Oslotunnelen
Encyclopedia
The Oslo Tunnel is a 3632 metres (11,916 ft), double-track
, railway tunnel
which runs between Olav Kyrres plass
and Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) in Oslo
, Norway
. The tunnel constitutes the eastern-most section of the Drammen Line and runs below the central business district of Oslo. It features the four-track Nationaltheatret Station
, Norway's second-busiest railway station, where the Oslo Tunnels lies directly beneath the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro. At Frogner
, Elisenberg Station
was built, but has never been taken into use. The tunnel is the busiest section of railway line in Norway and serves all west-bound trains from Oslo, including many services of the Oslo Commuter Rail
and the Airport Express Train
.
Traditionally, Oslo had two stations, the larger Oslo East Station (or Oslo Ø, located at the spot of the current Oslo S) and Oslo West Station
(Oslo V), which served the Drammen Line. This caused a physical barrier between the two parts of the railway network, only connected by the Oslo Port Line which ran in part in city streets. Formal planning of a central station and a tunnel connecting the Drammen Line to Oslo Ø started in 1938, and the final plans were approved in 1968. The Oslo Tunnel opened on 1 June 1980, and made it possible to close Oslo V in 1989. Nationaltheatret saw a major upgrade in 1999, when it was expanded to four tracks, and from 2008 to 2010, the tunnel will see a major technical upgrade. There are plans to build a second tunnel to increase train capacity west of Oslo.
The tunnel constitutes the easternmost 3632 metres (11,916 ft) of the Drammen Line, and runs between Oslo S and Skøyen. At Oslo S, 12 of the 19 tracks (platforms 2 through 13) connect to the tunnel, which is shaped as a funnel, eventually merging the twelve tracks into two. The tunnel runs below some important heritage buildings in Oslo, including Basarhallene, the Parliament of Norway Building
and Oslo Cathedral
.
Nationaltheatret Station is the second-busiest railway station in the country, and is located below the Oslo Metro station with the same name
. The station has four tracks and two 220 metres (721.8 ft) long island platform
s, serving the central business district
of Oslo. Through this section, the line runs below the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro for 280 metres (918.6 ft). At this point, the line is 18 metres (59.1 ft) below the surface.
Elisenberg Station, located in Frogner, is partially built, including a 220 metres (721.8 ft) long island platform and one of the entrances. The line follows Bygdøy allé and surfaces just west of Olav Kyrres plass. Immediately afterwards, the Skøyen–Filipstad Line merges into the Drammen Line. The next station along the line is Skøyen Station
.
All eight line of the Oslo Commuter Rail have some or all of their services operate through the tunnel, although many of these terminate at Skøyen. The Airport Express Train operates three hourly services through the tunnel and the Norwegian State Railways operate regional trains along the Vestfold Line and intercity trains along the Sørland Line and Bergen Line through the tunnel. Freight trains along the Sørland Line operate through the tunnel, although only at night, while freight trains along the Bergen Line do not, instead using the Roa–Hønefoss Line.
, and a elevated line from Oslo V to Tordensskiolds plass, in a tunnel under Akershus Fortress
and again as an elevated line past Oslo Stock Exchange
to Oslo Ø.
In 1938, the Station Committee of 1938 was established to look into a possible connection of the Drammen Line to Oslo Ø and extension of the railway station. Led by Axel Grenholm, the committee recommended one of two alternatives: either establish a branch from the Drammen Line and built a tunnel under the city center, in which all trains would terminate at Oslo Ø. The tunnel was proposed run from Lassons gate west of Oslo V to Fred. Olsens gate, with an intermediate station close to the location of Oslo V. The proposed tunnel would be 1660 metres (1 mi) long and largely run through clay, making construction more difficult and expensive. Alternatively, a branch of Drammen Line should be built around the city and connect with the Gjøvik Line at Grefsen. Commuter trains would continue to run to Oslo V, while regional and intercity trains would run to Oslo Ø. The committee stated that it preferred the former suggestion.
In 1946, the Planning Office for Oslo Central Station, led by Fin Hvoslef, was established by the government. In 1950, they presented a new report, which recommended that a new route for the tunnel be considered to ease construction and increase safety. This was in part based on an engineering report from 1949, which had made the first detailed plans for the line. It was a compromise between the Norwegian State Railways' need for a line as straight as possible, and Oslo Municipality's demands that the construction should not be a risk to buildings in the area. The ground in Oslo consists of clay-filled grooves up to 30 metres (98.4 ft) deep. The area also contains alum shale
, which expands when it comes into contact with air and water and can attack concrete, argillaceous schist
, cracks with clay and water, and hard volcanic rocks.
Another committee, led by Oddvar Halvorsen, was established in 1960 to look at the matter again. Also it recommended a tunnel and a central station. However, it felt that the tunnel should be longer and intersect with the Drammen Line at a point between Skarpsno and Skøyen, and build a second station at Frogner. The proposal was presented to the Parliament of Norway on 4 November 1961, along with several other matters related to rail transport investments. Construction of the Oslo Tunnel and Oslo Central Station was passed unanimously.
Another planning office was established in 1962, initially led by Erik Himle. The final plans for the route were passed by parliament in 1968, and construction started in 1971. The main contractors were Ingeniør Thor Furuholmen, Dipl.ing. Kaare Backer, NSB, Jernbaneanlegget Oslo Sentralstasjon and Ingeniørbygg. Consultants included Ingeniørene Bonde & Co., Peer Qvam
's arkitektkontor and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute
.
The tunnel was officially opened on 30 May 1980 by Minister of Transport and Communications
, Ronald Bye
, and officially taken into use on 1 June. When it opened, it was the eighth-longest railway tunnel in Norway, although since 2005 it has been the thirteenth-longest. The tunnel cost 625 million Norwegian krone
(NOK), of which Oslo Municipality had paid NOK 170 million. At first, the tunnel was used by commuter trains from Lillestrøm
to Drammen
and Spikkestad
, and trains from Eidsvoll
and Årnes
used the tunnel and turned at Skøyen. Oslo Central Station was taken into use on 26 November 1986. On 27 May 1989, Oslo West Station was closed and all traffic transferred to Oslo S.
In October 1997, construction of an upgraded Nationaltheatret Station started and was taken into use on 16 December 2009. The work expanded the station from two to four platforms, thus increasing the applied capacity for the whole tunnel from 16 to 24 trains per direction per hour. The expansion cost NOK 920 million, which included blasting 110000 cubic metres (3,884,613.3 cu ft) of rock and pouring 33000 cubic metres (1,165,384 cu ft) of concrete. The work resulted in 830 metres (2,723.1 ft) of new tunnel, a new entrance hall and art. The station was designed for 40,000 passengers daily.
In 2008, the old section of Nationaltheatret Station was renovated. Upgrades included new lighting, a new public address system, new escalator
s, a more powerful fire safety system, improved emergency exit
s and replacement of cables. The upgrade made the old section lighter, as it was previously painted in dark red, and visually similar to the new section. Between 2008 to 2012, the Norwegian National Rail Administration is performing a major upgrade to the section between Lysaker and Etterstad, including the Oslo Tunnel. Among the upgrades are axle counter
s, mounting of an overhead conductor rail
, new switches
, switch heaters at the tunnel openings and new tracks
.
. In 2012, after the completion of the Asker Line, a new schedule plan has been proposed. NSB, the Airport Express Train and CargoNet
have all asked for more slots through the tunnel than is available. One possible solution is to decrease the reserve capacity, thus increasing the capacity from 24 to 30 trains per hour per direction. However, the tunnel is already characterized as "critically overloaded".
Should a new tunnel be built, it would not necessarily run next to the Oslo Tunnel. One proposal from the National Rail Administration calls for a separate commuter train station to be built underground, at the location of Oslo Bus Terminal
, within walking distance of Oslo S. This proposal involves the line connecting to the existing route before reaching Nationaltheatret. Norsk Bane
have called for a line to run further north, and serve Majorstuen
, where there is a major metro and tramway hub. Norsk Bane also call for the tunnel to be built for higher speeds, and state that it is necessary to build high-speed rail
to Bergen
and Stavanger
. Combined with a new line from Drammen to the tunnel, it would allow travel time from Drammen and Oslo to be reduced to 18 minutes.
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 :...
, railway tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
which runs between Olav Kyrres plass
Olav Kyrres plass
Olav Kyrres plass is a square and area in Frogner in Oslo, Norway. The area centered around the intersection between Drammensveien and Bygdøy allé. It is named for King Olav Kyrre....
and Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The tunnel constitutes the eastern-most section of the Drammen Line and runs below the central business district of Oslo. It features the four-track Nationaltheatret Station
Nationaltheatret station
Nationaltheatret Station is an underground railway station on the Drammen Line serving Vika and the central business district of Oslo, Norway. It is the second-busiest railway station in Norway, behind Oslo Central Station , from which Nationaltheatret is away...
, Norway's second-busiest railway station, where the Oslo Tunnels lies directly beneath the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro. At Frogner
Frogner
Frogner is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In addition to traditional Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg and Majorstuen....
, Elisenberg Station
Elisenberg Station
Elisenberg Station is an unfinished railway station within the Oslo Tunnel on the Drammen Line in Oslo, Norway. The ghost station was partially built during the construction of the tunnel between 1971 and 1980, but has never been taken into use. It is located between Nationaltheatret Station and...
was built, but has never been taken into use. The tunnel is the busiest section of railway line in Norway and serves all west-bound trains from Oslo, including many services of the Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by the Norwegian State Railways and its subsidiary NSB Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units . The network spans eight routes...
and the Airport Express Train
Flytoget
is a Norwegian high-speed airport rail link connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget AS , it operates on the high-speed Gardermoen Line using sixteen GMB Class 71 electric trains. Normal service frequency is once every ten minutes, with half...
.
Traditionally, Oslo had two stations, the larger Oslo East Station (or Oslo Ø, located at the spot of the current Oslo S) and Oslo West 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...
(Oslo V), which served the Drammen Line. This caused a physical barrier between the two parts of the railway network, only connected by the Oslo Port Line which ran in part in city streets. Formal planning of a central station and a tunnel connecting the Drammen Line to Oslo Ø started in 1938, and the final plans were approved in 1968. The Oslo Tunnel opened on 1 June 1980, and made it possible to close Oslo V in 1989. Nationaltheatret saw a major upgrade in 1999, when it was expanded to four tracks, and from 2008 to 2010, the tunnel will see a major technical upgrade. There are plans to build a second tunnel to increase train capacity west of Oslo.
Route
Parliament of Norway Building
The Parliament of Norway Building is the seat of the Parliament of Norway, located in central Oslo. The building is located at Karl Johans gate 22 and was taken into use on 5 March 1866...
and Oslo Cathedral
Oslo Cathedral
Oslo Cathedral — formerly Our Savior's Church — is the main church for the Oslo bishopric of the Church of Norway, as well as the parish church for downtown Oslo. The present building dates from 1694-1697....
.
Nationaltheatret Station is the second-busiest railway station in the country, and is located below the Oslo Metro station with the same name
Nationaltheatret (station)
Nationaltheatret is an underground metro station and tram stop serving Vika and the city center of Oslo, Norway. It is located on the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro and on the Briskeby Line of the Oslo Tramway. Also located at the same place is Nationaltheatret Station of the Drammen Line. The...
. The station has four tracks and two 220 metres (721.8 ft) long island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
s, serving the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Oslo. Through this section, the line runs below the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro for 280 metres (918.6 ft). At this point, the line is 18 metres (59.1 ft) below the surface.
Elisenberg Station, located in Frogner, is partially built, including a 220 metres (721.8 ft) long island platform and one of the entrances. The line follows Bygdøy allé and surfaces just west of Olav Kyrres plass. Immediately afterwards, the Skøyen–Filipstad Line merges into the Drammen Line. The next station along the line is Skøyen Station
Skøyen Station
Skøyen is a railway station located in Oslo, Norway and is part of Drammen Line. The station serves commuter trains, some regional trains and the Flytoget airport express train service. Skøyen station is owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.Though some continue on, the...
.
Service
The Oslo Tunnel is the most heavily trafficked section of mainline railway in Norway. It has a theoretical capacity of 40 trains per hour in each direction, and an applied capacity of 24 trains per hour in each direction. In rush hour, there are up to 20 trains operating through the tunnel, with a capacity of 8,000 passengers per hour.All eight line of the Oslo Commuter Rail have some or all of their services operate through the tunnel, although many of these terminate at Skøyen. The Airport Express Train operates three hourly services through the tunnel and the Norwegian State Railways operate regional trains along the Vestfold Line and intercity trains along the Sørland Line and Bergen Line through the tunnel. Freight trains along the Sørland Line operate through the tunnel, although only at night, while freight trains along the Bergen Line do not, instead using the Roa–Hønefoss Line.
History
By the 1930s, Oslo had two main railway stations, Oslo East Station and Oslo West Station. The Drammen Line, consisting of commuter trains, and regional and intercity trains from the Sørland Line and the Vestfold Line, terminated at Oslo V. The Østfold, Trunk and Gjøvik Lines terminated at Oslo Ø. Between the two stations ran the Oslo Port Line, which in part ran in the city streets and was only used for a limited number of freight trains. Several plans had been launched to connect the two stations, with the most prominent being a line running west of Oslo and merging with the Gjøvik Line at GrefsenGrefsen Station
Grefsen Station is a railway station at Storo in Oslo, Norway on the Gjøvik Line. From the station there is also a short railway, the Alnabru–Grefsen Line, to Alna on the Hoved Line. The station is located 6.82 km from Oslo Central Station and is located between Tøyen and Nydalen at 109.2 metes...
, and a elevated line from Oslo V to Tordensskiolds plass, in a tunnel under Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
and again as an elevated line past 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...
to Oslo Ø.
In 1938, the Station Committee of 1938 was established to look into a possible connection of the Drammen Line to Oslo Ø and extension of the railway station. Led by Axel Grenholm, the committee recommended one of two alternatives: either establish a branch from the Drammen Line and built a tunnel under the city center, in which all trains would terminate at Oslo Ø. The tunnel was proposed run from Lassons gate west of Oslo V to Fred. Olsens gate, with an intermediate station close to the location of Oslo V. The proposed tunnel would be 1660 metres (1 mi) long and largely run through clay, making construction more difficult and expensive. Alternatively, a branch of Drammen Line should be built around the city and connect with the Gjøvik Line at Grefsen. Commuter trains would continue to run to Oslo V, while regional and intercity trains would run to Oslo Ø. The committee stated that it preferred the former suggestion.
In 1946, the Planning Office for Oslo Central Station, led by Fin Hvoslef, was established by the government. In 1950, they presented a new report, which recommended that a new route for the tunnel be considered to ease construction and increase safety. This was in part based on an engineering report from 1949, which had made the first detailed plans for the line. It was a compromise between the Norwegian State Railways' need for a line as straight as possible, and Oslo Municipality's demands that the construction should not be a risk to buildings in the area. The ground in Oslo consists of clay-filled grooves up to 30 metres (98.4 ft) deep. The area also contains alum shale
Alum shale
Alum shale is a variety of shale or clay slate containing pyrites. Decomposition of pyrite by weathering forms sulfuric acid, which acts on potash and alumina constituents to form alum, often efflorescences on the rock.Alum shale contains kerogen originated from algae...
, which expands when it comes into contact with air and water and can attack concrete, argillaceous schist
Argillaceous schist
Argillaceous schist is metamorphic rock which exhibits fine laminations of clay materials. Its protolith is argillite....
, cracks with clay and water, and hard volcanic rocks.
Another committee, led by Oddvar Halvorsen, was established in 1960 to look at the matter again. Also it recommended a tunnel and a central station. However, it felt that the tunnel should be longer and intersect with the Drammen Line at a point between Skarpsno and Skøyen, and build a second station at Frogner. The proposal was presented to the Parliament of Norway on 4 November 1961, along with several other matters related to rail transport investments. Construction of the Oslo Tunnel and Oslo Central Station was passed unanimously.
Peer Qvam
Peer Hafslo Qvam was a Norwegian architect.He was born in Holmestrand as a son of chemical engineer Olaf Hafslo Qvam and Sigrid Sørby . He enrolled as a student in 1931, and graduated in architecture from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1936...
's arkitektkontor and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute
Norwegian Geotechnical Institute
Norwegian Geotechnical Institute is a private foundation based in Norway doing research and consulting in the geosciences, including soil, rock and snow....
.
The tunnel was officially opened on 30 May 1980 by Minister of Transport and Communications
Minister of Transport and Communications (Norway)
The Minister of Transport and Communications is a Councillor of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications. Since 20 October 2009, the position has been held by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa of the Centre Party...
, Ronald Bye
Ronald Bye
Ronald Joseph Bye is a former Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was Minister of Transport and Communications 1978-1981.-References:...
, and officially taken into use on 1 June. When it opened, it was the eighth-longest railway tunnel in Norway, although since 2005 it has been the thirteenth-longest. The tunnel cost 625 million Norwegian krone
Norwegian krone
The krone is the currency of Norway and its dependent territories. The plural form is kroner . It is subdivided into 100 øre. The ISO 4217 code is NOK, although the common local abbreviation is kr. The name translates into English as "crown"...
(NOK), of which Oslo Municipality had paid NOK 170 million. At first, the tunnel was used by commuter trains from Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm Station
Lillestrøm Station is a railway station located at Lillestrøm in Skedsmo, Norway. The station serves as the main transportation hub of the eastern parts of Greater Oslo and all trains east of Oslo stop at Lillestrøm...
to Drammen
Drammen Station
Drammen is a railway station located in downtown Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Randsfjord Line, the Drammen Line and the Vestfold Line...
and Spikkestad
Spikkestad Station
Spikkestad Station is a railway station located at Spikkestad in Røyken, Norway and the terminus of Spikkestadbanen. The station was opened as part of Drammenbanen in 1885, but in 1973 the new Lieråsen Tunnel opened through Lieråsen, and the old part of Drammenbanen was transformed to a commuter...
, and trains from Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll Station
Eidsvoll is a railway station located at Eidsvoll in Akershus, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Trunk Line, the Gardermoen Line and the Dovre Line. Though the Dovre Line and the Trunk Line/Gardermoen Line practically are the same continual railway, there is a naming change at the...
and Årnes
Årnes Station
Årnes Station is a railway station located in Årnes in Nes, Norway on Kongsvingerbanen. The station was built in 1862 as part of Kongsvingerbanen. The station is served hourly by the Oslo Commuter Rail line 460 operated by Norges Statsbaner, in addition to extra rushhour trains and express trains...
used the tunnel and turned at Skøyen. Oslo Central Station was taken into use on 26 November 1986. On 27 May 1989, Oslo West Station was closed and all traffic transferred to Oslo S.
In October 1997, construction of an upgraded Nationaltheatret Station started and was taken into use on 16 December 2009. The work expanded the station from two to four platforms, thus increasing the applied capacity for the whole tunnel from 16 to 24 trains per direction per hour. The expansion cost NOK 920 million, which included blasting 110000 cubic metres (3,884,613.3 cu ft) of rock and pouring 33000 cubic metres (1,165,384 cu ft) of concrete. The work resulted in 830 metres (2,723.1 ft) of new tunnel, a new entrance hall and art. The station was designed for 40,000 passengers daily.
In 2008, the old section of Nationaltheatret Station was renovated. Upgrades included new lighting, a new public address system, new escalator
Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase – a conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the...
s, a more powerful fire safety system, improved emergency exit
Emergency exit
An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc....
s and replacement of cables. The upgrade made the old section lighter, as it was previously painted in dark red, and visually similar to the new section. Between 2008 to 2012, the Norwegian National Rail Administration is performing a major upgrade to the section between Lysaker and Etterstad, including the Oslo Tunnel. Among the upgrades are axle counter
Axle counter
An axle counter is a device on a railway that detects the passing of a train in lieu of the more common track circuit. A counting head is installed at each end of the section, and as each axle passes the head at the start of the section, a counter increments...
s, mounting of an overhead conductor rail
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, new switches
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
, switch heaters at the tunnel openings and new tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
.
Future
The Oslo Tunnel is the largest bottle-neck in the railway system in Norway, and delays caused around the tunnel can spread throughout the whole network. The National Rail Administration has stated that until at the earliest 2040, it is unnecessary with more capacity through the West Corridor, i.e. running west of Oslo. This includes possible ungraded to the railway lines around Oslo, such as high-speed lines along the Østfold and Vestfold Lines, and to LillehammerLillehammer
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...
. In 2012, after the completion of the Asker Line, a new schedule plan has been proposed. NSB, the Airport Express Train and 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...
have all asked for more slots through the tunnel than is available. One possible solution is to decrease the reserve capacity, thus increasing the capacity from 24 to 30 trains per hour per direction. However, the tunnel is already characterized as "critically overloaded".
Should a new tunnel be built, it would not necessarily run next to the Oslo Tunnel. One proposal from the National Rail Administration calls for a separate commuter train station to be built underground, at the location of Oslo Bus Terminal
Oslo Bus Terminal
Oslo Bus Terminal is the main bus station serving Oslo, Norway. Owned by Vaterland AS it is located beside Oslo Central Station and serves local buses to Akershus as well as domestic and international coaches.-Service:...
, within walking distance of Oslo S. This proposal involves the line connecting to the existing route before reaching Nationaltheatret. Norsk Bane
Norsk Bane
Norsk Bane is a Norwegian limited company that is working on plans to build a high-speed railway throughout large portions of Norway. The company has developed detailed plans for numerous lines and claims they would be able to build and operate a high-speed network in Norway, if granted permission...
have called for a line to run further north, and serve Majorstuen
Majorstuen
Majorstuen is a neighbourhood in the Frogner borough in the western part of Oslo, Norway.Majorstuen is known for its vibrant downtown, especially its shopping area. The area has several elegant townhouses circa 1880-1890. The area is also an important public transport junction in Oslo, where all...
, where there is a major metro and tramway hub. Norsk Bane also call for the tunnel to be built for higher speeds, and state that it is necessary to build high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
to 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 , ....
and 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...
. Combined with a new line from Drammen to the tunnel, it would allow travel time from Drammen and Oslo to be reduced to 18 minutes.