Østensjøbanen
Encyclopedia
The Østensjø Line is a rapid transit
line on the Oslo Metro which runs between Tøyen
and Mortensrud
in the southeast neighborhood of Søndre Nordstrand
in Oslo
, Norway
. The line also serves the mostly residential boroughs of Bøler
and Østensjø
. It is served by line 3 of the T-bane each 15 minutes.
The line opened by Akersbanerne
as a suburban tramway extension of the Vålerenga Line
of the Oslo Tramway in 1923 to Bryn, and to Oppsal
three years later. From 1937, it had direct service to the city center and onwards to Kolsås
. From 1966, it was extended to Skullerud
and became part of the Oslo T-bane system, as its first line. In 1998, the line was extended to Mortensrud. The line is owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon and operated by Oslo T-banedrift
on contract with Ruter
.
The Østensjø Line starts at the end of the Common Tunnel at Tøyen, and serves three stations in common with the Lambertseter- and Furuset Line: Ensjø
, Helsfyr
and Brynseng
. Helsfyr is a major bus terminal. At Brynseng, the Lambertseter Line branches off, and after the next station, Hellerud, the Furuset Line also branches off. The Østensjø Line runs through the boroughs of Bøler
, Østensjø
and Søndre Nordstrand
, serving mostly residential areas. The line is owned by the municipal Kollektivtransportproduksjon.
. It is operated by the municipal Oslo T-banedrift on contract with the transport authority Ruter. Travel time along the 13.6 kilometres (8.5 mi) section to Stortinget
in the city center is 24 minutes.
to Oppsal. The Vålerenga Line had opened as a street tram on 3 May 1900 by Kristiania Sporveisselskab
(KSS). Plans for building an extension into the neighboring municipality of Aker started in 1917, when Aker Municipality established the company Akersbanerne to build and operate suburban tramways west and east of Oslo. Construction started in February 1922, and by 18 December 1923, construction had come far enough the section from Etterstad to Bryn could open. An agreement was made with KSS, where the latter extended its Line 17 from that operated on the Homansbyen Line
and the Vålerenga Line. Every other service was extended to Bryn and given the designation 7Ø.
In January 1926, the line was completed to Oppsal. By then, KSS had been taken over by Oslo Municipality and merged to become Oslo Sporveier
. However, the two municipalities and their tram companies could not agree on terms to lease the trackage from Etterstad to the city center. Part of the problem was the lack of a suitable turning loop with free capacity in the city center. Instead, Akersbanerne decided to operate the trams to Etterstad, where there would be transfer, without transfer tickets, between the two tram companies. For the operations, Akersbanerne bought four Class A trams and three trailers, which were built by Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk
and delivered in 1926 and 1927. This was not sufficient to operate all the lines, so an addition three trams were leased from Ekebergbanen
.
The lack of direct routes to the city center was not popular among travelers, and a direct bus service from the area around Hellerud
was introduced. This was taken over by Akersbanerne in 1928, who subcontracted the operations to De Blå Omnibusser. Later the concession was given to the bus company. New negotiations were made, but neither party was willing to make sufficient admittances for agreement to be reached. In 1933, Akersbanerne merged its operation to the west of the city center with Holmenkolbanen
, and the Østensjø Line was the only remaining service they operated. Akersbanerne started negotiating with both Ekebergbanen and Bærumsbanen about either of them taking over the route. Bærumsbanen, that had become partially owned by Oslo Sporveier, had a similar suburban tramway to the east of the city center, the Lilleaker and Kolsås Lines, where trams continued along street trams lines until the reached the city center. Also they had a lack of sufficient balloon loops, and turned their trams at Athenæum
, and therefore did not serve the important East Railway Station. An agreement was therefore reached with Bærumsbanen and Oslo Sporveier, where Bærumsbanen would operate a through service from Kolsås to Oppsal, without the need to balloon loops in the city center. The service started on 4 January 1937 and was branded as the Bærum–Østensjø Line.
Bærumsbanen had a fleet of Class A trams, and these were along with Akersbanerne's units put into use on the combined service. In 1937, the first Class B trams were delivered to Oslo Sporveier, and these put into service on the Bærum–Østensjø Line after the serial delivery started in 1939. They aluminum trams were faster, had better comfort and so large a single tram could replace a Class A tram and trailer. From 15 June 1942, the Kolsås Line was connected to the Common Tunnel and became part of the underground service. The branch from Jar to the city center was renamed the Lillaker Line. The Østensjø Line service thereafter became marketed as the Lilleaker–Østensjø Line. However, a limited number of services continued to Kolsås
, Avløs
or Haslum
.
From 1944, the operative responsibility for Bærumbanen was taken over by Oslo Sporveier. The Lilleaker–Østensjø Line was then given the service number 9. In 1948, the municipalities of Oslo and Aker merged, and the ownership of the Østensjø Line was transferred to Bærumsbanen. From 1946 to 1958, the remaining Class A trams were retired and replaced with Class E, that very similar to Class B, but had been built as street trams in 1939. From 1955, the Class B trams were rebuilt so they could operate in trains.
In 1954, the city council decided that the Østensjø Line would become part of the future metro. This would involve connecting to a new section from Bryn to the city center, most of which would be underground. On 28 April 1957, the Lambertseter Line opened as a branch of the Østensjø Line from Bryn. On 20 July 1958, the Østensjø Line was extended to Bøler
. This gave the line its first tunnel, and forced Oppsal Station to move. During parts the 1960s, the Østensjø Line was also served by Line 3.
With the conversion to metro standard
, the Østensjø Line was converted to having third rail
power supply, the platform height
was raised and the platforms lengthened to 110 metres (360.9 ft) to handle six-car trains. All level crossing
s were removed. The Lambertseter Line was the first line of the Oslo Metro when it opened on 22 May 1966. Instead of following the Vålerenga Line to the city center, it instead followed the Common Tunnel from Brynseng
to Jernbanetorget
. From 18 June 1967, only Line 3 served the Østensjø Line. The line was closed during the evening of 25 October. From 28 October 1967, the line was connected to the metro and T1000 started being used on the service. The three days were used to remove the balloon loop at Bøler and connect the line to the Common Tunnel. The extension from Bøler to Skullerud opened on 26 November 1967.
Both the Lambertseter- and the Østensjø Line had been considered extended to Mortensrud. The work with building the extension between Skullerud and Mortensrud was originally planned to start in 1992, with completion planned for 1994. However, construction did not start until 1995. The 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) extension is built to allow speeds of 100 kilometres per hour (62.1 mph), and represents a considerable longer distance between stations than what is normal on the network. Most of the section is in tunnels, though there are also two viaducts. The extension (without the new station) cost . The line runs somewhat south of the station, allowing space to line up trains, and for future further extension of the line. The station was taken into use on 24 November 1997, but not officially opened until 4 January 1998. On the day of the official opening, the bus terminal was taken into use. The station cost NOK 35 million. At the time, it was estimated to have about 6,000 daily users.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line on the Oslo Metro which runs between Tøyen
Tøyen (station)
Tøyen is a rapid transit station located in the Common Tunnel of Oslo Metro in Norway. Located in the borough of Gamle Oslo, it is also called "Tøyen-Munchmuseet" due to its proximity to the art museum. It is the last station on the east side shared by all lines; the Grorud Line and Ring Line...
and Mortensrud
Mortensrud (station)
Mortensrud is a rapid transit station on the Østensjø Line of the Oslo Metro. It is located in Mortensrud in the Søndre Nordstrand borough of Oslo, Norway. Construction of the station started in 1995, which was taken into use on 24 November 1997, when it became the terminal station of the...
in the southeast neighborhood of Søndre Nordstrand
Søndre Nordstrand
Søndre Nordstrand is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. It has 33000 inhabitants and the highest rate of immigrant population at 41%. It holds the population of Holmlia, Mortensrud, Hauketo, Prinsdal, Bjørndal, Klemetsrud, Ljabru and parts of Souther Nordstrand. It is also the southernmost...
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 line also serves the mostly residential boroughs of Bøler
Bøler
Bøler is a south-eastern suburb of Oslo, Norway. It is one of the more picturesque areas of Oslo. Østmarka forest and lake Nøklevann in its immediately vicinity. Infrastructure-wise, it has a shopping center , two elementary schools, a public bath, a library, a church and a stop on the...
and Østensjø
Østensjø
Østensjø is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The borough is in the southeastern part of Oslo. It is well known for its proximity to the forested area of Østmarka, a popular resort and hiking area for the citizens of Oslo and Lørenskog. Østensjø consists of the suburbs of Bøler, Oppsal and...
. It is served by line 3 of the T-bane each 15 minutes.
The line opened by Akersbanerne
Akersbanerne
A/S Akersbanerne was a municipal owned company that operated tramways in the former Municipality of Aker in current Oslo, Norway. The company was established in 1917, and opened the suburban Østensjø Line tramway in 1926; it took over the majority ownership of Holmenkolbanen in 1933, that owned the...
as a suburban tramway extension of the Vålerenga Line
Vålerenga Line
The Vålerenga line , also known as Helsfyr Line and Etterstad Line is an abolished tram line in Eastern Oslo. It branched from the Gamleby Line, which was established in 1875 as a horse tram service. From 1875 to 1899, the line ran from Stortorvet towards Vaterland over Grønland...
of the Oslo Tramway in 1923 to Bryn, and to Oppsal
Oppsal (station)
Oppsal is a station on Østensjø Line on the Oslo Metro, located in the suburb Oppsal between the stations of Skøyenåsen and Ulsrud, from Stortinget. The station was opened as a subway station 29 October 1967. P.A.M. Mellbye was the station's architect. Rail service through Oppsal is older, having...
three years later. From 1937, it had direct service to the city center and onwards to Kolsås
Kolsås (station)
Kolsås is the end station of the Kolsås Line on the Oslo Metro. The station, located in Bærum municipality, comes after Hauger, and is located from Stortinget....
. From 1966, it was extended to Skullerud
Skullerud (station)
Skullerud is a station on Østensjø Line of the Oslo Metro, located in the Østensjø borough, between Bogerud and Mortensrud. Since its opening 26 November 1967, it was the end station of the line until Østensjøbanen was extended to Mortensrud in 1997...
and became part of the Oslo T-bane system, as its first line. In 1998, the line was extended to Mortensrud. The line is owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon and operated by Oslo T-banedrift
Oslo T-banedrift
Oslo T-banedrift AS is a limited company that is responsible for operating Oslo Metro , the rapid transit in Oslo, Norway. The company is owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon that again is owned by the city council...
on contract with 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...
.
Route
Ensjø (station)
Ensjø is a station on the Oslo Metro located in the borough of Gamle Oslo. The station is shared by the Østensjø-, Lambertseter- and Furuset Line. It is the first station on the east side after emerging from the downtown Common Tunnel for these lines. The station is located between Tøyen and...
, Helsfyr
Helsfyr (station)
Helsfyr is a subway station on the east side of the Oslo Metro system located in the borough of Gamle Oslo. The station is shared by the Furuset Line , the Østensjø Line and the Lambertseter Line . In addition, Line 1, which runs on Holmenkollen Line in the west, terminates at Helsfyr...
and Brynseng
Brynseng (station)
Brynseng is a rapid transit station on the Oslo Metro system located in the Gamle Oslo borough. The station is shared by three lines, the Østensjø Line , the Furuset Line and the Lambertseter Line . The station has four platforms. The two northernmost platforms are for trains on the Østensjø- and...
. Helsfyr is a major bus terminal. At Brynseng, the Lambertseter Line branches off, and after the next station, Hellerud, the Furuset Line also branches off. The Østensjø Line runs through the boroughs of Bøler
Bøler
Bøler is a south-eastern suburb of Oslo, Norway. It is one of the more picturesque areas of Oslo. Østmarka forest and lake Nøklevann in its immediately vicinity. Infrastructure-wise, it has a shopping center , two elementary schools, a public bath, a library, a church and a stop on the...
, Østensjø
Østensjø
Østensjø is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The borough is in the southeastern part of Oslo. It is well known for its proximity to the forested area of Østmarka, a popular resort and hiking area for the citizens of Oslo and Lørenskog. Østensjø consists of the suburbs of Bøler, Oppsal and...
and Søndre Nordstrand
Søndre Nordstrand
Søndre Nordstrand is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. It has 33000 inhabitants and the highest rate of immigrant population at 41%. It holds the population of Holmlia, Mortensrud, Hauketo, Prinsdal, Bjørndal, Klemetsrud, Ljabru and parts of Souther Nordstrand. It is also the southernmost...
, serving mostly residential areas. The line is owned by the municipal Kollektivtransportproduksjon.
Service
T-bane line 3 serves the Østensjø Line each 15 minutes, except in the late evening and on weekend mornings, when there is a 30-minute headwayHeadway
Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for...
. It is operated by the municipal Oslo T-banedrift on contract with the transport authority Ruter. Travel time along the 13.6 kilometres (8.5 mi) section to Stortinget
Stortinget (station)
Stortinget is an underground rapid transit station on the Common Line of the Oslo Metro, Norway. It is located in the heart of the city center, next to Stortinget, the Parliament of Norway. The station is served by all six lines of the metro. At the street level, the station serves tram routes 17,...
in the city center is 24 minutes.
History
The Østensjø Line opened as a suburban tramway extension of the Vålerenga Line from EtterstadEtterstad
Etterstad is a neighborhood in Oslo, located between the river Alna and Strømsveien, north of Vålerenga. It was incorporated into Oslo in 1946, two years before the merger of Oslo and Aker. The area is mainly residential.-History:...
to Oppsal. The Vålerenga Line had opened as a street tram on 3 May 1900 by Kristiania Sporveisselskab
Kristiania Sporveisselskab
AS Kristiania Sporveisselskab or KSS, nicknamed the Green Tram , was the first tram operator in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 1874, it started operation of horsecar services the following year and electric tram services in 1899...
(KSS). Plans for building an extension into the neighboring municipality of Aker started in 1917, when Aker Municipality established the company Akersbanerne to build and operate suburban tramways west and east of Oslo. Construction started in February 1922, and by 18 December 1923, construction had come far enough the section from Etterstad to Bryn could open. An agreement was made with KSS, where the latter extended its Line 17 from that operated on the Homansbyen Line
Ullevål Hageby Line
The Ullevål Hageby Line is a light rail section of the Oslo Tramway. It runs from Stortorvet in the city center of Oslo, Norway to Rikshospitalet. It passes through the areas of St. Hanshaugen, Ullevål Hageby and Blindern before reaching Gaustad...
and the Vålerenga Line. Every other service was extended to Bryn and given the designation 7Ø.
In January 1926, the line was completed to Oppsal. By then, KSS had been taken over by Oslo Municipality and merged to become Oslo Sporveier
Oslo Sporveier
Kollektivtransportproduksjon AS is a municipal owned public transport operator of Oslo, Norway, the name meaning simply "public transportation producer". It operates the trackage and maintains the stock of the Oslo Metro and Oslo Tramway, as well as owning eight operating subsidiaries...
. However, the two municipalities and their tram companies could not agree on terms to lease the trackage from Etterstad to the city center. Part of the problem was the lack of a suitable turning loop with free capacity in the city center. Instead, Akersbanerne decided to operate the trams to Etterstad, where there would be transfer, without transfer tickets, between the two tram companies. For the operations, Akersbanerne bought four Class A trams and three trailers, which were built by 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...
and delivered in 1926 and 1927. This was not sufficient to operate all the lines, so an addition three trams were leased from Ekebergbanen
Ekebergbanen (company)
AS Ekebergbanen was a private company that built and operated the Ekeberg Line in Oslo, Norway. It was founded 27 March 1914, and the line opened 11 June 1917 from Stortorvet to Sæter. The company also built a line to Simensbråten that was closed 29 October 1967...
.
The lack of direct routes to the city center was not popular among travelers, and a direct bus service from the area around Hellerud
Hellerud
Hellerud was a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway up to January 1, 2004, when it became part of the new borough of Alna. It is also a traditional neighbourhood located within this area to the south of Tveita and Haugerud and north of Oppsal. It borders on the forest of Østmarka....
was introduced. This was taken over by Akersbanerne in 1928, who subcontracted the operations to De Blå Omnibusser. Later the concession was given to the bus company. New negotiations were made, but neither party was willing to make sufficient admittances for agreement to be reached. In 1933, Akersbanerne merged its operation to the west of the city center with Holmenkolbanen
Holmenkolbanen
A/S Holmenkolbanen was a company that owned and operated part of the Oslo Tramway and Oslo Metro in Norway from 1898 until 1975 when services were taken over by the majority owner Oslo Sporveier. Holmenkolbanen opened the Holmenkoll Line in 1898, and expanded it to become the first Nordic...
, and the Østensjø Line was the only remaining service they operated. Akersbanerne started negotiating with both Ekebergbanen and Bærumsbanen about either of them taking over the route. Bærumsbanen, that had become partially owned by Oslo Sporveier, had a similar suburban tramway to the east of the city center, the Lilleaker and Kolsås Lines, where trams continued along street trams lines until the reached the city center. Also they had a lack of sufficient balloon loops, and turned their trams at Athenæum
Wessels plass
Wessels plass is a square in Oslo, Norway, located south of the Parliament of Norway Building.-History:Originally on the site was a knoll with a house surrounded by a garden. The Parliament of Norway Building was completed in 1866, ad in 1873 Oslo municipality bought the knoll. It was demolished...
, and therefore did not serve the important East Railway Station. An agreement was therefore reached with Bærumsbanen and Oslo Sporveier, where Bærumsbanen would operate a through service from Kolsås to Oppsal, without the need to balloon loops in the city center. The service started on 4 January 1937 and was branded as the Bærum–Østensjø Line.
Bærumsbanen had a fleet of Class A trams, and these were along with Akersbanerne's units put into use on the combined service. In 1937, the first Class B trams were delivered to Oslo Sporveier, and these put into service on the Bærum–Østensjø Line after the serial delivery started in 1939. They aluminum trams were faster, had better comfort and so large a single tram could replace a Class A tram and trailer. From 15 June 1942, the Kolsås Line was connected to the Common Tunnel and became part of the underground service. The branch from Jar to the city center was renamed the Lillaker Line. The Østensjø Line service thereafter became marketed as the Lilleaker–Østensjø Line. However, a limited number of services continued to Kolsås
Kolsås (station)
Kolsås is the end station of the Kolsås Line on the Oslo Metro. The station, located in Bærum municipality, comes after Hauger, and is located from Stortinget....
, Avløs
Avløs (station)
Avløs is a station on the Kolsås Line on the Oslo T-bane system. It is between Valler and Haslum, 13.6 km from Stortinget. The station was opened 1 July 1924 as part of the tramway Lilleaker Line. Along with most of the line, Avløs has been closed for upgrades since 1 July 2006 and its...
or Haslum
Haslum (station)
Haslum is a station on the Kolsås Line on the Oslo Metro. It is between Avløs and Gjønnes, from Stortinget. It serves the neighborhood Haslum.The station was opened 1 July 1924 as part of the tramway Lilleaker Line....
.
From 1944, the operative responsibility for Bærumbanen was taken over by Oslo Sporveier. The Lilleaker–Østensjø Line was then given the service number 9. In 1948, the municipalities of Oslo and Aker merged, and the ownership of the Østensjø Line was transferred to Bærumsbanen. From 1946 to 1958, the remaining Class A trams were retired and replaced with Class E, that very similar to Class B, but had been built as street trams in 1939. From 1955, the Class B trams were rebuilt so they could operate in trains.
In 1954, the city council decided that the Østensjø Line would become part of the future metro. This would involve connecting to a new section from Bryn to the city center, most of which would be underground. On 28 April 1957, the Lambertseter Line opened as a branch of the Østensjø Line from Bryn. On 20 July 1958, the Østensjø Line was extended to Bøler
Bøler (station)
Bøler is a station on Østensjø Line on Norway's Oslo Metro system between the stations of Ulsrud and Bogerud, from Stortinget, in the area of the same name...
. This gave the line its first tunnel, and forced Oppsal Station to move. During parts the 1960s, the Østensjø Line was also served by Line 3.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
, the Østensjø Line was converted to having third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
power supply, the platform height
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
was raised and the platforms lengthened to 110 metres (360.9 ft) to handle six-car trains. All level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s were removed. The Lambertseter Line was the first line of the Oslo Metro when it opened on 22 May 1966. Instead of following the Vålerenga Line to the city center, it instead followed the Common Tunnel from Brynseng
Brynseng (station)
Brynseng is a rapid transit station on the Oslo Metro system located in the Gamle Oslo borough. The station is shared by three lines, the Østensjø Line , the Furuset Line and the Lambertseter Line . The station has four platforms. The two northernmost platforms are for trains on the Østensjø- and...
to Jernbanetorget
Jernbanetorget (station)
Jernbanetorget is both a rapid transit station on the Oslo Metro and a light rail station of the Oslo Tramway. The metro station is in the Common Tunnel used by all lines under the city centre. It is located between Stortinget to the west and Grønland to the east. Until the construction of the...
. From 18 June 1967, only Line 3 served the Østensjø Line. The line was closed during the evening of 25 October. From 28 October 1967, the line was connected to the metro and T1000 started being used on the service. The three days were used to remove the balloon loop at Bøler and connect the line to the Common Tunnel. The extension from Bøler to Skullerud opened on 26 November 1967.
Both the Lambertseter- and the Østensjø Line had been considered extended to Mortensrud. The work with building the extension between Skullerud and Mortensrud was originally planned to start in 1992, with completion planned for 1994. However, construction did not start until 1995. The 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) extension is built to allow speeds of 100 kilometres per hour (62.1 mph), and represents a considerable longer distance between stations than what is normal on the network. Most of the section is in tunnels, though there are also two viaducts. The extension (without the new station) cost . The line runs somewhat south of the station, allowing space to line up trains, and for future further extension of the line. The station was taken into use on 24 November 1997, but not officially opened until 4 January 1998. On the day of the official opening, the bus terminal was taken into use. The station cost NOK 35 million. At the time, it was estimated to have about 6,000 daily users.