Lysaker Station
Encyclopedia
Lysaker Station is Norway's
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...

 third-largest railway station, located at Lysaker
Lysaker
Lysaker is a section of and a postal code area of the Norwegian municipality of Bærum, just west of Oslo.Geographically, it is bordered by Lysakerelven on the east, which also forms the border to Oslo; Fornebu to the south; Stabekk to the west; and Jar to the north...

 on the Drammen Line. It serves express, regional, local and Airport Express
Flytoget
is a Norwegian high-speed airport rail link connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget AS , it operates on the high-speed Gardermoen Line using sixteen GMB Class 71 electric trains. Normal service frequency is once every ten minutes, with half...

 trains. The station opened in 1872, and is located 7 kilometres (4 mi) west of Oslo S at 7.5 metres (25 ft) elevation. In 2007-09 the owner and operator Norwegian National Rail Administration is renovating the station, but there is a controversy whether the station should remain in a curve.

The station is located between Skøyen
Skøyen Station
Skøyen is a railway station located in Oslo, Norway and is part of Drammen Line. The station serves commuter trains, some regional trains and the Flytoget airport express train service. Skøyen station is owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.Though some continue on, the...

, to the east, and Stabekk
Stabekk Station
Stabekk Station is a railway station located at Stabekk in Bærum, Norway on Drammenbanen. The station is served by the Oslo Commuter Rail line 400 operated by Norges Statsbaner with two hourly services.-History:...

. When the new Asker Line is finished expanded to Lysaker in 2011, the station will be connected directly to Sandvika
Sandvika Station
Sandvika Station is a railway station located in downtown Sandvika in Bærum, Akershus, Norway. The station serves as a local public transport hub and is located on the Asker Line and the Drammen Line. The station was opened with the Drammen Line in 1872. In 2005 the Asker Line opened allowing...

. All local and regional trains that operate west of Skøyen stop at the station, in addition to the Flytoget
Flytoget
is a Norwegian high-speed airport rail link connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget AS , it operates on the high-speed Gardermoen Line using sixteen GMB Class 71 electric trains. Normal service frequency is once every ten minutes, with half...

 airport express trains to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen is the principal airport serving Oslo, Norway. It acts as the main domestic hub and international airport for Norway, and the second-busiest airport in the Nordic countries. A hub for Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian Air Shuttle, and a focus city for Widerøe, it is...

. More than one thousand buses depart from Lysaker Station daily, and within 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) there are 20,000 jobs with additional 10–15,000 in development. Lysaker is the closest station to 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...

, large parts of Eastern 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....

 and some of Western 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...

.

Service

Norges Statsbaner
Norges Statsbaner
Norges Statsbaner AS, also known as the Norwegian State Railways and NSB, is a company which is responsible for most passenger train operation in Norway...

 (NSB) operates up to ten trains per hour in each direction through Lysaker, including the Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail
Oslo Commuter Rail is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by the Norwegian State Railways and its subsidiary NSB Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units . The network spans eight routes...

 which has four separate services. Line 400 operates two times hourly, making all stops from Asker
Asker Station
Asker is a railway station located in downtown Asker in Akershus, Norway. The station serves as the main public transportation hub for the municipalities located around the Asker Line, the Drammen Line and the Spikkestad Line. The station was opened with the Drammen Line in 1872...

 and Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm Station
Lillestrøm Station is a railway station located at Lillestrøm in Skedsmo, Norway. The station serves as the main transportation hub of the eastern parts of Greater Oslo and all trains east of Oslo stop at Lillestrøm...

, line 440 hourly from Drammen
Drammen Station
Drammen is a railway station located in downtown Drammen in Buskerud, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Randsfjord Line, the Drammen Line and the Vestfold Line...

 to Dal
Dal Station
Dal is a railway station located in Dal in Eidsvoll, Norway. The station is located on Hovedbanen and was opened in 1854. The station is served by commuter trains with hourly services to Oslo Central Station and Drammen Station, a service that Dal functions as the terminal station for.-External...

, line 450 hourly from Kongsberg
Kongsberg Station
Kongsberg Station is a railway station located in downtown Kongsberg in Buskerud, Norway, on the Sørland Line. The station is served by express trains to Kristiansand and is the terminus of the local trains from Oslo and Eidsvoll.-History:...

 to Eidsvoll
Eidsvoll Station
Eidsvoll is a railway station located at Eidsvoll in Akershus, Norway. The station is the terminus of both the Trunk Line, the Gardermoen Line and the Dovre Line. Though the Dovre Line and the Trunk Line/Gardermoen Line practically are the same continual railway, there is a naming change at the...

 and line 550 once or twice hourly from Spikkestad
Spikkestad Station
Spikkestad Station is a railway station located at Spikkestad in Røyken, Norway and the terminus of Spikkestadbanen. The station was opened as part of Drammenbanen in 1885, but in 1973 the new Lieråsen Tunnel opened through Lieråsen, and the old part of Drammenbanen was transformed to a commuter...

 to Moss
Moss Station
Moss Station is a railway station located in downtown Moss in Østfold, Norway. The station is located on the Østfold Line and serves as terminal station for Line 550 of the Oslo Commuter Rail service to Oslo Central Station and onwards to Spikkestad as well as a stop of the InterCity Express...

. All commuter services except line 400 operate straight west to Sandvika. All express trains on the Bergen Line to Bergen
Bergen Railway Station
Bergen Station is the main railway station in the city of Bergen, Norway. It is a terminal station on the Bergen Line, and serves trains from Oslo as well as the Bergen Commuter Rail from Arna, Voss and Myrdal. It is located on the east side of the city centre and has four platforms...

 and the Sørland Line to Kristiansand
Kristiansand Station
Kristiansand Station is a railway station located in downtown Kristiansand in Vest-Agder, Norway on the Sørland Line. The station is served by regional trains to Oslo and Stavanger...

 stop at Lysaker, as does the hourly regional train from the Vestfold Line and the Dovre Line.

The Flytoget
Flytoget
is a Norwegian high-speed airport rail link connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget AS , it operates on the high-speed Gardermoen Line using sixteen GMB Class 71 electric trains. Normal service frequency is once every ten minutes, with half...

 airport express train services operates three trains per hour to Oslo Airport Station
Oslo Airport Station
Oslo Airport Station , also known as Gardermoen Station, is a railway station located in the airport terminal building of Oslo Airport, Gardermoen in Norway...

, taking 36 minutes to complete the 57 kilometres (35.4 mi) route.

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...

, the transit authority for Oslo and Akershus, operates more than one thousand buses from Lysaker Station daily; routes 121, 122, 131, 142, 144, 151, 152, 154, 163, 164, 242, 266 and 733 go via the station. Buses connect the station to Fornebu and suburban areas of Bærum, while other buses make an intermediate stop at Lysaker on-route to Western Bærum and Asker
Asker
Asker is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. It is part of the Viken traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Asker. The municipality is a suburb of Oslo, the national capital...

. There is also a rush-hour ferry service from Lysaker to Nesoddtangen
Nesoddtangen
Nesoddtangen is a village in, and the administrative centre of Nesodden in Akershus, Norway. It had 11,795 residents in 2011; about two thirds of the municipality's population. It's located some 4 miles south west of Oslo, and passenger ferry is the most used commuting transportation. Of the...

, operated by Nesodden–Bundefjord Dampskipsselskap
Nesodden–Bundefjord Dampskipsselskap
Nesodden–Bundefjord Dampskipsselskap, Nesoddbåtene or NBDS is a Norwegian shipping company that operates the passenger ferry in Oslofjord. The company has six ships, of which two are high-speed, and has 50 employees. The company has 2.7 million passengers annually. The primary function is to...



The station is unstaffed, but ticket machine
Ticket machine
A ticket machine, also known as a ticket vending machine , is a vending machine that produces tickets. For instance, ticket machines dispense train tickets at railway stations and tram tickets at some tram stops and in some trams...

s are available, and the waiting room is open for all departures. There is a kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...

 and taxicab stand, and parking is available in a parking house for a fee. The platforms are wheelchair accessible.

History

Lysaker is an original station on the Drammen Line that opened on 7 October 1872. In 1914 the station building burnt down and was replaced by a new building in 1917, giving the station a center platform. At the same time the railway was converted from narrow
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...

 to 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...

 and a new bridge over Lysakerelven was built. In 1922, the line was rebuilt to double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...

 and electrified
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...

 from Oslo West Station
Oslo Vestbanestasjon
Oslo West Station or Oslo V, is a former railway station located in Vika in Oslo, Norway. It was the terminus of the Drammen Line between 1872 and 1980, until the Oslo Tunnel opened. The station remained in use until 1989, when all traffic was moved to the new Oslo Central Station...

 to Sandvika. The current station with two platforms and shelter was built in 1987 after the old station building had been demolished. Lysaker served as the closest railway station to Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu
Oslo Airport, Fornebu was the main airport serving Oslo and Eastern Norway from 1 June 1939 to 7 October 1998. It was then replaced by Oslo Airport, Gardermoen and the area has since been redeveloped. The airport was located at Fornebu in Bærum, from the city center. Fornebu had two runways, one...

 until it closed in 1998; because of this the station was branded as Lysaker/Fornebu from 27 May 1990 to 7 October 1998, but always retained Lysaker as the sole technical name.

During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Lysaker Station was hit by five sabotage missions by the Norwegian resistance movement
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...

, in which tanks of gasoline, attached or not attached to railroad cars, were blown up. The sabotages took place on 16 December 1944 and 9, 10, 12 and 13 January 1945. On 13 January a tanker truck was attacked as well. There were three additional attacks on Lysaker in 1944 and 1945, two of them against factories and workshops. Also, the Lysaker Bridge sabotage
Lysaker Bridge sabotage
The Lysaker Bridge sabotage was a sabotage action in World War II which occurred in Norway on the night between 13 and 14 April 1940 when a bridge at Lysaker, near Oslo, was blown up.-Background:...

 took place in the immediate vicinity of the station.

Expansion

In 2006, the process of renovating the station began, with estimated investments of NOK
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"...

 1 billion. Lysaker Station is planned to be one of the most important stations west of Oslo, and is to continue as a local connection point for public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...

. The construction work consists of renovating the station building and expanding it from two to four platforms. First, a new double platform north of the current one was built. Then the current platform was dismantled and rebuilt. The construction work is planned to be completed in 2009, with the Asker Line between Lysaker and Sandvika finished two years later. This will provide four tracks from Lysaker to Asker
Asker Station
Asker is a railway station located in downtown Asker in Akershus, Norway. The station serves as the main public transportation hub for the municipalities located around the Asker Line, the Drammen Line and the Spikkestad Line. The station was opened with the Drammen Line in 1872...

. The National Rail Administration is planning to extend the Asker Line onwards east to Skøyen sometime after 2015.

The expansion will allow increased capacity through the "West Corridor" from Oslo to Drammen, by having four tracks instead of two between Lysaker and Asker. Total capacity will increase by eleven additional trains per hour in each direction. Slower commuter trains will continue to use the old line, while faster express trains will be routed on the new line. The project will also increase the number of boarding platforms from two to four.

Light rail terminus controversy

A proposed 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...

 system from Fornebu was planned to terminate at the new Lysaker Station, but the Akershus County Municipality
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...

 has not been able to decide on what mode of transport to use, with both rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

, automated people mover and tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

way having been suggested. In 2007, the plans for a people mover were canceled, and replaced with a tram. Because the people mover was canceled after construction of the station had started, the National Rail Administration has claimed the county for NOK 31 million to cover losses incurred.

Curve controversy

The present station is located on a curve, and the renovation plans from the National Rail Administration do not involve moving the station or straightening it, despite protests from both advocates for the disabled community
Disability rights movement
The disability rights movement is the movement to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for people with disabilities. The specific goals and demands of the movement are: accessibility and safety in transportation, architecture, and the physical environment, equal opportunities in independent...

 and the railway company NSB. They claim the station will have a gap of up to 40 centimetres (16 in) between the train and the platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...

, causing accessibility problems for the disabled. The National Rail Administration claimed that this would not be a major problem since 80 percent of the trains' length would be within 22 centimetres (9 in) of the platform—only 2 centimetre (0.78740157480315 in) further away than if the station had been built on a straight track.

As a counterargument, NSB has stated that since they are required to have a maximum 25 centimetres (10 in) clearance between the platform and the trains, their trains would no longer stop at the station after its completion. NSB have estimated that to adapt their trains to comply with regulations, the company would be facing a bill of NOK 400–500 million, as well as having to order all-new trains to replace Class 70
NSB BM70
NSB Class 70 is a four-carriage electric multiple unit used by Norges Statsbaner for medium distance trains around Oslo. In particular they are used on the Dovre Line between Oslo and Lillehammer and on the Vestfold Line, operating the regional service between Lillehammer and Skien.-History:During...

, costing NOK 1.5 billion, and exceeding the cost of building the new station. Since NSB is state-owned and receives subsidies for rail transport from the Ministry of Transport and Communications
Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communications is a Norwegian ministry established in 1946, and is responsible for transportation and communication infrastructure in Norway. It is led by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa...

, the replacement bill would be footed by the taxpayers.

Designs have also been criticised by both the Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
The Norwegian Railway Inspectorate is a Norwegian government agency responsible for control and supervision of rail transport in Norway, including railways, tramways, rapid transits, heritage railways and side tracks....

 and NSB because it will not be possible for both the conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...

 and the engineer to have full view of the platform, necessitating doubled staffs for each train passing through the station. Jernbaneverket has attempted to address the problem by installing a video surveillance system.

The motivation behind the curved station design was the preservation of the 1913 Vollsveien Bridge, which Jernbaneverket claimed would have to be torn down under a straight-track layout. This has since been disputed, and former Minister of Transport and Communication
Minister of Transport and Communications (Norway)
The Minister of Transport and Communications is a Councillor of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications. Since 20 October 2009, the position has been held by Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa of the Centre Party...

 Torild Skogsholm
Torild Skogsholm
Torhild Skogsholm is a Norwegian politician . She was Minister of Transport and Communications from 2001 to 2005. She is now the director of the Oslo tram company Oslo Sporvognsdrift....

 (Liberal) has stated that she blames the problems on the director of the National Rail Administration, Steinar Killi
Steinar Killi
Steinar Killi is a Norwegian civil servant who has had various leading positions within transportation in government agencies and is presently director of the Norwegian National Rail Administration....

. Her successor, Liv Signe Navarsete
Liv Signe Navarsete
Liv Signe Hundere Navarsete is the Norwegian Minister of Local Government and Regional Development and leader of the Center Party. She took office in 2005 serving in the Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet....

 (Centre
Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...

), announced in July 2006 that the construction would continue following the curved design, though minor functional changes would be made.

External links

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