-series. The B7-series remain in service on long distance express trains while the others are usually on medium-haul duty.
Subsidiaries
- Complete ownership of Arrive ASArriveArrive is a Norwegian information technology company owned by Norges Statsbaner that offers a wide range of Information Technology services, primarily targeting the railway and public transport sector, with the NSB corporation being the dominant customer...
(IT services) - Complete ownership of Mantena ASMantenaMantena is a Norwegian rolling stock maintenance company owned by Norges Statsbaner . It has workshops at Grorud and Lodalen in Oslo, Marienborg in Trondheim as well as in Skien and Drammen. In addition to NSB, customers include CargoNet, Kollektivtransportproduksjon, Ofotbanen, Green Cargo, Hector...
(Rolling stock maintenance) - Complete ownership of Nettbuss ASNettbussNettbuss AS is the largest bus company in Norway owned by the Norwegian State Railways . It was until 2000 known as NSB Biltrafikk. The company has 14 operating subsidiaries throughout Norway and in Denmark and Sweden....
(Bus operations) - Complete ownership of NSB Anbud ASNSB AnbudNSB Gjøvikbanen AS is a Norwegian railway company that operates the passenger train service on the Gjøvik Line. A subsidiary of the state-owned Norges Statsbaner , it operates a fleet of nine Class 69g three-car electric multiple units...
(Operates train services on Gjøvikbanen) - Complete ownership of ROM Eiendom ASROM EiendomRom Eiendom is a subsidiary of the Norwegian State Railways responsible for managing the commercial sections of the companies real estate. With headquarters in Oslo, the company manages . The vast majority of this is in or in connection with railway stations...
(Real estate development) - Complete ownership of TågkompanietTågkompanietTågkompaniet or Svenska Tågkompaniet AB is a Swedish railway company that operates franchises in Northern Sweden and Greater Stockholm. The company was founded in 1999 by three former railway employees in Statens Järnvägar and the investment company Småföretagsinvest/Fylkinvest...
(Sweden) - 55% of CargoNet ASCargoNetCargoNet AS is the primary operator of freight trains on the Norwegian railway system. It was formed as NSB Gods after NSB fissioned into a passenger and a freight company. NSB Gods changed its name to CargoNet at the beginning of 2002. It is owned by NSB and the Swedish freight company Green Cargo...
, the other 45% is owned by Swedish owned Green Cargo (Freight train operation) - 55% of Trafikkservice, the other 45% owned by Integrated Service Solutions (Cleaning services)
Chief executives
The title was changed from director-general to chief executive officer in the late 1980s.- 1883–1899: Lorentz Henrik Müller SegelckeLorentz Henrik Müller SegelckeLorentz Henrik Müller Segelcke was a Norwegian military officer, engineer and politician. He served as Norwegian Minister of the Army twice in the 1870s, and was the director-general of the Norwegian State Railways from 1883 to 1899.-Personal life:He was born at Bogstad as a son of premier...
- 1910–1912: August FleischerAugust FleischerAugust Konow Fleischer was a Norwegian railway engineer and manager. He was born in Bergen. He worked for the Norwegian State Railways from 1863, and was acting director-general from 1910 to 1912.-References:...
(acting) - 1912–1919: Christian Emil Stoud PlatouChristian Emil Stoud PlatouChristian Emil Stoud Platou was a Norwegian railroad director and politician for the Conservative Party.-Personal life:...
(acting) - 1919–1922: Theodor Holtfodt
- 1924–1938: Eivind HeibergEivind HeibergEivind Heiberg was a Norwegian engineer and railway director. He is known as the chairman of Skabo Jernbanevognfabrik from 1899 to 1924, the Federation of Norwegian Manufacturing Industries from 1906 to 1912, the Norwegian Employers' Confederation from 1912 to 1917, the Norwegian State Railways...
- 1939–????: Waldemar HoffWaldemar HoffLeonard Waldemar Hoff was a Norwegian railway director.He was hired in Norsk Hovedjernbane in 1906, and was a traffic inspector from 1916. In 1933 he was promoted to district director in Drammen, and in 1939 he was promoted to director-general of the Norwegian State Railways. During the occupation...
- 1944–????: Bjarne Vik (Nazi Collaborator)
- 1945–1946: Løken (acting)
- 1946–1950: Egil Sundt (acting)
- 1950–1951: Olav Holtmon (acting)
- 1951–1966: Halvdan Eyvind Stokke
- 1967–1978: Edvard HeibergEdvard HeibergEdvard Heiberg was a Norwegian director and engineer.Heiberg was the youngest son of barrister Axel Heiberg and his wife Ragnhild Krohg . He had two brothers, Axel Heiberg Jr. and Bernt Heiberg...
- 1978–1988: Robert NordénRobert NordénRobert Fredrik Nordén was a Norwegian economist, civil servant and politician for the Labour Party. He was the director of the Norwegian State Railways from 1978 to 1988....
- 1987–1988: Tore LindholtTore LindholtTore Lindholt is a Norwegian economist, civil servant and politician for the Labour Party. He was twice the acting director of the Norwegian State Railways, and Folketrygdfondet from 1990 to 2004....
(acting) - 1988–1990: Kjeld RimbergKjeld Rimberg-Early career:He hails from Nordnes in Bergen, and was an avid skier and snowboarder in his youth. He worked as a ski instructor in Davos for some time. He took his education in construction engineering at ETH Zürich before graduating from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1969...
- 1990–1990: Tore LindholtTore LindholtTore Lindholt is a Norwegian economist, civil servant and politician for the Labour Party. He was twice the acting director of the Norwegian State Railways, and Folketrygdfondet from 1990 to 2004....
(acting) - 1990–1995: Kristian Rambjør
- 1995–2000: Osmund UelandOsmund UelandOsmund Ueland is a Norwegian civil servant and former CEO of Norges Statsbaner .An engineer by education, he worked for Aker from 1975 to 1990. From 1990 to 1994 he headed the Lillehammer Olympic Organising Committee . In 1994 he was hired as CEO for NSB Gardermobanen; the next year he was...
- 2000–2000: Randi FleslandRandi FleslandRandi Runa Svenkerud Flesland is a Norwegian civil servant.Flesland was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, with education in business administration, psychology and pedagogy. She has had several leading positions in Norges Statsbaner, until 2000, when she became acting president...
(acting) - 2000–2001: Arne WamArne WamArne Wam is a Norwegian journalist and civil servant, who has had several leading positions in the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and the Norwegian State Railways .-Early and personal life:...
(acting) - 2001–2011: Einar EngerEinar EngerEinar Enger is a Norwegian business executive, who is currently chief executive officer of Norwegian State Railways.He was educated as an agrarian economist from the Norwegian College of Agriculture and worked for the agricultural cooperatives in Norway...
- 2011–: Geir Isaksen
Further reading
- Jernbaneverket Historie
- Norsk Jernbanemuseum Historie
- http://www.scc-online.org/Brofos_Catalog.htmlPart V. The Brofos Catalog of the Railway StampRailway stampIn philately a railway stamp is a stamp issued to pay the cost of the conveyance of a letter or parcel by rail.A wide variety of railway stamps have been issued by different countries and by private and state railways...
s of Norway]