Rørosbanen
Encyclopedia
The Røros Line is a 383 kilometres (238 mi) 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 431 kilometres (267.8 mi). With the opening of the Dovre Line in 1921, the northern section from Støren to Trondheim became a part of this line. The line is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.
valley, running alongside the river Glomma
for much of the way. In terms of the Norwegian railway system
the Røros Line is a secondary route between Oslo and Trondheim, the primary route between those two places being by way of the Dovre Line.
As well as being connected to the Dovre Line, the line also has connections to the Meråker Line (at Trondheim) and the Solør Line (at Elverum). The summit of the line, at Harborg, is 670 metres (2,198.2 ft) above sea level–a fairly low elevation for a Norwegian main line. The Røros Line is Norway's second longest stretch of unelectrified railway, the longest being the Nordland Line.
Today, passenger trains on the Røros Line are operated exclusively by small diesel multiple unit
s of the types Class 92 and Class 93 operated by the Norwegian State Railways.
–Singsås
(30 kilometres (18.6 mi)) in 1876, Singsås–Røros (79 kilometres (49.1 mi)), and Røros–Koppang
(153 kilometres (95.1 mi)) in 1877.
On 14 August 1877, the lines from south and north was connected at the farm Skjøten in Alvdal
, and the official opening of Rørosbanen took place at Røros on 13 October 1877. The route is Norway's oldest mainline railway, defined as one connecting two regions of the country: in this instance eastern and central Norway. The connection southwards from Hamar was with boat over the lake Mjøsa
to Eidsvoll
, and the Hoved Line to Oslo (Kristiania). The railway connection between Eidsvoll and Hamar opened as Eidsvold–Hamar Line in 1880.
, it was argued, notably by railway director Carl Abraham Pihl
, that narrow gauge was more suitable for Norwegian landscape and also less expensive. This became the choice for the Røros Line, and all other lines constructed in Norway in years to come, unless they connected to the Swedish railways.
The extension of Hoved Line to Hamar (1880) was built with standard gauge and caused an inconvenient break-of-gauge
for transport at the Røros Line, and a change to standard gauge was debated repeatedly, however without any decision made. For the opening of the Dovre Line in 1921, the Støren to Trondheim section was transferred to standard gauge, leaving the Røros Line with break-of-gauges at both terminals, and eventually it was decided to convert the line as well. The Hamar to Koppang line was ready in 1931, but it would take another 10 years until the Koppang to Støren line was converted by the Germans during the war in 1941.
occurred on 4 January 2000, a northbound Class 92 multiple unit and a southbound passenger train headed by a Di 3
locomotive collided on the line near Åsta Station, killing 19 people. The accident caused a temporary closure of the route while the line's safety was investigated. The Røros Line being a non-electrified line, the method of cutting the power to trains seen to be on a collision course was not available. Furthermore, the line was not equipped with automatic train control
. When the train traffic controller became aware that the trains involved were heading for a collision he tried to send a warning to the train drivers by mobile phone
, but the phone numbers were either wrong or did not work. There was controversy in the aftermath about whether the driver of the northbound train had ignored or overlooked a red danger signal or whether the signal system itself was faulty.
There are plans for a completely new high speed railway net in Norway. In 2007, in an investigation ordered by Norwegian rail authorities, a German university suggested that the high speed Oslo–Trondheim railway should follow the Røros Line route. This would be cheaper than along the Dovre Line, as the terrain is easier in Østerdalen compared to Gudbrandsdalen, and the distance is shorter. The cities along the present main Dovre Line are rather small.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
running between the towns of 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...
and Støren
Støren
is a former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality is located in the north-central part of the present-day municipality of Midtre Gauldal. The municipal center of Støren was the village of Støren, where Støren Church is located....
via Elverum
Elverum
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum...
and Røros
Røros
is 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....
. It connects to the Dovre Line at Hamar to 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 at Støren 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...
. The narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
line was opened in 1877, running between Hamar and Trondheim, a total of 431 kilometres (267.8 mi). With the opening of the Dovre Line in 1921, the northern section from Støren to Trondheim became a part of this line. The line is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.
Route
The Røros Line follows the ØsterdalenØsterdalen
Østerdalen is a valley and traditional district in Hedmark County, in Eastern Norway. It consisting of the municipalities Rendalen, Alvdal, Folldal,Tynset, Tolga and Os in the north, Elverum, Stor-Elvdal, Engerdal, Trysil and Åmot in the south.-Geography:...
valley, running alongside the river Glomma
Glomma
The Glomma or Glåma is the longest and largest river in Norway. The long river has a drainage basin that covers a full 13% of Norway's area, all in the southern part of Norway.-Geography:...
for much of the way. In terms of the Norwegian railway system
Rail transport in Norway
The Norwegian railway system comprises 4,087 km of track of which 2,622 km is electrified and 242 km double track. There are 696 tunnels and 2760 bridges....
the Røros Line is a secondary route between Oslo and Trondheim, the primary route between those two places being by way of the Dovre Line.
As well as being connected to the Dovre Line, the line also has connections to the Meråker Line (at Trondheim) and the Solør Line (at Elverum). The summit of the line, at Harborg, is 670 metres (2,198.2 ft) above sea level–a fairly low elevation for a Norwegian main line. The Røros Line is Norway's second longest stretch of unelectrified railway, the longest being the Nordland Line.
Today, passenger trains on the Røros Line are operated exclusively by small diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s of the types Class 92 and Class 93 operated by the Norwegian State Railways.
History
Rørosbanen was built between 1862 and 1877. The first part, between Hamar and Elverum (Grundset) opened as the Hamar–Grundset Line (38 kilometres (23.6 mi)) in 1862, and was later extended to Rena (Aamot) as Aamotbanen (26 kilometres (16.2 mi)) in 1871. The northern part was opened as Trondhjem–Støren Line (49 kilometres (30.4 mi)) in 1864. The Røros Line itself was built in sections from north and south, Rena–Koppang (56 kilometres (34.8 mi)) opened in 1875, StørenStøren
is a former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality is located in the north-central part of the present-day municipality of Midtre Gauldal. The municipal center of Støren was the village of Støren, where Støren Church is located....
–Singsås
Singsås
Singsås is a village and former municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It encompassed the eastern part of the present-day municipality of Midtre Gauldal. The administrative center was the village of Singsås, where the Singsås Church is also located...
(30 kilometres (18.6 mi)) in 1876, Singsås–Røros (79 kilometres (49.1 mi)), and Røros–Koppang
Koppang
is a Norwegian town, the administrative centre of Stor-Elvdal municipality....
(153 kilometres (95.1 mi)) in 1877.
On 14 August 1877, the lines from south and north was connected at the farm Skjøten in Alvdal
Alvdal
Alvdal is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Alvdal....
, and the official opening of Rørosbanen took place at Røros on 13 October 1877. The route is Norway's oldest mainline railway, defined as one connecting two regions of the country: in this instance eastern and central Norway. The connection southwards from Hamar was with boat over 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...
to 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:...
, and the Hoved Line to Oslo (Kristiania). The railway connection between Eidsvoll and Hamar opened as Eidsvold–Hamar Line in 1880.
Gauge
At the time of the construction of Rørosbanen, there was a gauge controversy in Norway. While the Hoved Line already in 1854 had been built with standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, it was argued, notably by railway director Carl Abraham Pihl
Carl Abraham Pihl
Carl Abraham Pihl was a Norwegian civil engineer and director of the Norwegian State Railways from 1865 until his death...
, that narrow gauge was more suitable for Norwegian landscape and also less expensive. This became the choice for the Røros Line, and all other lines constructed in Norway in years to come, unless they connected to the Swedish railways.
The extension of Hoved Line to Hamar (1880) was built with standard gauge and caused an inconvenient break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
for transport at the Røros Line, and a change to standard gauge was debated repeatedly, however without any decision made. For the opening of the Dovre Line in 1921, the Støren to Trondheim section was transferred to standard gauge, leaving the Røros Line with break-of-gauges at both terminals, and eventually it was decided to convert the line as well. The Hamar to Koppang line was ready in 1931, but it would take another 10 years until the Koppang to Støren line was converted by the Germans during the war in 1941.
Åsta Accident
The Åsta accidentÅsta accident
The Åsta accident was a railway accident that occurred at 13:12:25 on 4 January 2000 at Åsta in Åmot, south of Rena in Østerdalen, Norway. A train from Trondheim collided with a local train from Hamar on Rørosbanen resulting in an explosive fire...
occurred on 4 January 2000, a northbound Class 92 multiple unit and a southbound passenger train headed by a 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...
locomotive collided on the line near Åsta Station, killing 19 people. The accident caused a temporary closure of the route while the line's safety was investigated. The Røros Line being a non-electrified line, the method of cutting the power to trains seen to be on a collision course was not available. Furthermore, the line was not equipped with automatic train control
Automatic Train Control
Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...
. When the train traffic controller became aware that the trains involved were heading for a collision he tried to send a warning to the train drivers by mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
, but the phone numbers were either wrong or did not work. There was controversy in the aftermath about whether the driver of the northbound train had ignored or overlooked a red danger signal or whether the signal system itself was faulty.
Future developments
The Røros Line competes for traffic with a main road through the Østerdal and some people have called for the permanent closure of the line to save money, arguing that trucks and buses can handle the extra traffic if the line is closed. Other people have opposed such a closure.There are plans for a completely new high speed railway net in Norway. In 2007, in an investigation ordered by Norwegian rail authorities, a German university suggested that the high speed Oslo–Trondheim railway should follow the Røros Line route. This would be cheaper than along the Dovre Line, as the terrain is easier in Østerdalen compared to Gudbrandsdalen, and the distance is shorter. The cities along the present main Dovre Line are rather small.