Ås Station
Encyclopedia
Ås Station is a railway station in Ås
, Norway
on the Østfold Line. The station was opened on 2 January 1879 and designed by Peter A. Blix in Swiss chalet style
. The station was modernized in 1992, when the section between Ski
and Moss
was upgraded to double track
and speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). In 2006, a cultural meeting place comprising a café, concert hall and an art exhibition was established inside the station's building, initiated by the local organization "Galleri Texas". In 2010, the maintenance and operation of the meeting place was transferred from Galleri Texas to the governmental corporation Follo Futura, since Galleri Texas no longer could pay the renting costs. The station is served by commuter trains on the Line 550 of the Oslo Commuter Rail
, running from Spikkestad
over Oslo
to Moss
. Ski Station
and Vestby Station
are the preceding and the following stations, respectively.
in Swiss chalet style
. The Norwegian author Knut Hamsun
wrote several letters at the station between 1897 and 1906. When the section between Ski
and Moss Station
was upgraded to double track
s in 1992, Ås Station received a major renovation. In 2000, a 16 years old boy had huffed lighter gas at the station, and was found dead on the platform the next morning. On 25 October 2006, a cultural meeting place was established inside the station building, initiated by the association "Galleri Texas". The building is located in Brekkeveien 4, and houses a tiny café
known as "Kafé Åsheim", an art gallery, and a small gift shop. The café serves local commuters riding to Oslo in the morning, as well as dining and lunch guests residing in the area around the station. In the weekends, there are sometimes arranged concerts with local bands and musicians.
In 2008, controversy between the local organisation Galleri Texas and the state-owned corporation Follo Futura arose, regarding the hiring contract of the station building, and which of them were to operate the cultural meeting place. Follo Futura, which together with the Norwegian National Rail Administration and Rom Eiendom
officially owned the station building wanted to take over the café business. They argued that they were better fit to operate it, since Galleri Texas did not have the economical capacity to run the café with the art exhibition and gift shop the whole week. The local community wanted Galleri Texas to operate the café, arguing that replacing a local company for a governmental one would weaken the local and patriotic spirit of the café. On 1 January 2010, the operation of the café and the cultural meeting place was transferred from Galleri Texas to Follo Futura, since Galleri Texas no longer could pay the rental costs. In 2010, smoke was tumbling out of the station, but it turned out that it was only a cigarette that had not been quenched, and had been laying overnight in a flower basket.
operates a bus terminal a few metres away from the station. Ås Station is located north of Vestby Station
and south of Ski Station
on the Østfold Line, 31.15 kilometres (19.4 mi) from Oslo Central Station.
, operated by the Norwegian State Railways. The line runs from Spikkestad
through Oslo to Moss, on the Spikkestad and the Østfold Line. The travel time from Ås to Oslo Central Station is 28 minutes and to Moss Station 21 minutes. The public transport authority Ruter
operates feeder bus services to the station from Drøbak
, Ski
, Vinterbro
and other conurbations around Ås.
Ås
Ås is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Follo traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ås...
, 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...
on the Østfold Line. The station was opened on 2 January 1879 and designed by Peter A. Blix in Swiss chalet style
Swiss chalet style
Swiss chalet style is an architectural style inspired by the chalets of Switzerland. The style originated in Germany in the early 19th century and was popular in parts of Europe and North America, notably in the architecture of Norway, the country house architecture of Sweden, Cincinnati, Ohio,...
. The station was modernized in 1992, when the section between 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....
and Moss
Moss Station
Moss Station is a railway station located in downtown Moss in Østfold, Norway. The station is located on the Østfold Line and serves as terminal station for Line 550 of the Oslo Commuter Rail service to Oslo Central Station and onwards to Spikkestad as well as a stop of the InterCity Express...
was 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 :...
and speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour (99.4 mph). In 2006, a cultural meeting place comprising a café, concert hall and an art exhibition was established inside the station's building, initiated by the local organization "Galleri Texas". In 2010, the maintenance and operation of the meeting place was transferred from Galleri Texas to the governmental corporation Follo Futura, since Galleri Texas no longer could pay the renting costs. The station is served by commuter trains on the Line 550 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...
, running from Spikkestad
Spikkestad
Spikkestad 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....
over 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 Moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
. Ski Station
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....
and Vestby Station
Vestby Station
Vestby Station is a railway station on the Østfold Line located in the village of Vestby, Norway. It is served by commuter trains operated by the Norwegian State Railways running from Spikkestad over Oslo to Moss. The station opened in 1879, and was modernised in the early 1990s...
are the preceding and the following stations, respectively.
History
The station opened on 2 January 1879, and was designed by the Norwegian architect Peter Andreas BlixPeter Andreas Blix
Peter Andreas Blix was a Norwegian architect and engineer best known for designing railway stations and villas in Swiss chalet style...
in Swiss chalet style
Swiss chalet style
Swiss chalet style is an architectural style inspired by the chalets of Switzerland. The style originated in Germany in the early 19th century and was popular in parts of Europe and North America, notably in the architecture of Norway, the country house architecture of Sweden, Cincinnati, Ohio,...
. The Norwegian author Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun
Knut Hamsun was a Norwegian author, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. He was praised by King Haakon VII of Norway as Norway's soul....
wrote several letters at the station between 1897 and 1906. When the section between 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....
and Moss Station
Moss Station
Moss Station is a railway station located in downtown Moss in Østfold, Norway. The station is located on the Østfold Line and serves as terminal station for Line 550 of the Oslo Commuter Rail service to Oslo Central Station and onwards to Spikkestad as well as a stop of the InterCity Express...
was 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 :...
s in 1992, Ås Station received a major renovation. In 2000, a 16 years old boy had huffed lighter gas at the station, and was found dead on the platform the next morning. On 25 October 2006, a cultural meeting place was established inside the station building, initiated by the association "Galleri Texas". The building is located in Brekkeveien 4, and houses a tiny café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
known as "Kafé Åsheim", an art gallery, and a small gift shop. The café serves local commuters riding to Oslo in the morning, as well as dining and lunch guests residing in the area around the station. In the weekends, there are sometimes arranged concerts with local bands and musicians.
In 2008, controversy between the local organisation Galleri Texas and the state-owned corporation Follo Futura arose, regarding the hiring contract of the station building, and which of them were to operate the cultural meeting place. Follo Futura, which together with the Norwegian National Rail Administration and 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...
officially owned the station building wanted to take over the café business. They argued that they were better fit to operate it, since Galleri Texas did not have the economical capacity to run the café with the art exhibition and gift shop the whole week. The local community wanted Galleri Texas to operate the café, arguing that replacing a local company for a governmental one would weaken the local and patriotic spirit of the café. On 1 January 2010, the operation of the café and the cultural meeting place was transferred from Galleri Texas to Follo Futura, since Galleri Texas no longer could pay the rental costs. In 2010, smoke was tumbling out of the station, but it turned out that it was only a cigarette that had not been quenched, and had been laying overnight in a flower basket.
Facilities
The station's facilities are designed similarly to most of the other stations on the Østfold Line, apart from the station building, which dates back to 1877. There is step-free access to the platforms. There is a gluelam walkway over the rail tracks in the south end of the station, which shapes together with the stairways one minimalistic construction down to the platforms. At the north end of the station, there is a second walkway which runs under the tracks. There are sheds and ticket machines on the platforms. The station's parking area has place for 200 cars and 8 bicycles. Akershus KollektivterminalerAkershus Kollektivterminaler
Akershus Kollektivterminaler FKF is a county agency responsible for owning and operating major bus terminals in Akershus, Norway. It is a subsidiary of Akershus County Municipality, and operates 19 bus terminals, in addition to some adjacent park and ride facilities...
operates a bus terminal a few metres away from the station. Ås Station is located north of Vestby Station
Vestby Station
Vestby Station is a railway station on the Østfold Line located in the village of Vestby, Norway. It is served by commuter trains operated by the Norwegian State Railways running from Spikkestad over Oslo to Moss. The station opened in 1879, and was modernised in the early 1990s...
and south of Ski Station
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....
on the Østfold Line, 31.15 kilometres (19.4 mi) from Oslo Central Station.
Service
Ås Station is served by the line 550 of the Oslo Commuter RailOslo 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...
, operated by the Norwegian State Railways. The line runs from 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...
through Oslo to Moss, on the Spikkestad and the Østfold Line. The travel time from Ås to Oslo Central Station is 28 minutes and to Moss Station 21 minutes. The public transport authority Ruter
Ruter
Ruter As is the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus, Norway. The company, organized as a limited company is responsible for managing, but not operating, public transport in the two counties, including bus, the Oslo Metro, the Oslo Tramway and ferries...
operates feeder bus services to the station from Drøbak
Drøbak
Drøbak is an unincorporated city and the centre of the municipality of Frogn, in Akershus county, Norway. The city is located along the Oslofjord, and has 13,358 inhabitants....
, Ski
Ski, Norway
is 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...
, Vinterbro
Vinterbro
Vinterbro is a village in Ås, Norway. It has 2,800 residents in the subdivisions Togrenda and Sjøskogen. The area features a primary school and four kindergartens....
and other conurbations around Ås.
External links
- Entry at Jernbaneverket