History of the Oslo Tramway and Metro

The history of the Oslo Tramway and Oslo Metro 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...

(Kristiania until 1925), 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...

, starts in 1875, when 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) opened two horsecar

Horsecar

A horsecar or horse-drawn tram is an animal-powered streetcar or tram.These early forms of public transport developed out of industrial haulage routes that had long been in existence, and from the omnibus routes that first ran on public streets in the 1820s, using the newly improved iron or steel...

lines through the city centre. In 1894, Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei

Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei

A/S Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei or KES, nicknamed the Blue Tram , is a defunct operator of parts of the Oslo Tramway, Norway. It opened the first electric tramway in Scandinavia in 1894, and remained in service until 1924 when it was merged into the municipal owned Oslo Sporveier.-History:Tram...

(KES) built the first electric street tramways, which ran west from the city centre. Within six years, all tramways were electric. The city council established Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie

Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie

Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie or KKS was a municipal owned company that operated parts of the Oslo Tramway from 1899 to 1905. It had 20 tramcars that served the three branch lines Rodeløkka Line, Vippetangen Line and Sagene Ring...

(KKS) in 1899, which built three lines before it was sold to KSS six years later. Both KSS and KES were taken over by the municipality in 1924, becoming 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...

. The company gradually expanded the city tram network, which reached its peak length in 1939.

The Holmenkollen Line was the first light rail

Light rail

Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...

line, which opened in 1898 and ran west of the city. Later light rail lines in the west were the Røa Line (opened in 1912), the Lilleaker Line (1919), the Sognsvann Line (1934) and the Kolsås Line (1942). From 1928, they ran to the city centre via the Common Tunnel. East of the city, the Ekeberg Line

Ekeberg Line

The Ekeberg Line is a long light rail line of the Oslo Tramway which runs from Gamlebyen to Ljabru in Oslo, Norway. Operated by lines 18 and 19, it serves the area of Nordstarand and the neighborhoods of Ekeberg, Jomfrubråten, Bekkelaget and Ljan. The line is operated by Oslo Sporvognsdrift using...

opened in 1917, followed by the Østensjø Line (opened in 1926) and the Lambertseter Line (1957). The light rail lines were built by three private companies, 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...

, 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...

and Bærumsbanen

Bærumsbanen

A/S Bærumsbanen was a tram company that operated the Lillaker-, Kolsås and Østensjø Line of the Oslo Tramway, Norway, from 1924 to 1971 when the company became part of Oslo Sporveier.-History:...

. By 1975, all had been bought by Oslo Sporveier.

The Oslo Metro opened in 1966, consisting of a line through the Common Tunnel 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...

and the upgraded Lambertseter light rail line. The same year the Grorud Line opened. The next year the Østensjø Line was connected, and in 1970 the Furuset Line opened. The city council decided to close the tramways in 1960, and several lines were closed until the decision was revoked in 1977. In 1987, the Common Tunnel was completed. From 1993, the western lines were upgraded and connected to the Metro, allowing Metro trains to run through the city centre. The Metro's Ring Line was completed in 2006.

Horsecars

The first attempt to introduce horsecar operations in Oslo (at the time called Christiania) were in 1868, when the engineer Jens Theodor Pauldan Vogt and the architect Paul Due

Paul Due

Paul Due was a Norwegian architect and significant contributor to the stations built by the Norwegian State Railways.-Biography:...

applied for a concession

Concession (contract)

A concession is a business operated under a contract or license associated with a degree of exclusivity in business within a certain geographical area. For example, sports arenas or public parks may have concession stands. Many department stores contain numerous concessions operated by other...

. The application was rejected because the city council felt that the streets were too narrow. They made a second application in April 1874, and this time permission was granted. On 26 August 1874, Vogt and Due established Christiania Sporveisselskab ("Christiania Tramway Company"). Twenty-two 4.1 metres (13.5 ft) long cars were delivered from the United States manufacturer John Stephenson & Co

John Stevenson Company

The John Stephenson Car Company was an American manufacturer of carriages, horsecars, cable cars, and streetcars, based in New York City. It was founded by John Stephenson in 1831. John Stephenson invented the first streetcar to run on rails, building this in 1832, for the New York and Harlem...

, arriving in Christiania on 31 August 1875. The official opening took place on 6 October 1875. In 1879, the city and company changed the spelling of the name "Christiania" to "Kristiania".

The system initially had four standard gauge

Standard gauge

The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

, single tracked

Single track (rail)

A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....

lines, which had 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...

s to allow trams to pass. Three originated at Stortorvet

Stortorvet (station)

Stortorvet is a station on the Oslo Tramway in Oslo, Norway. The station is located on the square Stortorvet in the city centre.It is served by the lines 11, 17 and 18. In 2009, it was decided to improve the square, the station and the tram tracks in the street.-References:...

: the Gamlebyen Line, running east to Gamlebyen (now Old Oslo, but then called just Oslo); the Vestbanen Line, which ran west to Vestbanen station (Oslo West station); and the Ullevål Hageby 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...

, which ran west to Homansbyen

Homansbyen (station)

Homansbyen is a tram station located at Homansbyen in Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway. It is on a connection line that connect the Briskeby Line and Ullevål Hageby Line of Oslo Tramway, and is served by line 11 using SL79 trams...

, where the depot

Homansbyen Depot

The Homansbyen Depot , officially named Kristiania Sporveisanlæg was a tram depot in Oslo, Norway. It featured an administrative office, a horse stable, a forge, a workshop, a weighing shed and a wagon depot. The installations were constructed by Kristiania Sporveisselskab in 1874. Designed by...

was located. In addition, there was a short connecting line between the Ullevål Hageby Line and the Vestbanen Line, but it was closed on 19 October 1875. The two lines that connected to the station only ran services that corresponded with train arrivals and departures; the other two lines had fixed fifteen-minute 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...

—decreasing to ten minutes from 22 June 1876. During the winter of 1875 and 1876, the company attempted to use sled

Sled

A sled, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle with a smooth underside or possessing a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners that travels by sliding across a surface. Most sleds are used on surfaces with low friction, such as snow or ice. In some cases,...

s instead of wagons. They took delivery of seventeen units, but these were not as suitable as the wagons and the company instead chose to salt the rail tracks.

Profits were made immediately, and in 1877 an additional seven cars were delivered. The following year, a new line from Stortorvet to Grünerløkka

Grünerløkka

Grünerløkka is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. Grünerløkka became part of the city of Oslo in 1858.Grünerløkka was named after Friedrich Grüner who bought a mill in the area from king Christian V of Denmark in 1672 . During the 19th century, Grünerløkka became a working class area...

was built—the start of the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line—along with a new depot. The Gamlebyen Line was extended to St Halvards plass

St Halvards plass (station)

St Halvards plass is a tram station on the Gamleby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at the square St Halvards plass, on the intersection of Oslo gate and Bispegata in Gamlebyen, Oslo, Norway....

on 2 December 1878, the Grünerløkka Line to Thorvald Meyers gate on 12 April 1879 and the Vestbanen Line to Munkedamsveien on 5 May 1879. The following year, the lines were merged to two through services: Homansbyen–Oslo and Vestbanen–Grünerløkka. After this, the company concentrated its investments into rebuilding the system 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 :...

. Between 1887 and 1892, the company took delivery of 14 additional cars from 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...

, the same length as the Stephenson cars. The last horsecar delivery was 15 cars from Falkenried

Falkenried

Falkenried is a defunct tram manufacturer based in Hamburg, Germany.In 1897, the company made a delivery of fifteen horsecars to Kristiania Sporveisselskab of Oslo, Norway. They were long and remained in service until 1939, although they were used as trailers most of their life...

in 1897, which were designed so they could be converted to electric tram trailers

Trailer (vehicle)

A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....

. They were 6.6 metres (21.7 ft) long and remained in service until 1939. In 1880, Kristiania Sporveisselskab registered a ridership of 1,499,000 passengers.

Electrification

The horsecar system was more expensive to operate than electric trams, and Christiania (later Kristiania) Elektriske Sporvei ("Kristiania Electric Tramway") was founded to establish an electric tram service. The initiative came from the engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

s H. E. Heyerdahl, A. Fenger-Krog and consul

Consul (representative)

The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...

L. Samson. KSS immediately attempted to buy the company, but the purchase failed. On 2 March 1894, the Briskeby Line

Briskeby Line

The Briskeby Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs between Jernbanetorget, through the neighborhoods of Briskeby and Uranienborg, before arriving at Majorstuen...

opened, which ran westwards from the Østbanen station (Oslo East station) via the city centre and Briskeby to Majorstuen

Majorstuen (station)

Majorstuen is a subway station on the Oslo Metro and a light rail station on the Briskeby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located in the Majorstuen neighborhood in the Frogner borough....

, using a 600 volt supply. At the same time, a branch line opened from the Briskeby Line at Slottsparken, heading further west to Skillebekk

Skillebekk (station)

Skillebekk is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located at Skillebekk, it was opened by Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei on 2 March 1894 as a part of the first stretch of what would become the Skøyen Line. It is served by line 13....

. At first a shuttle service was provided on the branch line, but by April a through service was offered to Østbanen station. The branch line was extended to Nobels gate

Nobels gate (station)

Nobels gate is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located at Frogner, it was opened by Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei on 31 December 1894 as an extension of the Skøyen Line. It is served by line 13.-References:...

on 31 December 1894, to Thune

Thune (station)

Thune is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located at Skøyen, it was opened by Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei as an extension of the Skøyen Line 1901. It is served by line 13....

in 1901 and to Skøyen station on 21 June 1903 and is now known as the Skøyen Line

Skøyen Line

The Skøyen Line is a tramway line running from Slottsparken to Skøyen in Oslo, Norway. It is served by line 13 of the Oslo Tramway. It connects the Briskeby Line at Slottsparken to the Lilleaker Line at Skøyen....

The last street line built by KES was the Frogner Line

Frogner Line

The Frogner Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs between Solli and Majorstuen, serving the neighborhood of Frogner. The line is served by tram number 12, and the Frogner section makes up the westernmost part of this line...

, which opened in 1902 from Solli plass on the Skøyen Line to Frogner plass. It was extended to Majorstuen, where the depot was located, on 15 May 1914. From 1909, KES introduced numbered services, with the Briskeby Line numbered 1, the Frogner Line numbered 2 and the Skøyen Line numbered 3. KES bought 78 motorized cars and 66 unmotorized trailers; of which 20 cars were later rebuilt to trailers. The main manufacturers were Herbrand, Falkenried and Skabo, who delivering a continual stream of stock to the company until 1914. From then until 1925, there was sufficient rolling stock that only ten more vehicles were delivered.

KSS decided to convert its lines to electric traction as well. The first electric trams ran on 29 September 1899, and the conversion was completed by 15 January 1900. At the time of electrification, KSS had 57 horsecars; 38 of these were later converted to trailers, while 19 were decommissioned. The John Stephenson and Skabo trailers were taken out of service in 1917–18, and sixteen of these were sold to the Bergen Tramway

Bergen Tramway

Bergen Tramway was a tramway in Bergen, Norway, which was in operation from 1897 to 1965. The first three lines were opened on 29 June 1897. Starting in 1950, tramway lines were gradually replaced with bus and trolleybus routes. The last line was closed in 1965. Since 1993, a heritage tram operates...

and Trondheim Tramway

Trondheim Tramway

Trondheim Tramway located in Trondheim, Norway consists presently of one 8.8 km tramway line, Gråkallbanen, from St. Olav's Gate in the city centre through Byåsen to Lian Station in Bymarka...

—the latter rebuilding them to meter gauge. One of the original Stephenson cars has been preserved at the Oslo Tramway Museum

Oslo Tramway Museum

Oslo Tramway Museum with 450 members. The museum also operates a heritage tramway in Vinterbro outside Oslo.LTF was founded in 1966, six years after the city council had decided to close down the tramway and trolleybus. This followed the closing of the Bergen Tramway, where only a single tram had...

.

The Vestbanen Line was extended west from Vestbanen station towards Skillebekk in two stages, on 21 December 1898 and again on 23 June 1899. The Gamlebyen Line was extended further east on 17 November 1899 to Oslo Hospital

Oslo Hospital (station)

Oslo Hospital is a light rail station on the Ekeberg Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located near Oslo Hospital in Ekeberg, in the borough of Gamlebyen, in Oslo, Norway....

. 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...

, which ran east from the city centre, opened on 3 May 1900, and the Kampen Line, which ran parallel but further north, on 6 June 1900. The first street line out of Kristiania into 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...

was opened in three stages as an extension of the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line: on 29 September 1899 to Torshov, on 2 October 1901 to Sandaker and, finally, to Grefsen Station

Grefsen Station

Grefsen Station is a railway station at Storo in Oslo, Norway on the Gjøvik Line. From the station there is also a short railway, the Alnabru–Grefsen Line, to Alna on the Hoved Line. The station is located 6.82 km from Oslo Central Station and is located between Tøyen and Nydalen at 109.2 metes...

on 28 November 1902. For the electrification, KSS ordered 47 new trams from Falkenried and Waggonfabrik Linke-Hoffmann; these remained in service until 1967. In 1900, the tramway had a ridership of almost 17 million passengers, or 75 trips per inhabitant.

First municipal trams

Since both tram companies were profitable, the city council decided to start another service—Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie (KKS, "Kristiania Municipal Tramways")—the first municipally owned tram operator in Norway. Sagene Ring

Sagene ring

Sagene ring is a former tramway in Oslo, Norway. The route was operated as line 0 of the Oslo Tramway between 1916 and 1954. The line went from the depot behind Sagene Church along Nordre Gravlund, Geitmyrsveien, Colletts gate, Ullevålsveien, Akersgaten, Karl Johans gate, via Stortorvet, Storgata,...

was the first line, which opened on 24 November 1899 from Sagene

Sagene

Sagene is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. The area became part of the city of Oslo in 1859.The name Sagene itself is the plural of the Norwegian word for "saw", reflecting all the old industrial mechanical saws powered by the river Akerselvain this area in the 19th and early 20th...

to Akersgata

Akersgata

Akersgata is a street in Oslo, Norway. It contains a number of important buildings such as the Parliament of Norway Building, several government buildings in the Regjeringskvartalet, the Trefoldighetskirken , and the Centralteatret....

, where there was a connection onwards to Østbanen station using KES tracks. On 26 January 1901, a connection line was built from Tollbugaten to Kirkeristen in the city centre to avoid running on KES tracks.

A second KKS line was opened on 27 March 1900, from Nybrua

Nybrua

Nybrua is a bridge over the Akerselva in Oslo. The bridge lies in the area of Grünerløkka and links the streets Storgata with Trondheimsveien and Thorvald Meyers gate....

, located on the KSS's Grünerløkka–Torshov Line, via Trondheimsveien to Rodeløkka. Named the Rodeløkka Line

Rodeløkka Line

The Rodeløkka Line is a former line of the Oslo Tramway of Norway. It was in use from 1900 to 1961, serving the neighborhood of Rodeløkka. After closing, the southern part of the line was designated as part of the Sinsen Line. The Rodeløkka Line was built by Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie in 1900,...

, the southern section would later become part of 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...

. From Nybrua to the city centre, KSS track was used. The depot was located at Rodeløkka. A third line opened on 28 August 1900, from Tollbugaten in the city centre southwards to Festningsbryggen at Vippetangen

Vippetangen

Vippetangen is the southern point of the peninsula Akersneset in central Oslo, Norway, located southeast of Akershus Fortress. It is surrounded by the Oslo Fjord and has served as an important section of the port in Oslo...

—the Vippetangen Line

Vippetangen Line

The Vippetangen Line or the Grain Tram is an abandoned line of the Oslo Tramway, Norway, that ran from Tollbugata in the city center to Vippetangen between 1900 and 1967. It was built by Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie .-History:...

. Again, KSS track was needed to connect the line into the city centre. Twenty cars and twelve trailers were bought from Busch with electric components delivered from Schuk—stock that remained in service until 1967. The company failed to make any profits, and was sold to KSS in 1905.

Consolidation

After the take-over in 1905, KSS was operating seven routes: Homansbyen–Oslo, Homansbyen–Sannergata, Munkedamsveien–Sannergata–Grefsen, Munkedamsveien–Vålerenga, Sagene – St. Hanshaugen – Kampen, St. Hanshaugen – Rodeløkka and Stortorvet–Vippetangen. KSS extended the Vippetangen Line on 8 November 1905, and opened an extension from Homansbyen to Adamstuen on 24 September 1909. KSS and KES agreed to link their two networks, and a connecting line opened on 1 May 1912 between Homansbyen and Rosenborg station on KES's Line 1. An extension of the Vestbanen Line to Skillebekk was finished on 2 November 1911.

This expansion caused the need for more rolling stock, and KSS took delivery of 42 trams from Falkenried and Skabo between 1912 and 1914. At 10.5 metres (34.4 ft) long they were somewhat longer than the other trams. The new lines allowed the two companies to operate on each others lines, and they introduced a common numbering scheme for the services. Several of the lines were serviced by two numbered routes, a system that remains in use today. From 1912, a number of additional connections were built between the KES and KSS networks, and the two companies started cooperating on certain lines. From 1921 to 1923, KSS bought an additional 22 trams from Hannoversche Waggonfabrik, Brill and Busch, commonly referred to as the HaWa Class. KSS had an annual ridership of almost 60 million in 1922.

Holmenkolbanen

("The Holmenkollen Line") opened the city's first suburban light rail

Light rail

line, the Holmenkollen Line, in 1898. It ran 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) from Majorstuen station

Majorstuen (station)

Majorstuen is a subway station on the Oslo Metro and a light rail station on the Briskeby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located in the Majorstuen neighborhood in the Frogner borough....

northwestwards via 12 stations to Besserud station. Like all the later light rail lines, these were electric trams with a grade-separated right-of-way and proper stations instead of tram stops. Unlike the other suburban tram lines that were built later, the Holmenkollen Line was not extended into the city using on-street tracks. Instead, passengers had to change at Majorstuen station to KES streetcars. In 1909, the Holmenkollen Line started using 3.1 metres (10.2 ft) wide suburban stock, when it replaced its original 1898 Class trams with 1909 Class stock. The 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) long Smestad Line opened in 1912 as a two station branch line from Majorstuen to Smestad station

Smestad (station)

Smestad is a station shared by the Røa Line and the Kolsås Line on the Oslo T-bane system. Although the two lines continue to share track some time after Smestad, passing the former station of Sørbyhaugen which was also shared, they diverge before passing another station...

south of the Holmenkollen Line. In 1916, the Holmenkollen Line was extended 5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi) from Besserud northwards to Tryvann

Tryvann

Tryvann is a small lake in Nordmarka, the forest area just north of Oslo city, near the Holmenkollen ski jump. By the water lies a cabin called Tryvannstua, in which there is a café regularly open both during summer and winter...

with six new stations. The last part, from Frognerseteren station

Frognerseteren (station)

Frognerseteren is the end station of the Holmenkollen Line of the Oslo Metro, located in the Marka section of Oslo, the capital city of Norway. It is the station after Voksenkollen. The line to Frognerseteren was completed on 16 May 1916. The station has two platforms which, like other stations on...

to Tryvann, which was single track and used for freight was demolished in 1939.

In 1912, Holmenkolbanen started construction of a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long tunnel from Majorstuen station to Nationaltheatret station

Nationaltheatret (station)

Nationaltheatret is an underground metro station and tram stop serving Vika and the city center of Oslo, Norway. It is located on the Common Tunnel of the Oslo Metro and on the Briskeby Line of the Oslo Tramway. Also located at the same place is Nationaltheatret Station of the Drammen Line. The...

, with an intermediate Valkyrie Plass station

Valkyrie plass (station)

Valkyrie plass is a former subway station on the Oslo Metro.The station was opened when the Holmenkoll Line was extended from Majorstuen to Nationaltheatret on 28 June 1928...

. This was the first part of the Common Tunnel and was blasted through the rock beneath the city. The extension was planned to give the two suburban lines access to the central business district

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

of Oslo, but high construction costs and difficult geological conditions prevented the extension from opening until 1928. The tunneling caused the company financial difficulties, resulting in the Smestad Line being sold to 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...

, owned by Aker Municipality. In 1922, Holmenkolbanen started building the Sognsvann Line, although it took twelve years to complete it. The 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long line ran north from Majorstuen station to Sognsvann station

Sognsvann (station)

Sognsvann station is the last stop on Sognsvann Line, the western side of line 3 on the Oslo T-bane. The station is located south of the lake Sognsvann. Next to the station on the west side is the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, while on the east side are the Norwegian National Archives.The...

with 11 new stations. The Smestad Line was extended 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) to Røa station

Røa (station)

Røa is a station on Røa Line of the Oslo Metro, located in the Vestre Aker borough, from Stortinget. The station is located between the stations of Hovseter and Ekraveien. The station is part of the old western suburban rail network and was opened on 24 January 1935...

in 1935 with six new stations and was renamed Røa Line.

Ekeberg Line

The Ekebergbanen

Ekebergbanen (company)

("The Ekeberg Line") was incorporated in 1913, and the following year construction started on the single tracked Ekeberg Line

Ekeberg Line

. It opened on 11 June 1917, running 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) southwards from Oslo Hospital station

Oslo Hospital (station)

Oslo Hospital is a light rail station on the Ekeberg Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located near Oslo Hospital in Ekeberg, in the borough of Gamlebyen, in Oslo, Norway....

via six other stations to Sæter station

Sæter (station)

Sæter is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located at Nordstrand, it was the terminus of the Ekeberg Line when it was opened in 1917 by AS Ekebergbanen in cooperation with Kristiania Sporveisselskab. In 1941 the Ekeberg Line was extended to Ljabru, the current terminus. Until 1967, the...

. The company had made an agreement with KSS to use the Gamlebyen Line to Stortorvet, but chose to electrify the Ekeberg Line using 1,200 volts. In 1924, Ekebergbanen started operating adjacent bus lines, the first in Oslo. On 30 September 1931, the 1.3 kilometre (0.807784557644749 mi) long Simensbråten Line

Simensbråten Line

The Simensbråten Line was a light rail line of Oslo Tramway between Jomfrubråten and Simensbråten in Oslo, Norway. Opening on 30 September 1931, it branched off the Ekeberg Line at Jomfrubråten and had three stops along the route—Ekebergparken, Smedstua and Simensbråten. Operated by Ekebergbanen,...

was opened with three stations as a branch from Jomfrubråten station

Jomfrubråten (station)

Jomfrubråten is a light rail station on the Ekeberg Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located near Jomfrubråten in Ekeberg, in the borough of Nordstrand, in Oslo, Norway.The station opened on 11 June 1917 as part of the Ekeberg Line to Sæter...

to Simensbråten station

Simensbråten (station)

Simensbråten was a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located at Simensbråten in Nordstrand, it was the terminus of the Simensbråten Line which was opened in 1931 as a side branch of the Ekeberg Line. The Simensbråten Line was closed on 29 October 1967. The area is currently served by Ryen...

. It was operated as a shuttle service outside rush hour; during peak hours a direct service was provided to Stortorvet. Part of the main line was double-tracked from Sjømannskolen station to Kastellet station in 1931, to Bråten station in 1940 and to Sæter station in 1946. The line was extended from Sæter to Ljabru station

Ljabru (station)

Ljabru is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located at Ljabru in Nordstrand, it is the current terminus of the Ekeberg Line. It was opened on 17 September 1941 as an extension of that line from Sæter. Until 1967, the stretch between Sæter and Ljabru was the only single track rail in Oslo. A...

on 17 September 1941, but the extension remained single track until 1967.

Lilleaker Line

The success of the light rail lines tempted KES to extend the Skøyen Line west from Skøyen as a suburban line. The Lilleaker Line opened to Lilleaker station

Lilleaker (station)

Lilleaker is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located at Lilleaker in Ullern, it was the terminus of the Lilleaker Line when it was opened in 1919 by Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei as an extension of the Skøyen Line...

on 9 May 1919, to Avløs station

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...

in 1924 and to Kolsås station

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....

in 1930. The section west of Jar station

Jar (station)

-External links:*...

is located in the municipality of Bærum

Bærum

is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....

in 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...

. A new branch section from Jar station to Sørbyhaugen station

Sørbyhaugen (station)

Sørbyhaugen is a former subway station on the Oslo T-bane.The station was located between Smestad and Makrellbekken, and was opened when the Røa Line was created, as an extension from Smestad to Røa on 24 January 1935. From 1942 it was the point from which the Kolsås Line branched off of the Røa...

opened in 1942, connecting the Jar—Kolsås Line to Nationaltheatret station. The Jar—Kolsås Line was upgraded and the stock was replaced with wider suburban trams. Kolsås station is 16.7 kilometres (10.4 mi) from Nationaltheatret station.

Akersbanerne

Before its 1948 merger with the city of Oslo, 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...

was a municipality which surrounded Oslo on all sides. Akersbanerne ("The Aker Lines") was founded on 7 June 1917 by Aker Municipality to coordinate the construction of a new light rail line from Kristiania to new suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

s in Aker. The company planned to build several lines from the ends of the street tramways and extend them on grade-separated rights-of-way. Construction of the Østensjø Line started in 1922 and opened from Vålerenga

Vålerenga

Vålerenga is a neighbourhood in the city of Oslo, Norway, belonging to the borough of Gamle Oslo. Vålerenga is located between the neighbourhoods of Gamlebyen, Jordal, Ensjø, Etterstad and Lodalen. Vålerenga is in particular known for its traditional, small wooden houses, and for its football and...

eastwards to Bryn

Bryn, Oslo

Bryn is a residential and industrial area of Oslo, Norway. The Alna River runs through the neighborhood....

on 18 December 1923, 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...

on 10 January 1926. For the first three years, street trams operated by KSS, and later Oslo Sporveier, ran the 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) route to Bryn. After the full line opened, spanning another 3.2 kilometres (2 mi), Akersbanerne could not reach agreement with Oslo Sporveier, owned by Oslo Municipality. It was not until 1937 that direct services to the city centre were provided via the Vålerenga Line.

Second World War

The tramways of Oslo experienced a higher ridership and several sabotage actions during the Second World War. During the "April Days of 1940", rumor had it that Oslo was going to be bombed, and the tram service was therefore stopped for half an hour that day. Later, on 19 December 1943, an explosion at the ammunition supply at Filipstad

Filipstad

Filipstad is a locality and the seat of Filipstad Municipality, Värmland County, Sweden with 6,177 inhabitants in 2005.Filipstad was granted city privileges in 1611 by Charles IX of Sweden, who named it after his son Duke Carl Philip .After a major fire destroyed forest and town in 1694, Filipstad...

caused a total stop of tramway service from 14:30 a.m. A small explosition accident also took place at Vålerenga Depot in December 1944. On 31 December 1944, a tram was hit by an airbomb at Drammensveien (now Henrik Ibsens gate) next to the Palace Park

Palace Park

The Palace Park is a public park in the center of Oslo, Norway, surrounding the Royal Palace. It is . It was built during the 1840s and was designed by Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow, who was the main architect of the palace...

, where all passengers but the conductor were killed.

Due to a low supply of petrol, bus traffic was replaced by electric tramways during the war. The trams experienced therefore an increase in ridership, from 64 million passengers per year in 1939 to 151 billion in 1944. The three lines of Holmenkolbanen

Holmenkolbanen

had together a ridership of 9.5 billion in 1939, 10.9 billions in 1940, 21 billions in 1943 and at the peak 22.6 billion passengers in 1945. In addition to the regular tram passenger services, Oslo Sporveier started to transport goods across the city in tram wagons.

The leadership of the tramway was transferred to the German occupants, who printed tickets and signs with Nazi emblems on them. If a passenger "demonstrated" by changing his seat when seated next to a German officer, he was expelled at the next station.

Except from a damage to the rail tracks at Frøen

Frøen (station)

Frøen is a station on the Oslo Metro in the Vestre Aker borough, it is the first station on the Holmenkollen Line after Majorstuen. The name refers to Frøen Gård, a stately estate located near the present location of the t-bane station, of which now only the manor house remains...

caused by a bomb, the Oslo Metro experienced no sabotage actions.

Municipalization

The city had granted concessions to the two private street car companies until 1924, after which the city could expropriate the companies. Both companies were well run and highly profitable, and on 1 May 1924, KSS and KES were merged and taken over by the city council, which gave the new company the name Kristiania Sporveier ("Kristiania Tramways"). The municipality owned 51 per cent. On 1 January 1925, the city changed its name to Oslo, with the company's name also changing. The light rail lines operated by Holmenkolbanen and Ekebergbanen were not taken over, nor was the Lilleaker Line operated by KES; the city council did not want to take over tram lines in Aker. The Lilleaker Line operations of KES were transferred to the private company Bærumsbanen

Bærumsbanen

A/S Bærumsbanen was a tram company that operated the Lillaker-, Kolsås and Østensjø Line of the Oslo Tramway, Norway, from 1924 to 1971 when the company became part of Oslo Sporveier.-History:...

("The Bærum Line").

After the take-over, Oslo Sporveier immediately started expanding the tram network. On 4 May 1924, the Korsvoll Line was opened as a branch of the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line from Torshov northwestwards to Bjølsen

Bjølsen

Bjølsen is a neighbourhood in the Sagene borough in central-northern Oslo, Norway. Originally a farm in the former Aker municipality, it was incorporated into Christiania in 1878.-References:...

. On 1 August 1925, the Ullevål Hageby Line was extended from Adamstuen further north to Ullevål Hageby

Ullevål Hageby

Ullevål Hageby is a residential area and garden city in borough Nordre Aker of Oslo, Norway. All housing in the area is part of the housing cooperative Oslo Havebyselskap...

. The Kjelsås Line

Kjelsås Line

The Kjelsås Line is a tramway line running from Storo to Kjelsås in the norther part of Oslo, Norway. The line opened by Oslo Sporveier on 25 September 1934 as an extension of the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line that terminated at Storo. It is served by line 11 and 12 of the Oslo Tramway operated by Oslo...

opened on 25 September 1934 and ran from Storo

Storo (station)

Storo is a rapid transit station on the Ring Line of the Oslo Metro, and a tram station on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at Storo in the Nordre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. The tram station opened on 28 November 1902, and the rapid transit station on 20 August...

on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line northwards to Kjelsås station. By 1934, the municipality had gained full ownership of Oslo Sporveier. The new company also decided to increase the permitted car width to 2.5 metres (8.2 ft), allowing wider suburban trams to run in the city streets. During the 1930s, Oslo Sporveier decided it needed more rolling stock, and cooperated with Strømmens Værksted

Strømmens Værksted

Strømmens Værksted A/S was an industrial company based in Skedsmo, Norway, specializing in the production of rolling stock. Founded in 1873, it remains as a part of Bombardier Transportation...

to create the Gullfisk ("Goldfish") class. Forty-six units were delivered from 1937 to 1940. Built with an aluminum chassis, they were quick and light, with a distinct streamlined

Streamliner

A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...

shape, making their back ends look like a goldfish tail. On 1939, the Sinsen Line was extended from 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...

northwards 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...

. At this point the city had its most extensive tram network.

Holmenkolbanen had built-up large debts in building the underground section to Nationaltheatret, including large amounts of compensation to house-owners who had their buildings damaged during construction. To finance their debt, the Akersbanerne-owned Smestad Line was transferred to Holmenkolbanen on 16 November 1933, with Akersbanerene taking over the majority of shares in Holmenkolbanen. The latter remained listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange

Oslo Stock Exchange

The Oslo Stock Exchange serves as the main market for trading in the shares of Norwegian companies. It opens at 9:00am and closes 5:30pm local time...

. From 4 January 1937, Bærumsbanen took over the operation of trams on the Østensjø Line, though the ownership of the line remained with Akersbanerne. Oslo Sporveier started operating trolleybus

Oslo trolleybus

The Oslo trolleybus system was a trolleybus network operated by Oslo Sporveier in Oslo, Norway between December 15, 1940, and February 15, 1968. The system measured at the most 26.1 km on four lines.-History:...

lines from 1939. On 1 October 1944, Oslo Sporveier bought Bærumsbanen and took over the operation of the Lillaker and Østensjø Lines. On 1 January 1948, the municipalities of Oslo and Aker merged, and on 31 May 1949, the two municipally owned companies Oslo Sporveier and Akersbanerne merged, taking the name of Oslo Sporveier. The following year, Oslo Sporveier took over Ekebergbanen. In 1975, Oslo Sporveier bought all but a few of the shares in Holmenkolbanen, and at the same time took over operation of all the suburban lines.

Partial closing

The Oslo Tramway had a ridership of 108 million passengers in 1948. On 17 January 1949, the Korsvoll Line became the first tram line to be closed. followed by the Rodeløkka Line on 6 February. The latter reopened following a new route on 2 January 1955. In 1960, with the deregulation of the sale of cars, cheap diesel and the decision to build the metro, the city council decided to close the tram and the trolleybus networks. Tracks would be kept and trams would run until they would be naturally retired. However, no major investments would be made in the lines or rolling stock. Within a year, the Kampen, Rodeløkka, Vippetangen, Simensbråten and Vestbanen Lines were closed, as were trolleybus lines 18 and 24. The remaining two trolleybus routes were closed in 1968. On 24 June 1968, Vålerenga Line

Vålerenga Line

was closed.

However, no further tram lines were closed. In 1969, the site of the turning loop at Sinsen needed to be moved to allow the construction of the Sinsen Interchange

Sinsen Interchange

The Sinsen Interchange is a heavily trafficked, multilevel road junction in Oslo, Norway. It connects the highways Norwegian National Road 150 and Trondheimsveien. The junction has existed since the 19th century, and has grown considerably in size since then. It was enhanced with a roundabout in...

. Instead of closing the line, Oslo Sporveier chose to build a new loop at Muselunden at Sinsen. The Ekeberg Line was scheduled to close in 1972, because a new line needed to be built to allow passage during the construction of Oslo Central Station, which would replace the Østbanen. After heavy protests from Ekeberg residents, Oslo Sporveier chose to built a loop in Vognmannsgata in the city centre.

Metro

The city established the Metro Office on 15 September 1949, with the first plans launched in 1951. In 1954, the city council decided to build the metro network with four branches in eastern Oslo; two would run on each side of the Grorud Valley

Grorud Valley

The Grorud Valley is a broad valley in eastern Oslo. Four of Oslo's boroughs, Bjerke in the west, Alna in the south, Grorud in the north, and Stovner in the east, lie within the valley....

, while two would run southwards through Nordstrand

Nordstrand, Norway

Nordstrand is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The borough is located in the southern part of the city and is the second most populated district of Oslo with over 40,000 inhabitants...

. These areas had all been chosen as new suburbs for Oslo, and needed a good public transport system to be put in place quickly. The system was to feature improvements over the light rail lines: 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...

power supply, cab signaling with automatic train protection

Automatic Train Protection

Automatic Train Protection in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a train protection system installed in some trains in order to help prevent collisions through a driver's failure to observe a signal or speed restriction...

, stations long enough for six-car trains and 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 replaced by bridges and underpasses—specifications christened "metro standard" by Oslo Sporveier.

The Østensjø Line would be converted to metro standard, and three new lines would be built. The Lambertseter Line opened as a light rail line from Brynseng station

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...

, where it connected to the Vålerenga Line, to Bergkrystallen station

Bergkrystallen (station)

Bergkrystallen is the end station on the Lambertseter Line, after Munkelia, of the Oslo Metro. It is located in the Nordstrand borough. Bergkrystallen is a road just north of the station. The area is mainly residential. Originally it was planned to extend the Lambertseter Line to Mortensrud, but...

on 28 April 1957. Originally it had overhead wires, low platforms and was served using trams. The Ekeberg Line would remain a tramway. The Lambertseter Line served the area located between the Ekeberg and Østensjø Lines. The Østensjø Line was extended to Bøler station

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...

in 1958.
The Metro took delivery of T1000 trains from Strømmens Verksted. From 1964 to 1978, 162 cars were delivered for the eastern network. The metro opened on 22 May 1966, when the Common Tunnel opened from Brynseng station to Jernbanetorget station

Jernbanetorget (station)

in the city centre, located beside the Østbanen. The same day, the Lambertseter Line was reopened after it had been upgraded to metro standard. On 16 October 1966, the then 9.2 kilometres (5.7 mi) and twelve station long Grorud Line, which ran northeast on the northern hillside of the Grorud Valley, opened to Grorud station

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...

. The Lambertseter Line was connected to the system in 1967, when the line was extended to Skullerud station

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...

.

The Furuset Line runs on the southern hillside of the Grorud Valley. It opened to Haugerud station

Haugerud (station)

Haugerud is the only outdoor station on the Furuset Line of the Oslo Metro. It is located in the Alna borough, between the stations of Tveita and Trosterud. Like the area around many of the other stations on Furusetbanen, the area around Haugerud is a dense residential neighborhood with a number...

in 1970, and was extended to Trosterud station

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...

in 1974. The same year, the Grorud Line was extended to Vestli station

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...

, which is 14.6 kilometres (9.1 mi) from Jernbanetorget. By 1981, the Furuset Line had reached Ellingsrudåsen station

Ellingsrudåsen (station)

Ellingsrudåsen is a subway station on the Oslo Metro, located at Ellingsrud in the Alna borough. Since its opening November 8, 1981, it has been the end station for the Furuset Line . Ellingsrudåsen is mostly a residential area, above the station are a few shops.Ellingsrudåsen is located deep...

, which is 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) from Jernbanetorget. The western light rail lines took delivery of 33 T1300 train cars from 1978 to 1981, with an additional 16 converted from the existing T1000 cars. The T1300 cars differed in that they could run on both third rail and overhead wires. Although not connected to the metro, the western lines were gradually becoming more like the metro, although they retained overhead wires, a different signaling system and shorter platforms.

Common Tunnel

The western lines terminated at an underground station on the west side of the city centre, while the metro terminated at an underground station at the east side of the city centre. The two termini were located 1.2 kilometre (0.745647283979768 mi) apart. Sentrum station

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,...

, located in the heart of the city centre, 0.5 kilometre (0.310686368324903 mi) east of Jernbanetorget, opened along with the extension of the metro tunnel in 1977. Water leaks exceeding the drainage capacity forced the station to be closed between 1983 and 1987. When it reopened, the western light rail tunnel had been extended to it, and the station was renamed Stortinget. Because of incompatible signalling and power equipment, it was not possible for trains to run through the whole tunnel. In 1993, the western part of the Common Tunnel and the Sognsvann Line were upgraded to metro standard, followed by the Røa Line two years later. Trains on the Holmenkollen and Kolsås Line needed both 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...

s and third rail shoes to operate, using the former on the outer parts of the line and the latter in the tunnel. They switched to overhead wire at Frøen station

Frøen (station)

and Montebello station

Montebello (station)

Montebello is a station on the Kolsås Line of the Oslo Metro. The station is located between Smestad and Ullernåsen. Montebello is the first station on line 6 not shared with another line. The station is on the north side of the Ring 3 highway which runs in an arch north of Oslo...

, respectively. In 1994, six two-car T2000 trains were delivered for the Holmenkollen Line to meet the need for more rolling stock. Additional orders of the class were originally planned to replace the older stock, but the T2000 trains proved unreliable and no further order was made.

In 2003, the section of the Kolsås Line in Bærum

Bærum

closed due to disagreements between the two counties of Oslo and Akershus

Akershus county municipality

Akershus County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Akershus, Norway. The main responsibilities of the county municipality includes the running of 35 upper secondary schools...

on how much Akershus should pay to purchase services from Oslo Sporveier. After a year of replacement buses, the line was reopened, only to be closed again in 2006 for an upgrade to metro standard. Disagreements between the two counties means the upgrade will be done separately on the two sides of the municipal boundary, with the Oslo side opening first. By 2010, the upgraded part had reached Bjørnsletta station

Bjørnsletta (station)

The old Bjørnsletta was a station on the Kolsås Line between Åsjordet and Lysakerelven of the Oslo Metro. It is located in the Ullern borough. Along with Frøen, Bjørnsletta was one of only two stations on the subway network which lacks step-free access to the platform.. The station was opened on...

in Oslo. In 2003, the Ring Line opened from Ullevål Stadion station

Ullevål stadion (station)

Ullevål stadion is a rapid transit station on the Sognsvann Line of the Oslo Metro. It is the last station served by lines 3, 4 and 5. North of the station, the Ring Line branches off from the Sognsvann Line...

on the Sognsvann Line to Storo station

Storo (station)

. The line will create a loop, which will connect to neighbourhoods such as Nydalen

Nydalen

Nydalen is a neighbourhood in the Nordre Aker borough in northern Oslo, Norway.- History :Since the late 19th century Nydalen has been a largely industrial area...

and 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...

north of the city centre. In July 2004, construction caused a tunnel to collapse on the Grorud Line—the system's busiest—forcing a shutdown of this line until December and creating havoc on the overloaded replacement buses. The ring was completed onwards to Carl Berners plass

Carl Berners plass (station)

on the Grorud Line via Sinsen

Sinsen (station)

in 2006. 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...

trains, which replaced all the old stock. By 2010, all T1000, T1300 and T2000 trains had been retired. In 2010, the Holmenkollen Line reopened with metro standard, after it had been closed for renovation for a year.

Revival of the tramway

In 1977, the city council changed their decision to close down the tramway. The main reason was the 1973 oil crisis

1973 oil crisis

The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...

, which had made it cheaper to run hydroelectric-powered trams than diesel-powered buses. After no investment on the tramway for seventeen years, new stock had to be bought, and Oslo Sporveier opted to buy seven used M-23 units from the Gothenburg Tramway

Gothenburg tram

The Gothenburg tram network is part of the public transport system organised by Göteborgs Spårvägar AB, controlled by Västtrafik in the Swedish city of Gothenburg...

in Sweden. In addition, twenty-five SL79

SL79

SL79 is a class of 40 articulated trams operated by the Oslo Tramway of Norway. The trams were a variation of the Duewag trams that had been developed by the German manufacturer since the 1950s. The six-axle vehicles are unidirectional with four doors on the right side. The trams can seat 77...

articulated trams were delivered in 1982 and 1983, followed by a further fifteen in 1989 and 1990. Oslo Sporveier merged with Holmenkolbanen in 1991, and with Ekebergbanen in 1993.

During the 1990s, a number of expansions were made to the tram network. The disused line from Storo via the depot at Grefsen to Sinsen opened for revenue traffic in 1993. In 1995, the Vika Line

Vika Line

The Vika Line is a light rail section of the Oslo Tramway in Oslo, Norway. It runs between Wessels plass, through the neighborhood of Vika and Aker Brygge, before arriving at Solli. The section is served by SL79 trams on line 12...

was constructed to access Aker Brygge

Aker Brygge

Aker Brygge is an area in Oslo, Norway. It is a popular meeting place for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Oslo residents, tourists from all over the world, business people on the move, as well as musicians, artists, actors, A-, B- and C-celebrities find Aker Brygge their favourite place to...

, a new waterfront neighbourhood is the southwestern part of the city centre, and in 1999, the Ullevål Hageby Line was extended to the new Rikshospitalet

Rikshospitalet (station)

Rikshospitalet is a light rail tram station at the end of the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at Rikshospitalet, the Norwegian National Hospital, at Gaustad in Oslo, Norway....

. For these new lines, 32 SL95

SL95

SL95 is a series of 32 low-floor, articulated trams operated on the Oslo Tramway. The series is built by Ansaldo/Firema of Italy and delivered between 1999 and 2004. Capacity for the eight-axle, three-section vehicles is 212 passengers, of which 88 can be seated. The name derives from being ordered...

low-floor tram

Low-floor tram

A low-floor tram is a tram that has no stair steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. The low-floor design improves the accessibility of the tram for the public, and also may provide larger windows and more airspace....

s were delivered from 1996 to 2004, replacing all but the SL79 units. The voltage was increased from 600 to 750 volts on 4 June 2000, once all non-articulated trams had been retired.

In 2002, Oslo Sporveier announced that it would close the Ekeberg, Sinsen, Briskeby and Kjelsås Lines to reduce costs. Only the Kjelsås Line was actually closed and replaced by buses, which occurred 21 November 2002. After local protests, and a compromise in the city council, the Kjelsås Line was reopened on 22 November 2004.

On 1 July 2003, Oslo Sporveier was reorganized with the operation of the trams transferred to Oslo Sporvognsdrift

Oslo Sporvognsdrift

Oslotrikken AS, formerly Oslo Sporvognsdrift AS, is the company that operates the Oslo Tramway in Oslo, Norway. Oslotrikken is owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon, which is again owned by the city council and has an operating contract with Ruter. The company operates 72 trams , has 374 employees...

("Oslo Tram Operations") and the operation of the Metro to 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...

("Oslo Metro Operations"). Another reorganization was made on 1 July 2006, when Oslo Sporveier was demerged into two companies. The Oslo Public Transport Administration

Oslo Public Transport Administration

AS Oslo Sporveier or the Oslo Public Transport Administration is a municipally owned limited company that is responsible for planning, marketing and organising the public transport in Oslo, Norway...

, which kept the Oslo Sporveier brand name, was made responsible for purchasing and the marketing of the public transport system. The ownership and maintenance of the tracks and stations was transferred to Kollektivtransportproduksjon ("Public Transport Production"). The latter also became the parent of the operating companies, who retained the actual running of the trams and metro trains. The brand name Oslo Sporveier was discontinued on 1 January 2008, when 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...

was created as a merger between the Oslo Public Transport Administration and Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk

Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk

Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk AS or SL was the public transport administration for bus and ferry transport in Akershus, Norway from 1973 to 2007. SL was organised as a limited company owned by the Akershus county municipality, the City of Oslo, and the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications,...

("Greater Oslo Local Traffic")—which had been responsible for public transport in Akershus

Akershus

Preservation

In 1966, the Oslo Tramway Museum was founded to preserve the tramway and trolleybus vehicles. The museum is run by a 450-member non-profit organization Lokaltrafikkhistorisk Forening (LTF, "Local Traffic History Association"). It was founded as a reaction to the aftermath of the closing of the Bergen Tramway, where only a single tram was preserved, and where volunteers realized that a similar lack of preservation could happen in Oslo. As of 2004, the museum had 56 rail vehicles, 31 buses and seven other vehicles, including four trolleybus

Trolleybus

A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...

es. It has a museum with 25 trams and 10 buses on display at Majorstuen, as well as a full heritage tramway, including Slemdal station

Slemdal (station)

-References:*...

, which is under construction at 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....

Future plans

Oslo Package 3 is a political agreement between all the major projects on what to spend public funding for transport in Oslo and Akershus on. The agreement was made in 2007, and consists of 53 billion 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"...

(NOK), which will be shared between investments in road infrastructure, public transport infrastructure, and operating subsidies for Ruter. Financing comes from the state, the counties and from toll road

Toll road

A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...

s. The agreement states the major investments which are planned during a 20-year period. In addition, the previous agreement, Oslo Package 2

Oslo Package 2

The Oslo Package 2 or O2 is a political agreement for financing investments in public transport in Oslo and Akershus, Norway. The program runs from 2001 to 2011, and includes many large and small investments in railways, the Oslo Tramway, the Oslo Metro and infrastructure for buses. Total budget is...

, still has funding for some smaller projects.

An upgrade of the Kolsås Line to metro standard started in 2006, and is estimated to finish by 2014. In the Common Tunnel, a new Homansbyen Station

Homansbyen (station)

is planned between Majorstuen and Nationaltheatret. The Grorud Line is planned be connected to the Ring Line via the Løren Line, allowing trains to run directly from Grorud to the Ring via a station at Løren. An extension has been proposed for the Furuset Line to Lørenskog

Lørenskog

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 Lørenskog. Lørenskog was separated from the municipality of Skedsmo on 1 January 1908.-Name:...

, which would give stations at 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....

, Lørenskog Centre and a new terminus at Akershus University Hospital

Akershus University Hospital

The Akershus University Hospital is a Norwegian public university hospital located in the Lørenskog municipality, in the county of Akershus, east of the Norwegian capital Oslo. It is one of four university hospitals affiliated with the University of Oslo...

(Ahus). The travel time from Ahus to Jernbanetorget would be 27 minutes.

The Fjord City

Fjord City

The Fjord City is a urban renewal project for the waterfront part of the center of Oslo, Norway. The first redevelopment was at Aker Brygge during the 1980s. Bjørvika and Tjuvholmen followed up during the 2000s, while the remaining parts of the Port of Oslo will be developed in the 2010s. The port...

urban redevelopment project that is converting the Bjørvika

Bjørvika

Bjørvika is a neighborhood in the Sentrum borough of Oslo, Norway. The area is an inlet in the inner Oslofjord, situated between Gamlebyen and Akersness. It serves as an outlet for the river Akerselva. Since the 2000s, it has been undergoing urban redevelopment, being transformed from a container...

and Vippetangen

Vippetangen

areas in the centre of Oslo, will include a gradual building of tramways through them. The Ekeberg Line will be moved to run on the south side of the Central Station through Bjørvika. A new line may also be built from Aker Brygge around Vippetangen to Bjørvika. A similar redevelopment project at Fornebu

Fornebu

Fornebu is a peninsular area in the suburban municipality of Bærum in Norway, bordering western parts of Oslo.Oslo Airport, Fornebu served as the main airport for Oslo and the country since before WWII and until the evening of October 7, 1998, when it was closed down...

in Bærum involves plans for building the Fornebu Line as an extension of the Lilleaker Line from Furulund

Furulund (station)

Furulund is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located north of Vækerø in Ullern borough, it was opened by Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei together with the rest of the Lilleaker Line, as an extension of the Skøyen Line.-References:...

via Lysaker Station

Lysaker Station

Lysaker Station is Norway's third-largest railway station, located at Lysaker on the Drammen Line. It serves express, regional, local and Airport Express trains. The station opened in 1872, and is located west of Oslo S at elevation...

to Fornebu. The line was previously planned as a people mover

People mover

A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...

, but the solution was unsuccessful, and planning now focuses on building a tramway instead. An extension of the Sinsen Line to Tonsenhagen

Tonsenhagen

Tonsenhagen is a place in the borough of Bjerke in northeast Oslo, Norway. Built in the 1950s, it was one of the early new suburbs within Oslo. Situated on a hillside with wonderful views of Oslo, surrounded by the Lilloe Forest and close to Grefsenkollen, the whole area has an idyllic setting at...

is planned.

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