Grorudbanen
Encyclopedia
The Grorud Line is a 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) line on the Oslo Metro 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 Vestli
Vestli (station)
Vestli is a subway station on Grorud Line of the Oslo Metro. It is the last station on the line and comes after Stovner. The station is located in the Stovner borough. The station opened 21 December 1975. The station has a small depot for subway carriages beyond the platforms.The area around...

 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...

. Running mixed at-grade and through tunnels, it runs through the northern part of Groruddalen, serving such neighborhoods as Grorud
Grorud
Grorud is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The borough contains the Ammerud, Grorud, Kalbakken, Rødtvet, Nordtvet and Romsås areas. Traditionally a borough inhabited by the working class, Grorud has in the last few decades had a great influx of immigrants. 40% of the population are first or...

, Romsås
Romsås
Romsås was a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway, until January 1, 2004, when it became part of the Grorud district. By 1850 Romsås was one of the biggest farms in Østre Aker and the name Romsås came from the farm....

 and Stovner
Stovner
Stovner is a borough located to the far north east of the city of Oslo, Norway. Historically, Stovner was the name of a farm in the municipal borough "Østre Aker". Østre Aker merged with Oslo in 1948, both instigated and followed by a massive expansion of the city settlement...

. The line is served by Line 5 of the metro. North of Carl Berners plass
Carl Berners plass (station)
Carl Berners plass is an underground rapid transit station located on the Grorud Line of the Oslo Metro, and a tram stop on the Sinsen Line of the Oslo Tramway. The square also has a bus stop for lines 20, 21, 31, 33 and 57. Located at Grünerløkka in Oslo, Norway, the area has a mixture of...

, the Ring Line branches off. This section is also served by lines 4 and 6. 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...

 using MX3000
MX3000
MX3000 is an electric train used on Oslo Metro in Oslo, Norway. The multiple units are produced by Siemens, who started serial delivery in 2007. Seventy-eight three-car units have been ordered by Kollektivtransportproduksjon, and five by Akershus County Municipality. They replaced the older T1000...

 trains. Line 5 runs eight times per hour during the day, while lines 4 and 6 run every 15 minutes. Line 4 only runs northwards, while Line 6 only runs southwards. The line is the busiest branch of the metro, with 40,000 daily riders.

The section from Tøyen to Grorud
Grorud (station)
Grorud is a rapid transit station on the Oslo Metro. Located between Ammerud and Romsås on Grorud Line, it serves the Grorud borough. The station is located on the south side of a tunnel entrance...

 opened in 1966, as the second branch of the metro. It was extended to Rommen
Rommen (station)
Rommen is a Norwegian Oslo Metro station on Grorud Line between Romsås and Stovner, 13 km from Stortinget. It is located immediately east of the entrance to the tunnel which runs under the Romsås hill...

 and later Stovner
Stovner (station)
Stovner is a subway station on Grorudbanen on the Oslo Metro, between Rommen and the end station Vestli, it was opened in 1974. The station is underground, at the entry of the tunnel. At or above the station is the large Stovner shopping centre, the Stovner police station, and a small bus...

 in 1974, and to Vestli in 1975. The Ring Line was opened in 2003. There are plans to extend the line further northwards into Nittedal
Nittedal
Nittedal is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Romerike. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Rotnes....

, and build a branch, the Hasle Line, from between Hasle
Hasle (station)
Hasle is a station on the Oslo Metro system located in the Grünerløkka borough between Carl Berners plass and Økern. It is the first outdoor station on Grorud Line after the downtown tunnel. After completion the of the Ring Line in 2006, Hasle is the first station on the Grorud Line not shared with...

 and Økern
Økern (station)
Økern is a station on Grorud Line on the Oslo Metro between the stations of Hasle and Risløkka, 5.4 km from Stortinget station. The station is located at the intersection between the subway line and the Ring 3 highway which runs north of Oslo, and Økern is a transportation node with...

 to the Ring Line, and a branch to connect the Grorud Line to the Furuset Line.

Route

The Grorud Line branches from the Common Tunnel at Tøyen, and runs first northwards and then north-east. The line serves the northern part of Groruddalen, which is predominantly an apartment housing area built from the 1950s though the 1970s. It runs through both the boroughs of Bjerke
Bjerke
Bjerke is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The most densely populated residential areas are located along the Trondheimsveien, including the high-rise apartment blocks of Linderud. The shopping centre at Linderud is also home to the borough council's administration. The northern areas of the...

 and Grorud
Grorud
Grorud is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The borough contains the Ammerud, Grorud, Kalbakken, Rødtvet, Nordtvet and Romsås areas. Traditionally a borough inhabited by the working class, Grorud has in the last few decades had a great influx of immigrants. 40% of the population are first or...

. From Carl Berners plass to Ensjø
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...

, there is a single-tracked branch, which allows trains access to the other eastern lines without having to change direction.

Service

The rapid transit station is served by lines 4, 5 and 6 of the Oslo Metro. Line 5 has eight services per hour, while the other two operate four times per hour. All have reduced services during late evenings and parts of the weekends. Line 5 runs the entire section of the Grorud Line, while lines 4 and 6 both only run from Tøyen to Carl Berners plass, and then run along the Ring Line. Line 6 only runs towards the city center, while Line 4 only runs from the city center. Operations of the line is done by Oslo T-banedrift on contract with Ruter, the public transport authority in Oslo and Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...

. The infrastructure itself is owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon, a municipal company. Service is provided using MX3000 three- and six-car trains. The line has 40,000 daily passengers, making it the busiest branch of the metro. Travel time along the line, from Tøyen to Vestli, is 23 minutes. Travel time from Vestli 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 27 minutes. Transfer to Ruter buses are available at Tøyen, Carl Berners plass, Hasle, Økern, Linderud, Ammerud, Grorud and Stovner. Transfer to the Sinsen Line
Sinsen Line
The Sinsen Line is part of the Oslo Tramway on the east side of the city. Most of the line is served by line 17, although the northernmost tip is served by line 13 which otherwise runs on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line. Both services use SL95 articulated trams.-Route:The line leaves the...

 of the Oslo Tramway is available at Carl Berners plass.

History

In 1948, the municipalities of Oslo and Aker
Aker, Norway
Aker is a former municipality in Akershus, which lends its name to a municipality and a county in Norway. The name originally belonged to a farm which was located near the current Old Aker Church...

 were merged, and the new municipality started planning an expansion of the suburbs, among other places in Groruddalen. On 15 September 1949, the Planning Office For the Suburban and Underground Lines was establish as a division within the new municipality. The first specific plans were launched in March 1954, and consisted of four branches, including one on the north side of Groruddalen, which would be built to Grorud. The plans originally consisted of terminus in the city center at Grønlands torg
Grønlands torg
Grønlands torg is a square in Grønland, Oslo, Norway. It was previously the largest square in the city. It featured Slaktehuset, Kjeøtthallen and Garternhallen. The first two were demolished in 1974, while the latter burned down the same year. From the 1980s, it has received an urban renewal, with...

, with a possible extension to Nationaltheatret, where the line would intersect 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...

's light rails serving Oslo West. However, it was quickly decided that the terminus would be Jernbanetorget, which served the Oslo East Station.

Construction of the Grorud Line started in February 1956. Landwork and electrical equipment was contracted to developers, while the trackage was done by the Planning Office. The original plans called for the use of 600 to 650 volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...

 (V) direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...

 (DC) fed via a pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...

, to allow comparability with the western light rail. This was later changed to 750 V DC via a 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...

. This was chosen to allow a higher diameter, and thus a higher ampere
Ampere
The ampere , often shortened to amp, is the SI unit of electric current and is one of the seven SI base units. It is named after André-Marie Ampère , French mathematician and physicist, considered the father of electrodynamics...

, and easier maintenance. The system also took into use cab signaling and moving block
Moving block
In railway signaling, a moving block is a signaling block system where the blocks are in real time defined by computers as safe zones around each train. This requires both the need to know the exact location and speed of all trains at any given time, and continual communication between the central...

s, which were cutting edge technology at the time, and had only been implemented on the Stockholm Metro
Stockholm Metro
The Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines...

 in Europe by then. While the permitted headway
Headway
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...

 on the common sections was set to 90 seconds, it was set to 120 seconds on the Grorud Line. The original plans called for a depot on each of the lines, including the Grorud Line, but this was later changed to a central depot at Ryen
Ryen
Ryen is a neighborhood in the borough Østensjø in Oslo, Norway. It is located north of the border to the borough Nordstrand.The area is served by the station Ryen of the Oslo T-bane. The eastern depot of the rapid transit system is located at Ryen. Until 1967, it was also served by Simensbråten of...

.

The section from Tøyen to Grorud was opened on 16 November 1966, five months after the metro had opened with the Lambertseter Line, and as the first branch of the metro to not be converted from a light rail. The Grorud Line was extended on 3 March 1974 to Rommen, on 18 August to Stovner, and was completed on 12 December 1975 to Vestli. The line took into use T1000 electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

s which could be up to six cars long. Originally the service terminated at Jernbanetorget in the city center, in addition to a service which ran via the branch from Carl Berners plass to the Lambertseter Line, and terminated at Ryen
Ryen (station)
Ryen is a station on Lambertseter Line of the Oslo Metro. It is between Manglerud and Brattlikollen, and located in the Østensjø borough where the Lambertseter Line crosses the E6 highway. Ryen Depot is a workshop and train yards for the subway company, therefore Ryen is a station where some early...

. On 9 January 1977, the city center service was extended to Sentrum. However, this station was closed from 20 March 1983 to 7 March 1987, and reopened as Stortinget. From 8 April 1995, the trains on the Grorud Line continued all the way through the Common Tunnel to Blindern
Blindern (station)
Blindern is a rapid transit station on the Sognsvann Line of the Oslo Metro. It is located in the Vestre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. Served by lines 3, 4 and 5, the station is located adjacent to the main campus of the University of Oslo, Blindern. Until 1999, the station served as terminus of...

 on the Sognsvann Line, which serves the main campus of the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...

.
On 20 August 2003, Line 5 had its western terminus extended to Storo, which opened along with the first part of the Ring Line. In on 17 July 2004, during construction of the Ring Line, part of the tunnel collapsed, causing the Grorud Line to be closed for six months, causin the 40,000 daily riders to have to use a bus from Tøyen. On 22 August 2006, the Ring Line was opened from Carl Berners plass to Sinsen
Sinsen (station)
Sinsen is a rapid transit station on the Ring Line of the Oslo Metro. It is located at Sinsen in the Grünerløkka borough of Oslo, Norway. Next to the station is the tram station Sinsenkrysset, that has been part of the Sinsen Line of the Oslo Tramway since 1939. The station opened on 20 August...

, resulting in the section from Tøyen to Carl Berners plass also being served by lines 4 and 6. In 2007, the system started taking delivery of the new MX3000
MX3000
MX3000 is an electric train used on Oslo Metro in Oslo, Norway. The multiple units are produced by Siemens, who started serial delivery in 2007. Seventy-eight three-car units have been ordered by Kollektivtransportproduksjon, and five by Akershus County Municipality. They replaced the older T1000...

 units which would replace the old stock. From 18 August 2008, the line's frequency was increased from four to eight trains per hour, although the extra trains terminate at Stortinget. By 2010, all T1000 stock had been retired.

Future

The Hasle Line is a proposed branch which would connect the Grorud to the Ring Line in such a way that trains running down the Grorud Line can turn onto the Ring Line. It is proposed built between Hasle and Økern, and would allow trains to serve Sinsen and onwards on the Ring Line. The proposal is part of Oslo Package 3 and is budgeted to cost NOK 600 million. It would include a station at Løren, which is estimated to have 6,000 daily passengers. The branch will increase the number of east–west trains on the metro, without having to upgrade the Common Tunnel. Ruter has also proposed building a connection with the Furuset Line, between Furuset
Furuset (station)
Furuset is a Oslo Metro station in the Furuset borough. It is the penultimate station on the Furuset Line, between Lindeberg and Ellingsrudåsen. The station is located under a fairly large shopping centre, and there is also a small bus terminal above the station.Furuset was opened 19 February 1978...

 and Økern. Trains running on the line will connect to the Ring Line via the Hasle Line. Other proposals involve extending the line to Slattum in Nittedal.

In the western end of the Grorudalen, a branch from Stovner has been proposed to connect to the Furuset Line. It would have new stations at Øvre Stovner, Lørenskog Station
Lørenskog Station
Lørenskog is a railway station on Hovedbanen in Lørenskog, Norway. The station itself lies just outside of Oslos city limit, but when it comes to fares, it is included in the price paid for a Oslo-ticket...

 of the Trunk Line and 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 Visperud
Visperud
Visperud is a neighborhood in Lørenskog, Norway, right on the border to Oslo. North of the area, at Robsrud, lays the main facilities for Norway Post and the Coca-Cola Company in Norway. The area is proposed as a future stop should the Furuset Line of the Oslo Metro be extended....

. Visperud has also been proposed as a location for a park and ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...

 for between 500 and 2,000 cars, as it is located on National Road 159
Norwegian National Road 159
Riksvei 159 is a four-laned motorway between Karihaugen in Oslo and Lillestrøm in Skedsmo. The road is 11.4 km, of which 1.7 km is in Oslo and 9.7 km is in Akershus....

 and European Route E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...

. Part of the rationale is to serve the new suburb of Skårerødgården, which is planned with 1,200 new houses, located within the catchment area of Lørenskog Station. The line would run entirely underground. The cost of building the 4.8 kilometres (3 mi) from Ellingsrudåsen to Stovner is estimated at NOK 2.4 billion.

Independent of the northern extension, is a branch from the Furuset Line to a point on the Grorud Line. The plan is to build a new line from Økern via Breivoll, where there would be an interchange with the Trunk Line, to Trosterud
Trosterud (station)
Trosterud is a station on Furusetbanen in the Alna borough between Haugerud and Lindeberg, 8.4 km from Stortinget. The station is located overground, but is inside the Trosterud shopping centre, and not an open air station...

 on the Furuset Line. Such a cross connection will allow both interconnection between the lower levels of the Grorud Line and the Furuset Line, and at the same time give access from the Furuset Line to the Ring Line. In addition to this, the plans call for a parallel line to the Furuset Line to run through the lower parts of Grurudalen, between the Furuset Line and the Trunk Line. This line could either connect to the Furuset Line at Furuset, or run across the valley, via Grorud Station
Grorud Station
Grorud is a railway station on Hovedbanen in Oslo, Norway. Located in the Grorud borough, it is served by the Oslo Commuter Rail operated by Norges Statsbaner running from Lillestrøm via Oslo S to Asker. The station is as old as the Norwegian railway network itself, and was opened in 1854.-External...

on the Trunk Line, and connect to the Grorud Line at Rommen.
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