Østfoldbanen
Encyclopedia
The Østfold Line is a standard gauge
railway line that runs between Oslo
, Norway
, and the Swedish
border at Kornsjø
. Running through Follo
and Østfold
, it has both a Western and Eastern Line between Ski
and Sarpsborg. The line opened in 1879 as the Smaalenene Line .
The line is 171 km (106.3 mi), while the Eastern Line is 54 km (33.6 mi). There is double track
from Oslo S to Moss, and the whole line is electrified. The line has both freight and passenger trains, the latter operated by Norwegian State Railways. The Oslo Commuter Rail
runs stopping trains to Ski, as well as services to Moss
and Mysen
. In addition, there are regional trains to Halden
and to Gothenburg
in Sweden. At Kornsjø
, the line continues as the Norway/Vänern Line in Sweden.
on the Eastern Line, since all through trains use the Western Line.
All passenger trains services are provided by Norges Statsbaner (NSB). As part of the Oslo Commuter Rail
, NSB operates line 500 half-hour service, with additional trains during rush hour, from Oslo S to Ski, stopping at all stations. It continues west of Oslo S to Skøyen
. In addition, line 550 is an hourly or bi-hourly service making limited stops until Ski, and continuing to Moss. It operates to Spikkestad
west of Oslo. Line 560 operates hourly on the Eastern Line until Mysen
, except during rush hour when services are extended to Rakkestad. Commuter trains are Class 69 and Class 72
electric multiple units.
Regional trains operate to Halden on an hourly basis. These trains only call at Ski before Moss, but stop on all station south of that. Three daily services continue to Gothenburg in Sweden. NSB used Class 73b
units for the regional trains.
Passenger train services on the Østfold Line consist of regional trains and local trains. The regional trains run along the western branch between Oslo and Halden with three daily trains continuing to Gothenburg. There are three local train routes. Line 500 is the slowest of these and runs between Ski and Oslo stopping at every station. Line 550 runs from Moss and travels through Oslo before continuing to Spikkestad
. Line 560 serves the Eastern branch of the line to Mysen, with peak services to Rakkestad. Both line 550 and 560 have only limited stops on the Ski-Oslo part of the journey.
As of year 2009 the railway is in a bad competition situation between Oslo-Gothenburg since it has only 3 departures per day, takes longer time and has higher fare than the buses. A lot of money has been spent on the road, but not much on the railway. The regional stretches Oslo-Fredrikstad and Trollhättan-Gothenburg has relatively many passengers, but few travel all the way.
. The section from Halden to the border of Sweden
at Kornsjø
was opened on 25 July. There it is connected to the Dalsland Line and the railway goes all the way to Gothenburg
. The Eastern Branch was opened on 24 November 1982.
The Østfold Line from Oslo to Ski was upgraded to double track during the 1920s and 1930. It opened in four sections: Bekkelaget–Ljan
on 1 June 1924, Oslo Ø–Bekkelaget on 15 May 1929, Ljan–Kolbotn on 15 December 1936, and Kolbotn–Ski on 14 May 1939. The railway was subsequently electrified; the first section, from Oslo Ø to Ljan, was finished in 1936, while the last section was opened in 1940.
were the problems severe, and the initial plans called for new passing loops at Tveter and Kjenn, as well as making other station capable of simultaineous entry. However, this would not be sufficient to meet future needs, and in 1985 parliament passed the construction of a double track from Tveter to Kjenn, with completion in 1989.
Considerations by NSB were quickly made regarding a full double track from Ski to Moss, and in 1988 a prioritized building order was launched and passed by parliament. It called for the construction of Kambo Station
and Ski–Tveter by 1993, and the section Kjenn–Moss in 1996. The first part of the double track, from Tveter to Vestby, was opened on 30 November 1989. By 1991, plans were changed so initial section would only be from Tveter to Rustad, to allow parallel construction of both the railway and the European Route E6
. Due to disagreements with the Moss City Council on the route through the city, the double track would be cut off at Sandbukta, 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) north of Moss.
The section Tveter–Kjenn was initially conceived as a pure capacity-increasing construction, and no attempts were made to create any speed possibilities above 130 km/h (80.8 mph). By 1992, NSB wanted the line to be built for 200 km/h (124.3 mph), and Tveter–Kjenn remains a bottleneck. However, the route could not be changed on the sections Ski–Tveter and Kambo–Sandbukta, so only the section Rustad–Smørbekk is capable of the higher speed limit. However, the former were built for 160 km/h (99.4 mph). The whole section cost , and was opened for service on 22 October 1996. It was the first railway line to permit such high speeds in Norway.
The final section to Moss has not been built, due to a disagreement between the National Rail Administration, and local politicians. The former feels that the tunnel represents a considerable extra cost over their preferred solution, and that local authorities should pay a major part of the investments costs. The Moss Tunnel has not been included in any current plans for future construction.
On 28 June 2000, a new 7 km (4.3 mi) section of double track was opened at Rygge Station
. Including a full upgrade of the station, 21 road crossings were removed. The NOK 500 million project reduced travel time between Moss and Fredrikstad by seven minutes. Since 2007, Rygge Station has also served as an airport rail link
via a shuttle bus to the near-by Moss Airport, Rygge
.
The Follo Line is a planned 22.5 kilometres (14 mi) high-speed rail
way between Oslo and Ski. Running parallel to the Østfold Line, it will be designed for operation at speeds up to 200 km/h (124.3 mph). Terminal stations will be Oslo S and Ski
, with a possible intermediate station at Kolbotn
. Most of the railway will run in a tunnel. Construction is estimated to start in 2013, and may be completed by 2018. The Follo Line will increase capacity from twelve to forty trains per hour along the South Corridor, and will allow express and regional trains to decrease travel time from Ski to Oslo from twenty-two to eleven minutes.
Planning of the line started in the mid-1990s, and is similar to the Romerike Tunnel and the Asker Line that have created four tracks in the North and West Corridors from Oslo. There is no point to upgrading the Østfold Line south of Moss without building additional capacity to Ski, since it is the bottleneck of the whole Østfold Line. The line will result in up to eight commuter trains along the old line to Kolbotn, and four to Ski. In addition, freight trains will operate on the old track, while all passenger trains bound for south of Ski will use the new tracks.
When these projects are completed, there will be continuous double track on the 75 km long section between Oslo and Haug, and four tracks between Oslo and Ski.
in Sweden. The existing track from Ski to Sandbukta would be part of the route, as would the Follo Line. However, an all-new railway would have to be built south of Moss (a part near Rygge is straight double track and could be kept). This would allow travel time to Gothenburg of 2 hours 20 minutes, as well as significant time reductions for the regional trains to Halden. The long term plan 2015-2040 reject any railway construction east of Halden.
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...
railway line that runs between 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...
, and the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
border at Kornsjø
Kornsjø
Kornsjø is a village in Enningdalen in Halden, Norway on the border to Sweden. The village has 250 residents . At Kornsjø is the bordercrossing for the railway lines Østfoldbanen and Norgebanan . Previously change of crew was performed at Kornsjø Station, but this has since been closed....
. Running through Follo
Follo
Follo is one of three districts in the county of Akershus, Norway. It is located between Oslo and Østfold and includes the southwestern part of the county's area east of Oslo, namely the municipalities Frogn, Oppegård, Ski, Vestby, Ås, Nesodden, and Enebakk...
and Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
, it has both a Western and Eastern Line between Ski
Ski Station
Ski Station is a railway station located in Ski, Norway. Located from Oslo Central Station on the Østfold Line, at the point where the railway splits in two into an eastern and western line....
and Sarpsborg. The line opened in 1879 as the Smaalenene Line .
The line is 171 km (106.3 mi), while the Eastern Line is 54 km (33.6 mi). There is 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 :...
from Oslo S to Moss, and the whole line is electrified. The line has both freight and passenger trains, the latter operated by Norwegian State Railways. 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...
runs stopping trains to Ski, as well as services 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...
and Mysen
Mysen Station
Mysen is a railway station located in Mysen in Eidsberg, Norway. The station is served by commuter trains from Skøyen and Oslo S on an hourly basis, with extensions to Rakkestad Station during rush hour. Mysen Station was opened in 1882 as part of the eastern section of the Østfold Line....
. In addition, there are regional trains to Halden
Halden Station
Halden Station is a railway station located in downtown Halden in Østfold, Norway, located on the Østfold Line. The station is served by Norwegian State Railways InterCity Express on an hourly or semi-hourly service from Oslo Central Station, with Halden being the terminal station for all but...
and to Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
in Sweden. At Kornsjø
Kornsjø Station
Kornsjø Station is a railway station located at Kornsjø in Halden, Norway, on the Østfold Line. The station is located from the Norway–Sweden border and was opened in 1879 for changing crew on international trains between Sweden and Norway...
, the line continues as the Norway/Vänern Line in Sweden.
Service
Up to 222 trains traffic ate the Østfold Line from Oslo S to Ski each day, with 98 continuing to Moss and 36 to Mysen. The line has double track between Oslo S and Moss, and single track southwards and on the Eastern Line. The line is served by both passenger and freight trains, though there is no regular traffic south of RakkestadRakkestad Station
Rakkestad Station is a railway station located in Rakkestad, Norway on the Østfold Line. The station is also served by the Oslo Commuter Rail line 560 from Oslo S with two trains during rush hour. Rakkestad Station was opened in 1882 as part of the eastern section of the Østfold line and is the...
on the Eastern Line, since all through trains use the Western Line.
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...
, NSB operates line 500 half-hour service, with additional trains during rush hour, from Oslo S to Ski, stopping at all stations. It continues west of Oslo S to 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...
. In addition, line 550 is an hourly or bi-hourly service making limited stops until Ski, and continuing to Moss. It operates to 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...
west of Oslo. Line 560 operates hourly on the Eastern Line until Mysen
Mysen Station
Mysen is a railway station located in Mysen in Eidsberg, Norway. The station is served by commuter trains from Skøyen and Oslo S on an hourly basis, with extensions to Rakkestad Station during rush hour. Mysen Station was opened in 1882 as part of the eastern section of the Østfold Line....
, except during rush hour when services are extended to Rakkestad. Commuter trains are Class 69 and Class 72
NSB Class 72
NSB Class 72 is a class of 36 electric multiple units built by AnsaldoBreda for the Norwegian State Railways. Delivered between 2002 and 2005, the four-car units operate on the Oslo Commuter Rail and the Jæren Commuter Rail. The trains have a capacity of 310 passengers and the motors allow a...
electric multiple units.
Regional trains operate to Halden on an hourly basis. These trains only call at Ski before Moss, but stop on all station south of that. Three daily services continue to Gothenburg in Sweden. NSB used Class 73b
NSB Class 73
NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on...
units for the regional trains.
Passenger train services on the Østfold Line consist of regional trains and local trains. The regional trains run along the western branch between Oslo and Halden with three daily trains continuing to Gothenburg. There are three local train routes. Line 500 is the slowest of these and runs between Ski and Oslo stopping at every station. Line 550 runs from Moss and travels through Oslo before continuing to Spikkestad
Spikkestad
Spikkestad is a population center in the Røyken municipality in Norway. It is located in the northern part of the Hurum Peninsula, closer to the Drammen Fjord than the Oslo Fjord....
. Line 560 serves the Eastern branch of the line to Mysen, with peak services to Rakkestad. Both line 550 and 560 have only limited stops on the Ski-Oslo part of the journey.
As of year 2009 the railway is in a bad competition situation between Oslo-Gothenburg since it has only 3 departures per day, takes longer time and has higher fare than the buses. A lot of money has been spent on the road, but not much on the railway. The regional stretches Oslo-Fredrikstad and Trollhättan-Gothenburg has relatively many passengers, but few travel all the way.
History
On 2 January 1879, the first part of Østfoldbanen opened, from Kristiania to HaldenHalden Station
Halden Station is a railway station located in downtown Halden in Østfold, Norway, located on the Østfold Line. The station is served by Norwegian State Railways InterCity Express on an hourly or semi-hourly service from Oslo Central Station, with Halden being the terminal station for all but...
. The section from Halden to the border of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
at Kornsjø
Kornsjø Station
Kornsjø Station is a railway station located at Kornsjø in Halden, Norway, on the Østfold Line. The station is located from the Norway–Sweden border and was opened in 1879 for changing crew on international trains between Sweden and Norway...
was opened on 25 July. There it is connected to the Dalsland Line and the railway goes all the way to Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. The Eastern Branch was opened on 24 November 1982.
The Østfold Line from Oslo to Ski was upgraded to double track during the 1920s and 1930. It opened in four sections: Bekkelaget–Ljan
Ljan Station
Ljan Station is a railway station in the Ljan area of bydel Nordstrand in Oslo, Norway. Located on the Østfold Line, it is served by the Oslo Commuter Rail line 500 operated by Norges Statsbaner with two hourly services. The station was opened with the rest of Østfoldbanen in 1879.-External links:*...
on 1 June 1924, Oslo Ø–Bekkelaget on 15 May 1929, Ljan–Kolbotn on 15 December 1936, and Kolbotn–Ski on 14 May 1939. The railway was subsequently electrified; the first section, from Oslo Ø to Ljan, was finished in 1936, while the last section was opened in 1940.
Double track to Moss
NSB launched the first plans for double track from Ski to Moss during the 1950s, but this was rejected by parliament. In the 1980s, the plans were revitalized due to problems with regularity and old technical standards along the line. Especially at VestbyVestby Station
Vestby Station is a railway station on the Østfold Line located in the village of Vestby, Norway. It is served by commuter trains operated by the Norwegian State Railways running from Spikkestad over Oslo to Moss. The station opened in 1879, and was modernised in the early 1990s...
were the problems severe, and the initial plans called for new passing loops at Tveter and Kjenn, as well as making other station capable of simultaineous entry. However, this would not be sufficient to meet future needs, and in 1985 parliament passed the construction of a double track from Tveter to Kjenn, with completion in 1989.
Considerations by NSB were quickly made regarding a full double track from Ski to Moss, and in 1988 a prioritized building order was launched and passed by parliament. It called for the construction of Kambo Station
Kambo Station
Kambo Station is a railway station located at the village of Kambo in Moss, Norway on the Østfold Line. The station is served by commuter trains between Spikkestad via Oslo to Moss with half hour or hourly headway by Norges Statsbaner.-History:...
and Ski–Tveter by 1993, and the section Kjenn–Moss in 1996. The first part of the double track, from Tveter to Vestby, was opened on 30 November 1989. By 1991, plans were changed so initial section would only be from Tveter to Rustad, to allow parallel construction of both the railway and the European Route E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
. Due to disagreements with the Moss City Council on the route through the city, the double track would be cut off at Sandbukta, 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) north of Moss.
The final section to Moss has not been built, due to a disagreement between the National Rail Administration, and local politicians. The former feels that the tunnel represents a considerable extra cost over their preferred solution, and that local authorities should pay a major part of the investments costs. The Moss Tunnel has not been included in any current plans for future construction.
On 28 June 2000, a new 7 km (4.3 mi) section of double track was opened at Rygge Station
Rygge Station
Rygge Station is a railway station on the Østfold Line in Rygge, Norway. In addition to serving the village, the station acts as an airport rail link to Moss Airport, Rygge via a free shuttle bus. The station has two platforms and is located on a double track section of the line...
. Including a full upgrade of the station, 21 road crossings were removed. The NOK 500 million project reduced travel time between Moss and Fredrikstad by seven minutes. Since 2007, Rygge Station has also served as an airport rail link
Airport rail link
An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city; by mainline- or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover or light rail...
via a shuttle bus to the near-by Moss Airport, Rygge
Moss Airport, Rygge
Moss Airport, Rygge is an international airport serving Moss, Oslo and Eastern Norway, located in Rygge. It is both a regional airport for Østfold as well as an airport for low-cost airlines. The airport is located outside Moss and outside Oslo and is owned and operated by the private company...
.
Follo Line
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
way between Oslo and Ski. Running parallel to the Østfold Line, it will be designed for operation at speeds up to 200 km/h (124.3 mph). Terminal stations will be Oslo S and Ski
Ski Station
Ski Station is a railway station located in Ski, Norway. Located from Oslo Central Station on the Østfold Line, at the point where the railway splits in two into an eastern and western line....
, with a possible intermediate station at Kolbotn
Kolbotn Station
Kolbotn is a railway station located at Kolbotn in Oppegård, Norway. Located 12 km from Oslo S on the Østfold Line, it is served by commuter trains operated by Norges Statsbaner....
. Most of the railway will run in a tunnel. Construction is estimated to start in 2013, and may be completed by 2018. The Follo Line will increase capacity from twelve to forty trains per hour along the South Corridor, and will allow express and regional trains to decrease travel time from Ski to Oslo from twenty-two to eleven minutes.
Planning of the line started in the mid-1990s, and is similar to the Romerike Tunnel and the Asker Line that have created four tracks in the North and West Corridors from Oslo. There is no point to upgrading the Østfold Line south of Moss without building additional capacity to Ski, since it is the bottleneck of the whole Østfold Line. The line will result in up to eight commuter trains along the old line to Kolbotn, and four to Ski. In addition, freight trains will operate on the old track, while all passenger trains bound for south of Ski will use the new tracks.
Sandbukta-Moss-Såstad
The government has released plans for building double track on the single track section between Sandbukta and Såstad sometimes between 2010 and 2019.When these projects are completed, there will be continuous double track on the 75 km long section between Oslo and Haug, and four tracks between Oslo and Ski.
Haug-Onsøy
The 12 km section between Haug and Onsøy right north of Fredrikstad was originally planned to be built before the Sandbukta-Såstad part, as a part of Jernbaneverkets plan for double track "between" the cities, with the old single track sections inside the cities where the speed will be low due to stops. Later plans may include that the double track will not include Fredrikstad and instead run directly in direction Sarpsborg on its way to Halden. Therefore the Sandbukta-Såstad part will be built first while Jernbaneverket and the politicians decides where the future line will run.High-speed
As part of the ongoing evaluation of high-speed rail in Norway, there exist proposals for a full upgrade to the Østfold Line to allow high-speed trains to operate between Oslo and GothenburgGothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
in Sweden. The existing track from Ski to Sandbukta would be part of the route, as would the Follo Line. However, an all-new railway would have to be built south of Moss (a part near Rygge is straight double track and could be kept). This would allow travel time to Gothenburg of 2 hours 20 minutes, as well as significant time reductions for the regional trains to Halden. The long term plan 2015-2040 reject any railway construction east of Halden.
External links
- Jernbaneverket's list of stations
- Main stations
- Commuter trains between Skøyen in Oslo and Ski
- Commuter trains between Spikkestad and Moss (Note: Spikkestad is the end station of Spikkestad Line, these trains run through Oslo to Moss.)