Dovre Line

The Dovre Line (Norwegian: Dovrebanen) is a Norwegian railway line with three slightly different lines which all lead to the historic city of Trondheim.

Dovre Line
Dovrebanen at Kvam Station
Overview
Native name	Dovrebanen
Type	Railway
Termini	Oslo S Trondheim S
Stations	25
Operation
Opened	1921, the original Dovre Line
Owner	Norwegian National Rail Administration
Operator(s)	Norges Statsbaner CargoNet
Rolling stock	Class 73, El 14, El 16, El 18
Technical
Line length	553 km (344 mi)
Number of tracks	Single or double
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Operating speed	Max. 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph)
Route map Meråker Line Trondheim Central Station Skansen Bridge Skansen Station Nidareid Tunnel Marienborg Station Stavne–Leangen Line Stavne Hoem Tunnel Selsbakk Station Selsbakk Tunnel Lerbroelva Bridge Heimdal Station Hegstad Closed 1987 Kvammen Closed 1987 Melhus Melhus Station Kvål Station Ler Station Lundesokna bridge Lundamo Station Gulfoss Closed 1993 Gulfossen Bridge Gulfoss Tunnel Hovin Station Støren Station Røros Line Basmoen Snøan Soknedal Garli Thamshavn Line Berkåk Station Ulsberg Orkla Bridge Orkla Tunnel Granholtet Closed 1951 Indsetveien Closed 1966 Gisna Closed 1966 Byna Bridge Fagerhaug Myrplass Closed 1966 Rønningen Closed 1951 Garå Closed 1966 Oppdal Station Hevle Closed 1966 Driva Holan Kolstad Tunnel Drivstua Driva Øilien Tunnel Klemma Tunnel Kleivane Tunnel Stølan Tunnel Hestekrubben Tunnel Grimsdal Tunnel Nystubekk Tunnel Høgsnyta Tunnel Gammelhullet Tunnel Kongsvoll Station Svoni Point of highest elevation 1024.4 m Hjerkinn Station Gjeitberget Tunnel Vålåsjø Fokstua Grønbogen Tunnel Rauma Line Dombås Tunnel Dombås Station Dovre Station Tallerås Bridge Brennhaug Sel Otta Station Sjoa Kvam Station Vinstra Station Harpefoss Hundtorp Ringebu Station Kvitfjell Fåvang Losna Tretten Øyer Hafjell Hunderfossen Station Hunder Fåberg Hovemoen Lillehammer Station Bergseng Brøttum Ring Moelv Station Ringsaker Rudshøgda Veldre Brumunddal Station Jessnes Nordvika Hamar Station Røros Line Akersvika Ottestad Stange Station Sørli Timber freight terminal Steinsrud Tangen Station Skaberud Espa Strandlykkja Skrårud Closed 1980 Morskogen Korslund Closed 1980 Ørbekk Closed 1980 Minnesund Bridge Minnesund Bunes Closed 1980 Dokknes Closed 1967 Eidsvoll Station Trunk Line Gardermoen Line

Definition

• Dovre Line is the current name of the 548 km main line of the Norwegian railway system (Jernbaneverket) between Oslo and Trondheim,[1] used by Jernbaneverket (some times) and Vy (former NSB).
• Dovre Line is also the 484 km main line between Eidsvoll and Trondheim, used by Jernbaneverket since 2008.
• Dovre Line was the name of the 209 km main line between Dombås and Trondheim until 2008.[2]

The most inclusive of these meanings of Dovre Line thus includes the other two. To complicate the pattern even more, the first use of the Dovre Line was on the section between Dombås and Støren, completed in 1921. When this last section of the new standard gauge main line between Oslo and Trondheim via Lillehammer and Dombås was opened in 1921, the originally 49 km long narrow gauge section between Støren and Trondheim was made the northern part of the new Dovre Line. When talking about construction of railways in Norway, Dovre Line is the 158,1 km long Dombås - Støren section.[3]

Sections of the most inclusive use of Dovre Line (Dovrebanen)

Section	Km	Original Name	Opened	Remark	Illustration
Oslo - Eidsvoll	64	Gardermobanen	1998	Replaced Hovedbanen
Eidsvoll - Hamar	59	Eidsvold-Hamarbanen	1880
Hamar - Tretten	88	Eidsvold-Trettenbanen	1894
Tretten - Otta	83	Eidsvold-Ottabanen	1896
Otta - Dombås	46	Eidsvold-Størenbanen/Syd	1913
Dombås - Støren	158	Dovrebanen	1921		Hjerkinn station at the Dovre Line, 1970
Støren - Trondheim	51	Trondhjem-Størebanen	1864	Narrow gauge until 1919, dual until 1921[4]

General description and short history

The section south of Eidsvoll was until 1998 Norway's first public railway, Hovedbanen, from 1854, 68 km long. The present line between Oslo and Eidsvoll is the 4 km shorter Gardermoen Line, the only high-speed line in the country. Hovedbanen is still in service for freight trains (and local commuters to Dal), but is not considered as a part of Dovre Line. The entire line from Oslo to Trondheim is 548 km today. It is a more heavily traveled line than the older Røros Line and electrification was completed 1 November 1970.[2] Between 1935 and 1958, the Dovre Line was served by some of Norway's largest steam locomotives, the 2-8-4 NSB Class 49 "Dovregubben" ("Dovre Giant").

Compared to the Røros Line, the Dovre Line takes a more westerly course running through the town of Lillehammer and over the mountainous stretches of Dovre, before merging with the Røros Line again at Støren. There is one branch line, the Rauma Line which leaves the Dovre Line at Dombås.

To avoid the fairly regular river flooding on the railway line along the river Gaula, the Gulfoss Tunnel was completed in 1918 in the Hovin area of Melhus in what is now Trøndelag county.

Service

The Norwegian State Railways is the sole operator of passenger services on the Dovre Line. In each direction they operate four express trains between Oslo and Trondheim, of which two daily departures with the tilting Class 73 units, offering travel times down to 6:37, with departures in the morning and afternoon. There is also a locomotive-hauled afternoon train and a night train with sleeper cars. In addition there is a morning service from Dombås to Oslo. At Dombås there is correspondence with Møre og Romsdal via the Rauma Line.

The southern part of the line has hourly departures with InterCity Express trains from Lillehammer to Oslo. In the northern end, the Dovre Line is served by the Trøndelag Commuter Rail.

Accidents

The original Dovre Line was completed and officially opened on 17 September 1921. The inauguration ended on a tragic note when the train returning from the celebrations collided just after leaving Trondheim in the Nidareid train disaster the next day. The worst Norwegian railway disaster in peacetime also happened on the Dovre Line on 22 February 1975 when two trains collided one kilometer north of Tretten station, killing 27 people and wounding 25. There were approximately 800 people on the two trains.

Plans

The government has plans for building double track on the section between Eidsvoll and Doknes and Minnesund–Kleverud–Steinsrud between 2010 and 2019, to increase the speed and capacity on the today very crowded section between Eidsvold and Hamar. There are also plans for new crossing sections and expand existing crossing sections to at least 600 meters. For a later introduction there are plans of double track all the way between Eidsvold and Lillehammer. The government has an ambition too do so by 2030.

References

1. "Norway rail trips: The Dovre line - Fjord Travel Norway". Fjord Travel Norway. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
2. Bjerke & Holom 2004, p. 75.
3. Bjerke & Holom 2004, pp. 74-75.
4. Bjerke & Holom 2004, p. 90.

• Bjerke, T.; Holom, F. (2004). Banedata 2004. Hamar/Oslo: Norsk Jernbanemuseum & Norsk Jernbaneklubb.

External links

• Dovre Line (Dovrebanen) NSB (in English)
• Jernbaneverket's list of stations on the Dovre line