Ullevål Hageby Line
Encyclopedia
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
. It serves major institutions such as Oslo University College
, Bislett Stadion
, Ullevål University Hospital
, the University of Oslo
and Rikshospitalet
. The line is served by route 17 and 18 by Oslo Sporvognsdrift
using SL95
trams, while the tracks are owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon.
The first section, from Stortorvet from Homansbyen, opened in 1875 as a horsecar
line. It was electrified in 1900, and extended to Adamstuen in 1909. In 1925, the line reached Ullevål Hageby. The final extension to Rikshospitalet was opened in 1999, following the move of the hospital. The last section is formally called the Gaustad Line (Gaustadlinjen). North of Adamstuen, the line runs in its own right-of-way, mostly in the center of streets; southwards, it is a street tramway. Transfers to the Oslo T-bane
are possible at Forskningsparken and Tinghuset/Professor Aschehougs gate.
The first section of the Ullevål Hageby Line, from Stortorvet to Homansbyen, was built by Kristiania Sporveisselskab
and opened on 6 October 1875 as a horsecar line. A depot was built at Homansbyen. The line was part of the first system in the city, and connected to the Gamleby Line
on the other side of Stortorvet. Until 19 October there were also some direct services to the Western Railway Station
(Vestbanen). The first services had fifteen minute headway
—increasing to ten minutes from 22 June 1876. There were also some trials of using sleds during winter.
The line was electrified on 15 January 1900. On 24 September 1909, it was extended from Homansbyen to Adamstuen
. In 1924, the line, along with the rest of the street tram network, was taken over by the municipal Oslo Sporveier
. On 1 August 1925, the line was extended to Ullevål Hageby
(later renamed John Colletts plass).
, the National Hospital, from Pilestredet
to Gaustad
. Following the completion of the architectural plans in 1991, the city planner launched the concept for transport to the new hospital. 50% of the transport was to be by public transport, up from the contemporary 35%, and would require an extension of the Ullevål Hageby Line to the hospital. Specific plans for the extension were launched in April 1992, and were estimated to cost .
The regulation plan for the hospital, and the go-ahead for the construction of the line, was passed by the city council on 4 May 1994. In April 1996, a disagreement between the municipality and the Ministry of Transport
arose concerning who should be paying for the extension. The state had at the time formally suggested that the bill be split 50–50 between the two, whereas the municipality claimed that the state had promised to pay for the full extension. In June, the Conservative Party
, Labour Party
and Progress Party
in the city council all voted against municipal grants for the line. The politicians signalled that they instead wanted to look at possibilities of serving the hospital with rapid transit
and bus. Also the university was opposed to the plans, since the line would split the university campus up, would require trees along an avenue to be removed and would force parking places to be moved. The city council voted against building the line on 24 September 1997, with the majority arguing that the hospital could be served by the near-by Gaustad Station
on the Holmenkoll Line and by buses. Three opposition parties, the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party
and Red Electoral Alliance
, voted in favor of the tram line.
On 6 February 1998, an agreement was made between the ministry and the city, where the city would fund NOK 31 of 111 million of the investment needed. However, the city would have to pay all budget overrides. In 1996, the work with Oslo Package 2
started. A follow-up on the existing road investment plan Oslo Package 1
, it would allow toll fees
to be used to finance public transport infrastructure in Oslo. While the line was not initially part of the package, it served as a prelude in combining state and municipal grants to public transport investments. The agreement was approved by parliament on 26 May 1998.
The 1.6 kilometre (0.994196378639691 mi) extension was ready for trial runs on 25 May 1999, when a new SL95
tram made a tested. Only the newest tram series can operate on the line, since all the older tram types were only unidirectional. Normal operations started on 1 June. After one month, ridership had increased with 20%, and 99% of services were less than three minutes delayed. The expansion had four new stations: Universitetet Blindern, Forskningsparken
, Gaustadalléen
and Rikshospitalet
. The entire section is built as a light rail, with step-free access to the trams, and the trams having their own corridors in the middle of the road. The last station on the old section, John Colletts plass
, had to be moved, though the balloon loop
has been kept. On 22 August, the T-bane station Vestgrensa
was closed, and replaced by one at Forskningsparken. This allows direct transfer from the Sognsvann Line (and since 2003 the Ring Line) of the T-bane to the Ullevål Hageby Line.
An original intent was to let the line continue from Rikshospitalet, connect with the Holmenkoll Line at Gaustad, follow its tracks southwards before branching off near Frøen
and ending at Majorstuen
. Here, at the terminus of the Frogner
and Briskeby Line
s, a reconnection with the tramway system was provided. No part of this plan materialized.
The line was the crime scene of a murder on 3 August 2004, when a mentally deranged man went on a stabbing spree on board a tram at Bislett, injuring five and killing one.
to Grefsen, while line 18 continues along the Gamleby-
and Ekeberg Line
to Ljabru
. Because there is no turning loop, only SL95
low-floor tram
s are used. Each line operates on a ten-minute headway during the day, and a twenty-minute headway in the evening and in the weekends. During the peak hours, the line therefore is served each five minutes. The service is provided by Oslo Sporvognsdrift
, on contract with Ruter
. The trams and tracks are owned by the municipal company Kollektivtransportproduksjon.
Transfers to lines 3, 4 and 5 of the T-bane are possible at Forskningsparken, while all T-bane lines can be reached at Tinghuset/Professor Aschehougs plass
. Line 11 of the tramway can be transferred to at Welhavens gate and Høyskolesenteret. All other trams lines can be transferred to at Stortorvet. Line 18 also continues along the Gamleby Line to Jernbanetorget
, and line 17 to Kirkeristen, where transfer is possible to the T-bane, and the national rail network at Oslo Central Station.
From downtown, the line runs in a generally northern direction, gradually turning northwestwards, moving along Thereses gate and Sognsveien to John Colletts plass, then through Niels Henrik Abels vei, on the north side of the University of Oslo
campus, before ending at Rikshospitalet. The leg between John Colletts plass and Rikshospitalet is formally called the Gaustad Line . The first part of the line, from Stortorvet to Welhavens gate, serves the city center. Welhavens gate (east-bound trams) and Høyskolesenteret (west-bound trams) serves the main campus of Oslo University College
. Bislett is located just outside the multi-purpose sports venue Bislett Stadion
. Ullevål sykehus
serves Ullevål University Hospital
, while both Universitet Blindern and Forskningsparken serve the main campus of the University of Oslo
at Blindern
. Rikshospitalet serves the hospital it takes its name from.
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...
section of the Oslo Tramway. It runs from 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:...
in the city center of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to 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....
. It passes through the areas of St. Hanshaugen
St. Hanshaugen
St. Hanshaugen is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.-Area:It has a triangular shape, with its northern border just north of the buildings of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and Ullevål University Hospital, and south of the University of Oslo campus at Blindern...
, 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...
and Blindern
Blindern
Blindern is the main campus of the University of Oslo, located in Nordre Aker in Oslo, Norway.-The campus:Most of the departments of the University of Oslo are located at Blindern; other, smaller campuses include Sentrum , Gaustad , St...
before reaching Gaustad
Gaustad
Gaustad is a neighborhood in Nordre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. It is located between Vinderen and Kringsjå. At Gaustad are Rikshospitalet and Gaustad Hospital, as well as residential areas that border to Nordmarka....
. It serves major institutions such as Oslo University College
Oslo University College
Oslo University College , Norwegian: Høgskolen i Oslo is the largest state university college in Norway, with more than 11,000 students and approx. 1100 employees...
, Bislett Stadion
Bislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
, Ullevål University Hospital
Ullevål University Hospital
Ullevaal, Oslo University Hospital was opened in 1887. From January 1, 2009, the hospital is part of the Oslo University Hospital.Ullevål has more than 8,600 employees. 940 of them are doctors and 2,400 nurses. With a total of 1,200 beds Ullevål, admits some 45,000 patients per year and its...
, the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
and Rikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet is located in Oslo, Norway. From January 1, 2009, the hospital is part of Oslo University Hospital....
. The line is served by route 17 and 18 by 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...
using 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...
trams, while the tracks are owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon.
The first section, from Stortorvet from Homansbyen, opened in 1875 as a 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...
line. It was electrified in 1900, and extended to Adamstuen in 1909. In 1925, the line reached Ullevål Hageby. The final extension to Rikshospitalet was opened in 1999, following the move of the hospital. The last section is formally called the Gaustad Line (Gaustadlinjen). North of Adamstuen, the line runs in its own right-of-way, mostly in the center of streets; southwards, it is a street tramway. Transfers to the Oslo T-bane
Oslo T-bane
The Oslo Metro is the rapid transit system of Oslo, Norway, operated by Oslo T-banedrift on contract from the transit authority Ruter. The network consists of six lines that all run through the city centre, with a total length of . It has a daily ridership of 268,000 with 105 stations of which 16...
are possible at Forskningsparken and Tinghuset/Professor Aschehougs gate.
History
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...
and opened on 6 October 1875 as a horsecar line. A depot was built at Homansbyen. The line was part of the first system in the city, and connected to the Gamleby Line
Gamleby Line
The Gamlebyen Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs east from Jernbanetorget along Schweigaards gate , past the Oslo Bus Terminal then turns south along Oslo gate, and past Gamlebyen before becoming the Ekeberg Line...
on the other side of Stortorvet. Until 19 October there were also some direct services to the Western Railway 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...
(Vestbanen). The first services had 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...
—increasing to ten minutes from 22 June 1876. There were also some trials of using sleds during winter.
The line was electrified on 15 January 1900. On 24 September 1909, it was extended from Homansbyen to Adamstuen
Adamstuen (station)
Adamstuen is a light rail station on the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located on the south-western side of Ullevål University Hospital, at the intersection of Sognsveien and Ullevålsveien...
. In 1924, the line, along with the rest of the street tram network, was taken over by the municipal 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...
. On 1 August 1925, the line was extended to Ullevål Hageby
John Colletts plass (station)
John Colletts plass is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located in Ullevål Hageby in Nordre Aker borough, it was opened in 1925 as the terminus of the Ullevål Hageby Line. The name was given in 1938. In 1999 the line was extended to Rikshospitalet.The most prominent building at the square...
(later renamed John Colletts plass).
Rikshospitalet extension
In 1988, the Norwegian Parliament decided to start the process of moving RikshospitaletRikshospitalet
Rikshospitalet is located in Oslo, Norway. From January 1, 2009, the hospital is part of Oslo University Hospital....
, the National Hospital, from Pilestredet
Pilestredet
Pilestredet is a street in Oslo, Norway which begins in the city center and runs through the boroughs of St. Hanshaugen and Frogner.The street was originally called Rakkerstrædet in reference to the city dump being located along the road at today's Pilestredet Park. It was renamed in 1820 to...
to Gaustad
Gaustad
Gaustad is a neighborhood in Nordre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. It is located between Vinderen and Kringsjå. At Gaustad are Rikshospitalet and Gaustad Hospital, as well as residential areas that border to Nordmarka....
. Following the completion of the architectural plans in 1991, the city planner launched the concept for transport to the new hospital. 50% of the transport was to be by public transport, up from the contemporary 35%, and would require an extension of the Ullevål Hageby Line to the hospital. Specific plans for the extension were launched in April 1992, and were estimated to cost .
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...
arose concerning who should be paying for the extension. The state had at the time formally suggested that the bill be split 50–50 between the two, whereas the municipality claimed that the state had promised to pay for the full extension. In June, the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
, Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
and Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
in the city council all voted against municipal grants for the line. The politicians signalled that they instead wanted to look at possibilities of serving the hospital with 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...
and bus. Also the university was opposed to the plans, since the line would split the university campus up, would require trees along an avenue to be removed and would force parking places to be moved. The city council voted against building the line on 24 September 1997, with the majority arguing that the hospital could be served by the near-by Gaustad Station
Gaustad (station)
Gaustad is a Oslo Metro station on Holmenkollen Line between Vinderen and Ris, at an altitude of . The outer highway ring of Oslo crosses the railway at Gaustad. Gaustad is the subway station closest to Rikshospitalet, although the tram system has a stop even closer...
on the Holmenkoll Line and by buses. Three opposition parties, the Labour Party, Socialist Left Party
Socialist Left Party (Norway)
The Socialist Left Party or SV, is a Norwegian left-wing political party. At one point one of the smallest parties in Parliament, it became the fourth-largest political party in Norway for the first time in the 2001 parliamentary election, and has been so ever since...
and Red Electoral Alliance
Red Electoral Alliance
Red Electoral Alliance was an alliance of left-wing groups formed into a Norwegian political party to promote revolutionary far-left ideals into the Norwegian parliament...
, voted in favor of the tram line.
On 6 February 1998, an agreement was made between the ministry and the city, where the city would fund NOK 31 of 111 million of the investment needed. However, the city would have to pay all budget overrides. In 1996, the work with 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...
started. A follow-up on the existing road investment plan Oslo Package 1
Oslo Package 1
Oslo Package 1 was a political agreement and plan for introducing an urban toll ring around Oslo, Norway, and making 31 investments to road infrastructure in Oslo and Akershus. The package was approved in 1988, and toll charges were introduced in 1990. It was supplemented by Oslo Package 2, which...
, it would allow toll fees
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...
to be used to finance public transport infrastructure in Oslo. While the line was not initially part of the package, it served as a prelude in combining state and municipal grants to public transport investments. The agreement was approved by parliament on 26 May 1998.
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...
tram made a tested. Only the newest tram series can operate on the line, since all the older tram types were only unidirectional. Normal operations started on 1 June. After one month, ridership had increased with 20%, and 99% of services were less than three minutes delayed. The expansion had four new stations: Universitetet Blindern, Forskningsparken
Forskningsparken (station)
Forskningsparken is a rapid transit station on the Sognsvann Line of the Oslo Metro. It also serves as a light rail station for the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at the north of the Blindern campus of the University of Oslo in the Nordre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway...
, Gaustadalléen
Gaustadalléen (station)
Gaustadalléen is a light rail station on the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located where the road Gaustadalléen passes under Ring 3 in Gaustad in Oslo, Norway....
and 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....
. The entire section is built as a light rail, with step-free access to the trams, and the trams having their own corridors in the middle of the road. The last station on the old section, John Colletts plass
John Colletts plass (station)
John Colletts plass is a light rail station on the Oslo Tramway.Located in Ullevål Hageby in Nordre Aker borough, it was opened in 1925 as the terminus of the Ullevål Hageby Line. The name was given in 1938. In 1999 the line was extended to Rikshospitalet.The most prominent building at the square...
, had to be moved, though the balloon loop
Balloon loop
A balloon loop or turning loop allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to shunt or even stop. Balloon loops can be useful for passenger trains and unit freight trains, such as coal trains....
has been kept. On 22 August, the T-bane station Vestgrensa
Vestgrensa (station)
Vestgrensa was a light rail station on the Sognsvann Line of the Oslo Metro in Norway. It opened on 10 October 1934, and was located between Blindern and Ullevål stadion stations. The station was rebuilt when the Sognsvann Line was upgraded from light rail to metro standard in the early 1990s...
was closed, and replaced by one at Forskningsparken. This allows direct transfer from the Sognsvann Line (and since 2003 the Ring Line) of the T-bane to the Ullevål Hageby Line.
An original intent was to let the line continue from Rikshospitalet, connect with the Holmenkoll Line at Gaustad, follow its tracks southwards before branching off near 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...
and ending at 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....
. Here, at the terminus of the Frogner
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...
and 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...
s, a reconnection with the tramway system was provided. No part of this plan materialized.
The line was the crime scene of a murder on 3 August 2004, when a mentally deranged man went on a stabbing spree on board a tram at Bislett, injuring five and killing one.
Service
The Ullevål Hageby Line is served by both line 17 and 18 of the Oslo Tramway. They both operate the full length of the line between Rikshospitalet and Stortorvet. Line 17 continues along the Sinsen LineSinsen 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...
to Grefsen, while line 18 continues along the Gamleby-
Gamleby Line
The Gamlebyen Line is a section of the Oslo Tramway which runs east from Jernbanetorget along Schweigaards gate , past the Oslo Bus Terminal then turns south along Oslo gate, and past Gamlebyen before becoming the Ekeberg Line...
and 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...
to Ljabru
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...
. Because there is no turning loop, only 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 are used. Each line operates on a ten-minute headway during the day, and a twenty-minute headway in the evening and in the weekends. During the peak hours, the line therefore is served each five minutes. The service is provided by 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...
, on contract with Ruter
Ruter
Ruter As is the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus, Norway. The company, organized as a limited company is responsible for managing, but not operating, public transport in the two counties, including bus, the Oslo Metro, the Oslo Tramway and ferries...
. The trams and tracks are owned by the municipal company Kollektivtransportproduksjon.
Transfers to lines 3, 4 and 5 of the T-bane are possible at Forskningsparken, while all T-bane lines can be reached at Tinghuset/Professor Aschehougs plass
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,...
. Line 11 of the tramway can be transferred to at Welhavens gate and Høyskolesenteret. All other trams lines can be transferred to at Stortorvet. Line 18 also continues along the Gamleby Line 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 line 17 to Kirkeristen, where transfer is possible to the T-bane, and the national rail network at Oslo Central Station.
From downtown, the line runs in a generally northern direction, gradually turning northwestwards, moving along Thereses gate and Sognsveien to John Colletts plass, then through Niels Henrik Abels vei, on the north side of the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
campus, before ending at Rikshospitalet. The leg between John Colletts plass and Rikshospitalet is formally called the Gaustad Line . The first part of the line, from Stortorvet to Welhavens gate, serves the city center. Welhavens gate (east-bound trams) and Høyskolesenteret (west-bound trams) serves the main campus of Oslo University College
Oslo University College
Oslo University College , Norwegian: Høgskolen i Oslo is the largest state university college in Norway, with more than 11,000 students and approx. 1100 employees...
. Bislett is located just outside the multi-purpose sports venue Bislett Stadion
Bislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
. Ullevål sykehus
Ullevål sykehus (station)
Ullevål sykehus is a light rail station on the Ullevål Hageby Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located on the south-western side of Ullevål University Hospital, at the intersection of Sognsveien and Kirkeveien....
serves Ullevål University Hospital
Ullevål University Hospital
Ullevaal, Oslo University Hospital was opened in 1887. From January 1, 2009, the hospital is part of the Oslo University Hospital.Ullevål has more than 8,600 employees. 940 of them are doctors and 2,400 nurses. With a total of 1,200 beds Ullevål, admits some 45,000 patients per year and its...
, while both Universitet Blindern and Forskningsparken serve the main campus of the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
at Blindern
Blindern
Blindern is the main campus of the University of Oslo, located in Nordre Aker in Oslo, Norway.-The campus:Most of the departments of the University of Oslo are located at Blindern; other, smaller campuses include Sentrum , Gaustad , St...
. Rikshospitalet serves the hospital it takes its name from.