Norsk Spisevognselskap
Encyclopedia
Norsk Spisevognselskap A/S, often abbreviated NSS or shortened to Spisevognselskapet, was a Norwegian
state enterprise
which operated restaurant carriages on Norwegian trains
and restaurants at train station
s and railway hotels. The company was established in December 1918, and started a catering service in 1919. Originally owned by the Norwegian Trunk Railway, it was acquired by the state in 1926. Meals served in the restaurant carriages were relatively expensive, although they were available to all passengers. In the 1950s, the company began using serving trolleys on trains.
In January 1975, NSS merged
with the convenience-store chain Narvesen Kioskkompani
into a new company called Narvesen–Spisevognselskapet. This enterprise was partly owned by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and Fritt Ord, before it merged with the Reitan Group
and was delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange
.
, and in 1907 was asked by NSB to establish a dining service aboard the express trains on the Bergen Line, which would open in 1909. After investigating similar operations in England and Germany, he ordered two carriages from Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
. These were to be paid for by the state, but the Parliament of Norway delayed the grants after a long debate regarding the suitability of restaurant carriages on trains. The plans were opposed by the teetotaler
faction of Parliament, but there was a majority in favor of dining service. To get the carriages in time, Christiansen personally guaranteed the production cost in case a state grant was not allocated. After the parliamentary decision, the cost of the carriages was refunded by NSB. In 1910, when President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt
visited Oslo
to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
, several restaurant carriages were ordered solely for the occasion. Two years later, restaurant carriages were put in regular service on the Østfold Line.
This model was inspired by Sweden, where a separate dining company had been established; this company paid the railway company part of its revenue and a fixed fee per restaurant carriage. The Swedish model involved including the operation of station restaurants at locations where the restaurant carriages would have depots. On 21 December 1918, A.S Norsk Speivogselskap was established with a share capital of 200,000 Norwegian krone
(NOK). It had 20 shares; 17 were owned by the Trunk Railway, and one by each of three directors: Waldemar Stoud Platou
, Gotfred Furuholmen and Christian Emil Stoud Platou
—the former representing the Trunk Railway and the latter being director-general of the NSB. In January 1919, Waldemar Platou was appointed chair and Christiansen managing director. The company took over Christiansen's four restaurant carriages and the restaurant at Oslo Ø on 1 April 1919.
On 2 February 1926, Parliament voted to nationalise the Trunk Railway. During the debate, the organisation of Spisevognselskapet was criticised; with the nationalisation, the state became the sole owner of Spisevognselskapet. On 31 March 1927, the Ministry of Labour recommended that the company remain a state-owned limited company; the minority in parliament wanted a state enterprise. During the 1930s, Sigurd Astrup
was managing director of Norsk Spisevognselskap. In 1948, Erling Mossige
was appointed managing director of the company. He was succeeded by Knut Tvedt
in 1960. The company had 75 employees in 1919, and 591 in 1949.
s.
With the opening of the Dovre Line, Spisevognselskapet established dining-car service on 25 June 1921. In 1921 a train ride from Kristiania to Trondheim
lasted approximately 15 hours, and the average waiting time at each station was between 10 and 15 minutes. On 1 July 1925 dining service was introduced on the Valdres Line, from 1 July 1926 on the Brevik Line, from May 1934 on the Nordland Line and from 15 May 1936 on the Røros Line. In 1948 210,000 meals were served on board, in addition to sandwiches and drinks. The company also offered a light breakfast on night trains on the Kongsvinger, Østfold and Dovre lines. During the Second World War, dining-car service was discontinued.
After the war trains faced competition from aviation
and automobiles, and serving trolleys were installed on Norwegian trains. In 1965 cart service on trains was centralised and standardised; food service was faster, and prices were lowered. During the 1970s cafeteria cars were used, where passengers could serve themselves.
, Hamar
, Koppang
, Opdal
and Elverum
. The following year, four more restaurants were added: Støren
, Myrdal
, Dokka
and Hell
. NSS also established its first kiosk, at Bergen Station. In 1923, the company was allowed to take over all restaurants in the railway districts of Oslo and Hamar; by 1925, it had taken over operation of the restaurants at Lillehammer
, Hønefoss
, Jessheim
, Kornsjø
, Halden
, Ski
, Eidsvoll
, Otta
, Dombås
, Åndalsnes
, Kongsvinger
, Trondheim
, Rena
, Roa
, Ringebu
, Bjorli
and Finse
.
After this NSS decided not to obtain many additional restaurants, as it did not see value in such a strategy. From 1930 through 1934 the company took over restaurants at Ål
, Jaren
, Lillestrøm
and Tønsberg
, along with dining service on the steamship Skibladner
, which ran on Mjøsa
. During the first half of the 1940s it again acquired new restaurants, including the one at Kristiansand Station
. In 1940 and 1941 the company made a solid profit, but lack of food from 1942 onwards transformed the profit to a loss. During the late 1940s NSS also took over the restaurants at Drammen
and Sarpsborg, as well as the one at Oslo Airport, Fornebu
.
. Operation of the 20-room hotel was taken over by Spisevognselskapet on 14 October 1924. NSB was at the time building the Dovre Line between Oslo and Trondheim, and was considering establishing hotels where the line passed through Dovrefjell
. Both Hjerkinn
and Fokkstua were considered, but these areas were served by other operators. Instead, Spisevognselskapet established the Oppdal Tourist Hotel adjacent to Oppdal Station
and it opened on 28 June 1924. The 60-bed hotel had a floor area of 605 square metres (723.6 sq yd) and was marketed as a tourist destination, with bobsleigh
and curling
during the winter and tennis and croquet in summer. The hotel was closed for part of 1929, because the municipality would not allow it to serve alcoholic beverages.
In Oslo, the company had its offices and workings spread around town. The main depot was at the East Station; the head office was at Fred. Olsens gate 21 from 1919 to 1921, at Kongens gate 29 until 1932, and at Tollbodgaten 24 until 1938. Management wanted to centralise both a new depot and administrative offices at a single location close to the railway station, preferably co-located with a hotel. In 1936 work began on a hotel at Jernbanetorget
, but the project was cancelled. The proposed hotel would have had 100 rooms across the street from Oslo Ø. However, the plans were blocked by Parliament (which was opposed to the state railway operating hotels). Instead, the administration moved into Nylandsveien 10, in a new building built on a lot owned by NSB.
In Bergen the company established Hotel Terminus Bergen along with other investors, but the hotel failed to make money. In the late 1940s the company bought Grand Hotell Bellevue in Ålesund
, and later operated Saltfjellet Tourist Hotel for a short period. In 1952, Oslo Municipality's Viking Hotel
was completed, and Spisevognselskapet was selected as the operator. It remained the hotel's operator until 1976 when the government sold it to Eiendomsinvest, who outbid Spisevognselskapet by several million krone.
had an exclusive agreement with NSB to operate newsagent's shops at all railway stations, except in stations with restaurants, which were operated by Spisevognselskapet. Narvesen had a near-monopoly on newsagents in Norway, and rented facilities in many public places. The owners of Narvesen intended to create a foundation to obtain the company; when plans for this started in 1972, they had difficulties finding a way to transfer shares to the foundation without having to pay tax on the transaction. However, the tax laws permitted a tax-free transaction if it was part of a restructuring. A merger with Spisevognselskapet would be considered a restructuring, and in 1974 Fritt Ord was established to take over Narvesen's owners' share of the company. The agreement between Narvesen and NSB was made in July 1974; in December it was passed by Parliament, although the Conservative Party and Progress Party
voted against the merger. A.S Narvesen–Spisevognselskapet was established on 1 January 1975. Fritt Ord owned 50% of the new company and NSB 41%. It assumed the Narvesen name in 1979.
By the late 1980s, the company had sold all its hotel operations. The merged company retained the obligation to operate dining services on the trains, which throughout the 1980s necessitated considerable subsidies from NSB. In 1988, NSB decided to organize the operation of the dining services through tendered contracts; the first contract (from 1990 through 1995) was won by TogService, a Narvesen subsidiary. The owners had an agreement that neither could sell without the approval of the other. In 1995 NSB sold its shares with Fritt Ord's approval, and the company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
.
In 1999, Fritt Ord reduced its stock share in Narvesen from 51% to 34%. In the fall of 2000, Fritt Ord accepted a proposal to merge Narvesen with the Reitan Group
. The merged company was named ReitanNarvesen, with Fritt Ord holding 16.2% of its shares. In November 2001 Fritt Ord sold its shares of ReitanNarvesen, which was renamed Reitan Handel and delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Fritt Ord]] |title=Institusjonen Fritt Ord |year=1997 |location=Oslo |pages= |oclc=52544757 |language=Norwegian |ref=}}
News articles and encyclopaedia entries
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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...
state enterprise
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
which operated restaurant carriages on Norwegian trains
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....
and restaurants at train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
s and railway hotels. The company was established in December 1918, and started a catering service in 1919. Originally owned by the Norwegian Trunk Railway, it was acquired by the state in 1926. Meals served in the restaurant carriages were relatively expensive, although they were available to all passengers. In the 1950s, the company began using serving trolleys on trains.
In January 1975, NSS merged
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
with the convenience-store chain Narvesen Kioskkompani
Narvesen
Narvesen is a Norwegian chain of convenience stores/news agents, and is one of Norway's largest convenience store chains with 440 stores. Narvesen was established in 1894 by Bertrand Narvesen. Narvesen stores also exists in Latvia ....
into a new company called Narvesen–Spisevognselskapet. This enterprise was partly owned by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and Fritt Ord, before it merged with the Reitan Group
Reitan Group
Reitan Group or Reitangruppen is a Norwegian wholesaler and retail franchiser. Included in its portfolio is REMA 1000, 7-Eleven, HydroTexaco, Easy24, Narvesen, Spaceworld and Pressbyrån. The company has most of its 1,979 stores in Norway, but also some in Sweden, Denmark and Latvia...
and was delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange
Oslo Stock Exchange
The Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...
.
Background
From the 1854 establishment of railways in Norway to 1909, no dining service was offered aboard trains; passengers were allowed to bring food with them. Train stations also lacked dining facilities. The first dining service was started by restaurateur Carl Christiansen. He established the restaurant at Drammen StationDrammen Station
Drammen is a railway station located in downtown Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Randsfjord Line, the Drammen Line and the Vestfold Line...
, and in 1907 was asked by NSB to establish a dining service aboard the express trains on the Bergen Line, which would open in 1909. After investigating similar operations in England and Germany, he ordered two carriages from Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk was a mechanical workshop focusing on design and construction of railcars. It was established by Hans Skabo in Drammen, Norway in 1864; it became the first rail car factory in the country when it took delivery of the cars for Kongsvingerbanen...
. These were to be paid for by the state, but the Parliament of Norway delayed the grants after a long debate regarding the suitability of restaurant carriages on trains. The plans were opposed by the teetotaler
Teetotalism
Teetotalism refers to either the practice of or the promotion of complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages. A person who practices teetotalism is called a teetotaler or is simply said to be teetotal...
faction of Parliament, but there was a majority in favor of dining service. To get the carriages in time, Christiansen personally guaranteed the production cost in case a state grant was not allocated. After the parliamentary decision, the cost of the carriages was refunded by NSB. In 1910, when President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
visited 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...
to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
, several restaurant carriages were ordered solely for the occasion. Two years later, restaurant carriages were put in regular service on the Østfold Line.
Early days
In 1916, the executive board of the state railways wanted to centralise the operation of restaurant carriages and the most important station restaurants in Norway under one management. The board stated that they wanted to minimise the conflict of interest between the railway company and the dining-car operator. They also saw centralising operations as a way to allocate a larger share of the revenue to the railway company, and to ensure a high quality of service on new lines. At that time the Sørland Line and Dovre Line were in the planning stages, and the NSB intended to introduce dining services on these when they opened. Oslo East Station and its restaurant were operated by the private Norwegian Trunk Railway. In an agreement signed on 18 September 1918 both railway companies agreed that a new restaurant operator would be controlled by the Norwegian Trunk Railway, but this company must abide by the NSB's decision of how many restaurant carriages to operate on any line.This model was inspired by Sweden, where a separate dining company had been established; this company paid the railway company part of its revenue and a fixed fee per restaurant carriage. The Swedish model involved including the operation of station restaurants at locations where the restaurant carriages would have depots. On 21 December 1918, A.S Norsk Speivogselskap was established with a share capital of 200,000 Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(NOK). It had 20 shares; 17 were owned by the Trunk Railway, and one by each of three directors: Waldemar Stoud Platou
Waldemar Stoud Platou
Waldemar Stoud Platou was a Norwegian businessperson. He had a long career in the brewery industry.-Personal life:He was born in Furnes as the son of banker Christian Fredrik Stoud Platou and Elise Sem...
, Gotfred Furuholmen and Christian Emil Stoud Platou
Christian Emil Stoud Platou
Christian Emil Stoud Platou was a Norwegian railroad director and politician for the Conservative Party.-Personal life:...
—the former representing the Trunk Railway and the latter being director-general of the NSB. In January 1919, Waldemar Platou was appointed chair and Christiansen managing director. The company took over Christiansen's four restaurant carriages and the restaurant at Oslo Ø on 1 April 1919.
On 2 February 1926, Parliament voted to nationalise the Trunk Railway. During the debate, the organisation of Spisevognselskapet was criticised; with the nationalisation, the state became the sole owner of Spisevognselskapet. On 31 March 1927, the Ministry of Labour recommended that the company remain a state-owned limited company; the minority in parliament wanted a state enterprise. During the 1930s, Sigurd Astrup
Sigurd Astrup
Sigurd Astrup was a Norwegian businessman and politician for the Conservative Party.-Personal life:He was born in Kristiania to wholesaler Harald Astrup and his wife Johanne Emilie Smith . His brothers were the architects Henning and Thorvald Astrup and the polar explorer Eivind Astrup...
was managing director of Norsk Spisevognselskap. In 1948, Erling Mossige
Erling Mossige
Erling Mossige was a Norwegian banker.He was born in Målselv as a son of district physician Rasmus Mossige and Aagot Koller. In 1936 he married Hanne Margrethe Rode. He studied from 1924 and graduated from the Royal Frederick University with the cand.jur. degree in 1928...
was appointed managing director of the company. He was succeeded by Knut Tvedt
Knut Tvedt
Knut Tvedt was a Norwegian director and jurist. He was acting chief executive of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation from 1946 to 1948.-Early life and education:...
in 1960. The company had 75 employees in 1919, and 591 in 1949.
Restaurant carriages
The restaurant carriages of the NSS were open to everyone, but dining was so expensive that only passengers travelling in first class used the service. Usually, three or four dishes were offered in the restaurant carriages. A four-course dinner cost five Norwegian kroner in the 1920s, which was expensive at the time. Warm dishes, such as soups and sauces, were usually prepared at a small stove in the restaurant carriage's kitchen. On busy days, prepared steaks were delivered from rail depots. The kitchens were staffed by two maids and one attendant. Blocks of ice were often used instead of refrigeratorRefrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
s.
With the opening of the Dovre Line, Spisevognselskapet established dining-car service on 25 June 1921. In 1921 a train ride from Kristiania to 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...
lasted approximately 15 hours, and the average waiting time at each station was between 10 and 15 minutes. On 1 July 1925 dining service was introduced on the Valdres Line, from 1 July 1926 on the Brevik Line, from May 1934 on the Nordland Line and from 15 May 1936 on the Røros Line. In 1948 210,000 meals were served on board, in addition to sandwiches and drinks. The company also offered a light breakfast on night trains on the Kongsvinger, Østfold and Dovre lines. During the Second World War, dining-car service was discontinued.
After the war trains faced competition from aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and automobiles, and serving trolleys were installed on Norwegian trains. In 1965 cart service on trains was centralised and standardised; food service was faster, and prices were lowered. During the 1970s cafeteria cars were used, where passengers could serve themselves.
Restaurants
NSS derived most of its revenue from the operation of restaurants at railway stations; in 1939, this amounted to 80%. Initially, the company operated the restaurant at Oslo Ø; from 1921, it also took over operation of the restaurants at Oslo West StationOslo 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...
, Hamar
Hamar Station
Hamar Station is a railway station located in downtown Hamar, Norway, on the Dovre Line and the Røros Line. The station was opened in 1862 with the construction of the narrow gauge railway between Hamar and Eidsvoll...
, Koppang
Koppang Station
Koppang Station is a railway station located at Koppang in Stor-Elvdal, Norway on the Røros Line. It is located from Oslo Central Station at above mean sea level. Services are provided by the Norwegian State Railways to Røros and Hamar...
, Opdal
Oppdal Station
Oppdal Station is a railway station located in downtown Oppdal in the municipality of Oppdal in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It sits close to the European route E6 highway, just northwest of the mountain Allmannberget...
and Elverum
Elverum Station
Elverum Station is a railway station located at Vestad, on the west side of Glomma of Elverum, Norway. The station is on the Røros Line, in addition to being the terminus of the Solør Line.-History:...
. The following year, four more restaurants were added: Støren
Støren Station
Støren Station is a railway station located in Støren in the municipality of Midtre Gauldal in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The station is located at the split between the Dovre Line and the Røros Line, with the former heading south via Gudbrandsdalen to Eastern Norway while the latter heads down...
, Myrdal
Myrdal station
Myrdal Station is a mountain railway station and junction, located on the Bergen Line regional mainline in Aurland, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. The railway station is also the upper terminal of the Flåm Line local railway, which ascends from the valley floor of the Sognefjord to the mountain-top...
, Dokka
Dokka Station
Dokka Station was a railway station located in Dokka, Nordre Land, Norway, on the Valdres Line. The station opened on 28 November 1902 and remained until the line closed on 1 January 1989. It was from Oslo Central Station and above mean sea level. The restaurant was taken over by Norsk...
and Hell
Hell 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....
. NSS also established its first kiosk, at Bergen Station. In 1923, the company was allowed to take over all restaurants in the railway districts of Oslo and Hamar; by 1925, it had taken over operation of the restaurants at Lillehammer
Lillehammer Station
Lillehammer is a railway station located in downtown Lillehammer, Norway, on the Dovre Line. The station was opened in 1894 with the construction of the railway between Hamar Station and Tretten Station. The station got a major overhaul before the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...
, Hønefoss
Hønefoss Station
Hønefoss Station is a railway station located at Hønefoss in Ringerike, Norway. The station is located at the intersection between the Bergen Line, the Randsfjord Line and the Roa–Hønefoss Line...
, Jessheim
Jessheim Station
Jessheim Station is a railway station at Jessheim which opened in 1854. It is rom Oslo Central Station and has an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Kornsjø
Kornsjø Station
Kornsjø Station is a railway station located at Kornsjø in Halden, Norway, on the Østfold Line. The station is located from the Norway–Sweden border and was opened in 1879 for changing crew on international trains between Sweden and Norway...
, Halden
Halden Station
Halden Station is a railway station located in downtown Halden in Østfold, Norway, located on the Østfold Line. The station is served by Norwegian State Railways InterCity Express on an hourly or semi-hourly service from Oslo Central Station, with Halden being the terminal station for all but...
, Ski
Ski Station
Ski Station is a railway station located in Ski, Norway. Located from Oslo Central Station on the Østfold Line, at the point where the railway splits in two into an eastern and western line....
, Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll Station
Eidsvoll is a railway station located at Eidsvoll in Akershus, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Trunk Line, the Gardermoen Line and the Dovre Line. Though the Dovre Line and the Trunk Line/Gardermoen Line practically are the same continual railway, there is a naming change at the...
, Otta
Otta Station
Otta Station is a railway station located in the town of Otta in Sel, Norway. The station is located on the Dovre Line and served express trains to Oslo and Trondheim. The station was opened in 1896 when the Dovre Line was extended from Tretten Station to Otta.The restaurant was taken over by...
, Dombås
Dombås Station
Dombås Station is a railway station located at Dombås in Dovre, Norway. The station is located on the Dovre Line as well as serving as the terminal station for the Rauma Line. The station is served by express trains on the Dovre Line and regional trains on the Rauma Line...
, Åndalsnes
Åndalsnes Station
Åndalsnes Station is a railway station in Åndalsnes, a village in Rauma, Norway. It has been the terminal station of the Rauma Line since the line was extended to Åndalsnes on 30 November 1924. The station was designed by Gudmund Hoel and is located on reclaimed land. To get the line to the...
, Kongsvinger
Kongsvinger Station
Kongsvinger Station is a railway station located in downtown Kongsvinger, Norway, on the Kongsvinger Line and Solør Line. The station was built in 1862 as part of the Kongsvinger Lin and designed in Swiss chalet style by Heinrich Ernst Schirmer and Wilhelm von Hanno...
, Trondheim
Trondheim Central Station
Trondheim Central Station or Trondheim S is the main railway station serving the city of Trondheim, Norway. Located at Brattøra in the north part of the city center, it is the terminus of the Dovre Line, running southwards, and the Nordland Line, which runs north...
, Rena
Rena Station
Rena Station is a railway station located in Rena, Norway on the Røros Line. It is located from Oslo Central Station at above mean sea level. Services are provided by the Norwegian State Railways to Røros and Hamar...
, Roa
Roa Station
Roa Station is a railway station in Roa, Norway on the Gjøvik Line. It is served by Oslo Commuter Rail line trains operated by NSB Gjøvikbanen. The station was opened in 1909 as part of the new Roa–Hønefoss Line that connects the Bergen Line to the Gjøvik Line.The restaurant was taken over by...
, Ringebu
Ringebu Station
Ringebu Station is a railway station located at the village of Ringebu, Norway. The station is located on the Dovre Line and served express trains to Oslo and Trondheim. The station was opened in 1896 when the Dovre Line was extended from Tretten to Otta....
, Bjorli
Bjorli Station
Bjorli Station is a railway station on the Rauma Line located at Bjorli in Lesja, Norway. The station opened on 19 November 1921 and was the line's terminus until 1923. In addition to a station building, Bjorli had a water tower, roundhouse, turntable and a restaurant seating 700 people, the...
and Finse
Finse Station
Finse Station is a railway station located at Finse in Ulvik, Norway. The station is served by up to seven daily express trains in each direction, normally three per day and one overnight trains, all operated by the Norwegian State Railways. The station also features a navvy museum, dedicated to...
.
After this NSS decided not to obtain many additional restaurants, as it did not see value in such a strategy. From 1930 through 1934 the company took over restaurants at Ål
Ål Station
Ål Station is a railway station located at Ål, Norway. The station is served by up to six daily express trains operated by Norwegian State Railways. The station was opened as part of the Bergen Line between Bergen and Gulsvik in 1907....
, Jaren
Jaren Station
Jaren Station is a railway station located at Jaren in Oppland, Norway. The station is the terminus for the Oslo Commuter Rail, but is also served by regional trains that continue to Gjøvik. Both services are provided by NSB Gjøvikbanen.-History:...
, Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm Station
Lillestrøm Station is a railway station located at Lillestrøm in Skedsmo, Norway. The station serves as the main transportation hub of the eastern parts of Greater Oslo and all trains east of Oslo stop at Lillestrøm...
and Tønsberg
Tønsberg Station
Tønsberg Station on the Vestfold Line, is the main railway station in the town of Tønsberg in Vestfold, Norway. The station is located in the downtown area, to the east of the hill Slottsfjellet. It is located at an altitude of above mean sea level, and is from Oslo Central Station...
, along with dining service on the steamship Skibladner
Skibladner
PS Skibladner is a paddle steamer operating on the lake of Mjøsa in Norway.Skibladner is a sidewheel design, and her maiden voyage was on 2 August 1856, making her the world's oldest paddle steamer still in timetabled service...
, which ran on 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...
. During the first half of the 1940s it again acquired new restaurants, including the one at Kristiansand Station
Kristiansand Station
Kristiansand Station is a railway station located in downtown Kristiansand in Vest-Agder, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is served by regional trains to Oslo and Stavanger...
. In 1940 and 1941 the company made a solid profit, but lack of food from 1942 onwards transformed the profit to a loss. During the late 1940s NSS also took over the restaurants at Drammen
Drammen Station
Drammen is a railway station located in downtown Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Randsfjord Line, the Drammen Line and the Vestfold Line...
and Sarpsborg, as well as the one at 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...
.
Hotels
In 1919 the Norwegian Trunk Railway operated one hotel, which was built as part of Eidsvoll StationEidsvoll Station
Eidsvoll is a railway station located at Eidsvoll in Akershus, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Trunk Line, the Gardermoen Line and the Dovre Line. Though the Dovre Line and the Trunk Line/Gardermoen Line practically are the same continual railway, there is a naming change at the...
. Operation of the 20-room hotel was taken over by Spisevognselskapet on 14 October 1924. NSB was at the time building the Dovre Line between Oslo and Trondheim, and was considering establishing hotels where the line passed through Dovrefjell
Dovrefjell
Dovrefjell is a mountain range in central Norway that forms a natural barrier between Eastern Norway and Trøndelag, the area around Trondheim. As a result, it has been heavily trafficked during and probably preceding historical times...
. Both Hjerkinn
Hjerkinn Station
Hjerkinn Station is a railway station located at Hjerkinn in Dovre, Norway. The station is located on Dovrebanen and served by four daily express trains each direction to Oslo and Trondheim...
and Fokkstua were considered, but these areas were served by other operators. Instead, Spisevognselskapet established the Oppdal Tourist Hotel adjacent to Oppdal Station
Oppdal Station
Oppdal Station is a railway station located in downtown Oppdal in the municipality of Oppdal in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It sits close to the European route E6 highway, just northwest of the mountain Allmannberget...
and it opened on 28 June 1924. The 60-bed hotel had a floor area of 605 square metres (723.6 sq yd) and was marketed as a tourist destination, with bobsleigh
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled that are combined to calculate the final score....
and curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
during the winter and tennis and croquet in summer. The hotel was closed for part of 1929, because the municipality would not allow it to serve alcoholic beverages.
In Oslo, the company had its offices and workings spread around town. The main depot was at the East Station; the head office was at Fred. Olsens gate 21 from 1919 to 1921, at Kongens gate 29 until 1932, and at Tollbodgaten 24 until 1938. Management wanted to centralise both a new depot and administrative offices at a single location close to the railway station, preferably co-located with a hotel. In 1936 work began on a hotel at Jernbanetorget
Jernbanetorget
Jernbanetorget is a large square in Oslo, Norway, in front of Oslo Central Station. It is the largest node for public transportation in Norway, with all tram lines passing through and connection to all train services in Oslo at the train station and all express- and regional busses departing from...
, but the project was cancelled. The proposed hotel would have had 100 rooms across the street from Oslo Ø. However, the plans were blocked by Parliament (which was opposed to the state railway operating hotels). Instead, the administration moved into Nylandsveien 10, in a new building built on a lot owned by NSB.
In Bergen the company established Hotel Terminus Bergen along with other investors, but the hotel failed to make money. In the late 1940s the company bought Grand Hotell Bellevue in Ålesund
Ålesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
, and later operated Saltfjellet Tourist Hotel for a short period. In 1952, Oslo Municipality's Viking Hotel
Hotel Royal Christiania
Hotel Royal Christiania, formerly the Hotel Viking, is a hotel in Oslo, Norway. The hotel was financed and built by Oslo Municipality to accommodate the 1952 Winter Olympics. At the time of its formal opening on December 10, 1951, it was the largest hotel in Scandinavia. The first guest was J. K....
was completed, and Spisevognselskapet was selected as the operator. It remained the hotel's operator until 1976 when the government sold it to Eiendomsinvest, who outbid Spisevognselskapet by several million krone.
Dissolution
NarvesenNarvesen
Narvesen is a Norwegian chain of convenience stores/news agents, and is one of Norway's largest convenience store chains with 440 stores. Narvesen was established in 1894 by Bertrand Narvesen. Narvesen stores also exists in Latvia ....
had an exclusive agreement with NSB to operate newsagent's shops at all railway stations, except in stations with restaurants, which were operated by Spisevognselskapet. Narvesen had a near-monopoly on newsagents in Norway, and rented facilities in many public places. The owners of Narvesen intended to create a foundation to obtain the company; when plans for this started in 1972, they had difficulties finding a way to transfer shares to the foundation without having to pay tax on the transaction. However, the tax laws permitted a tax-free transaction if it was part of a restructuring. A merger with Spisevognselskapet would be considered a restructuring, and in 1974 Fritt Ord was established to take over Narvesen's owners' share of the company. The agreement between Narvesen and NSB was made in July 1974; in December it was passed by Parliament, although the Conservative Party and Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
voted against the merger. A.S Narvesen–Spisevognselskapet was established on 1 January 1975. Fritt Ord owned 50% of the new company and NSB 41%. It assumed the Narvesen name in 1979.
By the late 1980s, the company had sold all its hotel operations. The merged company retained the obligation to operate dining services on the trains, which throughout the 1980s necessitated considerable subsidies from NSB. In 1988, NSB decided to organize the operation of the dining services through tendered contracts; the first contract (from 1990 through 1995) was won by TogService, a Narvesen subsidiary. The owners had an agreement that neither could sell without the approval of the other. In 1995 NSB sold its shares with Fritt Ord's approval, and the company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
Oslo Stock Exchange
The Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...
.
In 1999, Fritt Ord reduced its stock share in Narvesen from 51% to 34%. In the fall of 2000, Fritt Ord accepted a proposal to merge Narvesen with the Reitan Group
Reitan Group
Reitan Group or Reitangruppen is a Norwegian wholesaler and retail franchiser. Included in its portfolio is REMA 1000, 7-Eleven, HydroTexaco, Easy24, Narvesen, Spaceworld and Pressbyrån. The company has most of its 1,979 stores in Norway, but also some in Sweden, Denmark and Latvia...
. The merged company was named ReitanNarvesen, with Fritt Ord holding 16.2% of its shares. In November 2001 Fritt Ord sold its shares of ReitanNarvesen, which was renamed Reitan Handel and delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Sources
Books and journal articlesFritt Ord]] |title=Institusjonen Fritt Ord |year=1997 |location=Oslo |pages= |oclc=52544757 |language=Norwegian |ref=}}
News articles and encyclopaedia entries
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