Hallingskeid
Encyclopedia
Hallingskeid Station is a railway station on the Bergen Line in Ulvik
, Norway
. Located at 1110 metres (3,641.7 ft) above mean sea level
, the station is located within a snow tunnel
. It opened along with the central section of the line on 10 June 1908 and remained manned until 1982. It is located on the Hardangervidda
plateau in an area without population or road access. The station therefore serves trekkers and mountaineers. Only some of the Norwegian State Railways' (NSB) trains call at the station.
The original station building
was a standard design made by Paul Due
, which was also used for four other mountain stations on the line. The snow tunnel has burned five times; in 1948, 1953 and 2008, it only caused minor damage to the tunnel itself. In 1960, the fire burned down the tunnel, the station building and most of the station area. A fire in 2011 had a Class 73
train caught in the tunnel; both it and the tunnel were damaged beyond repair.
. This made it identical to Mjølfjell Station
, and with only slight variations to Haugastøl Station, Finse Station
and Myrdal Station
. During construction, NSB built several buildings for their staff. Two of the houses and an assembly building have been preserved. They were built in 1900 and represent an authenticate example of buildings from the construction time. One is partially built in stone, partially in wood, while the other two are entirely in wood. All are now used as cabins. The sick ward for the navvy
s was bought by Kari Maristuen in 1909 converted to a hotel, named Fjellstova.
Because of the harsh winter conditions, the station area was gradually built with snow tunnels to keep the snow off the tracks. This included the platforms and most of the passing loop
at the station. In 1914–15, the station serviced 398 passengers, and in 1919–20, it serviced 684 passengers, both times making it the least used station on the line. In 1948, the western part of the snow tunnel was on fire, and although it spread to the station building, it was quickly put out by the staff. In 1953, there was again a fire in the tunnel.
across the mountain. A train with a fire engine containing 20000 litres (42,267.6 US pt) of water was sent from Myrdal and a fire truck was dispatched from Finse, but the fire spread quickly and within an hour the station building, the guard house and 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) of tunnel had burnt down. The incident occurred around noon. By 12:30 the next day, when the morning express passed the station, 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) of track had been replaced. Work had been done by 100 men in two shifts around the clock. Four families with a total of fourteen people lost their houses in the fire. The fire caused the hotel to burn down, and it was never rebuilt. A new station building opened in 1970 was built on the same foundation as the old.
The section past the station took electric traction
into use on 7 December 1964. The station received automatic train control
from 23 September 1982, and from 1 October it became unmanned. On 2 October 2008, there was a fire in a 100 metres (328.1 ft) long snow tunnel 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of Hallingskeid. Traffic was stopped and a combination of a fire train and helicopter put out the fire. However, the track and overhead lines past the station were destroyed. The line re-opened on 4 October.
s from welding
, which had been completed at 07:45. A freight train passed through the station at 09:16 and the welders left the station at 09:30. The passenger trains which caught on fire, pass through the station at 10:06. As the station is unmanned, there was no prior warning of the fire until the motorman saw it from the cab just as the train entered the tunnel. At nearly the same instance, he reached the point of the line were the fire had caused the power to cut. He immediately applied the emergency brake
, which allowed the train to stop 5 metre from the fire. Because the train had no power, it was not possible to reverse out. The 257 passengers were then immediately evacuated, which took 15 to 20 minutes, and included two people in a wheelchair. Passengers were told to not bring any possessions with them, and many passengers lost valuable, such as laptop computers. All personnel acted according to regulations and no-one was injured in the accident. According to the motorman, had he not lost the power, he would have continued through the tunnel, as the fire was just beginning.
The Norwegian Civil Defence
, who did the main bulk of the rescue work, stated that they had been planning on an exercise which would have been identical to the accident, with a train stuck in the exact same tunnel while it was on fire. The rescue work was difficult, as there is no road connection to the area and all materials have to be transported to the area by air. In addition, the mobile telephone and radio network was out. Representatives stated that it would have been easier if they could have used the GSM-R
network operated by the railway, which was functioning. The train, which consisted of a twin Class 73
electric multiple unit
, burnt up and was destroyed in the fire. These cost NOK 100 million each. The fire forced the temporary closure of the Bergen Line, it was reopened in the evening on June 23. The cost of the accident were 250 million Norwegian krone
, of which most was for the unit which was written off.
According to the Accident Investigation Board Norway, the rescue work was hampered by, among other things: lack of fire crew at Voss to drive the fire train, a defective helicopter bucket, and a three-hour delay from the fire to a rail carriage with water was sent from Ål. Also, the fire carriage from Voss arrived six hours after the accident was reported. Concerns were raised regarding the fire hazards of wooden snow tunnels, and the National Rail Administration admitted that they should be made of a more fire-proof material, such as concrete or steel. Following the accident, the National Rail Administration decided that all welding would have to be monitored for several hours after completion of the work.
and at 1110.1 metres (3,642.1 ft) above mean sea level. The station is unmanned and serves no local population. The area around the station has no road access, and the station serves only for trekking in the Hardangervidda plateau. There is a self-serve cabin run by the Norwegian Trekking Association nearby. The station building itself is owned by Rom Eiendom
, a subsidiary of the Norwegian State Railways. The station has a waiting room and washrooms. Up to three daily services in each direction of the Oslo–Bergen service, operated by the state railways, call at Hallingskeid, with up to two bypassing the station each day.
Ulvik
Ulvik is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality stretches from the Hardangerfjord to 1,800 metres above sea level, and borders the municipalities of Granvin, Eidfjord, Ullensvang, Voss, Aurland, and Hol. It takes around two hours to drive from Bergen to Ulvik. The nearest...
, 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...
. Located at 1110 metres (3,641.7 ft) above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
, the station is located within a snow tunnel
Snow shed
An avalanche snow bridge or simply snow bridge is a type of rigid snow-supporting structure for avalanche control . Avalanche bridges can be made of steel, prestressed concrete frames, or timber....
. It opened along with the central section of the line on 10 June 1908 and remained manned until 1982. It is located on the Hardangervidda
Hardangervidda
The Hardangervidda is a mountain plateau in the Hardanger region of western Norway. It is the largest such plateau in Europe, with a cold year-round alpine climate and is the site of one of Norway's largest glaciers. Much of the plateau is protected as part of Hardangervidda National Park; it is a...
plateau in an area without population or road access. The station therefore serves trekkers and mountaineers. Only some of the Norwegian State Railways' (NSB) trains call at the station.
The original station building
Station building
A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger train station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers.A station building is not to be confused with the station itself...
was a standard design made by Paul Due
Paul Due
Paul Due was a Norwegian architect and significant contributor to the stations built by the Norwegian State Railways.-Biography:...
, which was also used for four other mountain stations on the line. The snow tunnel has burned five times; in 1948, 1953 and 2008, it only caused minor damage to the tunnel itself. In 1960, the fire burned down the tunnel, the station building and most of the station area. A fire in 2011 had a Class 73
NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
train caught in the tunnel; both it and the tunnel were damaged beyond repair.
History
The station was opened on 10 June 1908, along with the rest of the central portion of the Bergen Line. The station building was of the Mountain Station Variant 1 type, designed by Paul DuePaul Due
Paul Due was a Norwegian architect and significant contributor to the stations built by the Norwegian State Railways.-Biography:...
. This made it identical to Mjølfjell Station
Mjølfjell Station
Mjølfjell Station is a railway station on Bergensbanen located at Mjølfjell in Voss, Norway. The station is served by the Bergen Commuter Rail, operated by Norges Statsbaner, with up to five daily departures in each direction, in addition to one weekly express train. The station was opened in...
, and with only slight variations to Haugastøl Station, Finse Station
Finse Station
Finse Station is a railway station located at Finse in Ulvik, Norway. The station is served by up to seven daily express trains in each direction, normally three per day and one overnight trains, all operated by the Norwegian State Railways. The station also features a navvy museum, dedicated to...
and Myrdal Station
Myrdal station
Myrdal Station is a mountain railway station and junction, located on the Bergen Line regional mainline in Aurland, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. The railway station is also the upper terminal of the Flåm Line local railway, which ascends from the valley floor of the Sognefjord to the mountain-top...
. During construction, NSB built several buildings for their staff. Two of the houses and an assembly building have been preserved. They were built in 1900 and represent an authenticate example of buildings from the construction time. One is partially built in stone, partially in wood, while the other two are entirely in wood. All are now used as cabins. The sick ward for the navvy
Navvy
Navvy is a shorter form of navigator or navigational engineer and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects...
s was bought by Kari Maristuen in 1909 converted to a hotel, named Fjellstova.
Because of the harsh winter conditions, the station area was gradually built with snow tunnels to keep the snow off the tracks. This included the platforms and most of the passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
at the station. In 1914–15, the station serviced 398 passengers, and in 1919–20, it serviced 684 passengers, both times making it the least used station on the line. In 1948, the western part of the snow tunnel was on fire, and although it spread to the station building, it was quickly put out by the staff. In 1953, there was again a fire in the tunnel.
1960 fire
In 1960, there was a major fire which burned down most of the station area. On 22 October, two boys were playing with matches and had lit some wood shavings in the tunnel, about 100 metres (328.1 ft) from the station building. The tunnel quickly caught on fire, which spread towards the other buildings. The fire was discovered by Station Master Mons Almenningen, who immediately notified Bergen Station, Myrdal Station and Finse Station. The morning expresses in both directions were en-route to Hallingskeid, with the east-bound train about half an hour away. It was forced to turn around at Myrdal, and the passengers were bused from Voss StationVoss Station
Voss Station is a railway station on the Bergen Line located in Voss, Norway.The station was opened as the original terminal station of the Voss Line in 1883. It is served by express trains to Bergen and Oslo, and the Bergen Commuter Rail, all operated by Norwegian State Railways...
across the mountain. A train with a fire engine containing 20000 litres (42,267.6 US pt) of water was sent from Myrdal and a fire truck was dispatched from Finse, but the fire spread quickly and within an hour the station building, the guard house and 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) of tunnel had burnt down. The incident occurred around noon. By 12:30 the next day, when the morning express passed the station, 500 metres (1,640.4 ft) of track had been replaced. Work had been done by 100 men in two shifts around the clock. Four families with a total of fourteen people lost their houses in the fire. The fire caused the hotel to burn down, and it was never rebuilt. A new station building opened in 1970 was built on the same foundation as the old.
The section past the station took electric traction
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
into use on 7 December 1964. The station received 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...
from 23 September 1982, and from 1 October it became unmanned. On 2 October 2008, there was a fire in a 100 metres (328.1 ft) long snow tunnel 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of Hallingskeid. Traffic was stopped and a combination of a fire train and helicopter put out the fire. However, the track and overhead lines past the station were destroyed. The line re-opened on 4 October.
2011 fire
A fire started in the snow tunnel at Hallingskeid on 16 June 2011. It was caused by sparkSpark
-Physical sparks:* Spark , a small glowing particle or ember* An electric spark, usually with a flash and a sharp noise-Computer science:* SPARK...
s from welding
Welding
Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...
, which had been completed at 07:45. A freight train passed through the station at 09:16 and the welders left the station at 09:30. The passenger trains which caught on fire, pass through the station at 10:06. As the station is unmanned, there was no prior warning of the fire until the motorman saw it from the cab just as the train entered the tunnel. At nearly the same instance, he reached the point of the line were the fire had caused the power to cut. He immediately applied the emergency brake
Emergency brake (train)
On trains, the expression emergency brake has several meanings:* The maximum brake force available to the driver/engineer from his conventional braking system, usually operated by taking the brake handle to its furthest postion, through a gate mechanism, or by pushing a separate plunger in the cab*...
, which allowed the train to stop 5 metre from the fire. Because the train had no power, it was not possible to reverse out. The 257 passengers were then immediately evacuated, which took 15 to 20 minutes, and included two people in a wheelchair. Passengers were told to not bring any possessions with them, and many passengers lost valuable, such as laptop computers. All personnel acted according to regulations and no-one was injured in the accident. According to the motorman, had he not lost the power, he would have continued through the tunnel, as the fire was just beginning.
The Norwegian Civil Defence
Norwegian Civil Defence
Norwegian Civil Defence is the civil defence organization of Norway.The Norwegian Civil Defence sorts under the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning which again reports to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police....
, who did the main bulk of the rescue work, stated that they had been planning on an exercise which would have been identical to the accident, with a train stuck in the exact same tunnel while it was on fire. The rescue work was difficult, as there is no road connection to the area and all materials have to be transported to the area by air. In addition, the mobile telephone and radio network was out. Representatives stated that it would have been easier if they could have used the GSM-R
GSM-R
GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System , it is used for communication between train and railway regulation...
network operated by the railway, which was functioning. The train, which consisted of a twin Class 73
NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
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...
, burnt up and was destroyed in the fire. These cost NOK 100 million each. The fire forced the temporary closure of the Bergen Line, it was reopened in the evening on June 23. The cost of the accident were 250 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"...
, of which most was for the unit which was written off.
According to the Accident Investigation Board Norway, the rescue work was hampered by, among other things: lack of fire crew at Voss to drive the fire train, a defective helicopter bucket, and a three-hour delay from the fire to a rail carriage with water was sent from Ål. Also, the fire carriage from Voss arrived six hours after the accident was reported. Concerns were raised regarding the fire hazards of wooden snow tunnels, and the National Rail Administration admitted that they should be made of a more fire-proof material, such as concrete or steel. Following the accident, the National Rail Administration decided that all welding would have to be monitored for several hours after completion of the work.
Facilities and service
The station is located 322.8 kilometres (200.6 mi) from OsloOslo
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 1110.1 metres (3,642.1 ft) above mean sea level. The station is unmanned and serves no local population. The area around the station has no road access, and the station serves only for trekking in the Hardangervidda plateau. There is a self-serve cabin run by the Norwegian Trekking Association nearby. The station building itself is owned by 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...
, a subsidiary of the Norwegian State Railways. The station has a waiting room and washrooms. Up to three daily services in each direction of the Oslo–Bergen service, operated by the state railways, call at Hallingskeid, with up to two bypassing the station each day.