Kongsvinger Line

The Kongsvinger Line (Norwegian: Kongsvingerbanen) is a railway line between the towns of Lillestrøm and Kongsvinger in Norway and onwards to Charlottenberg in Sweden. The railway was opened on 3 October 1862 and is Norway's second standard gauge line (after the Hoved Line). It was electrified in 1951. The line is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.

Kongsvinger Line
Haga Railway Station
Overview
Native name	Kongsvingerbanen
Type	Railway
System	Norwegian railway
Termini	Lillestrøm Station Charlottenberg Station
Stations	20
Operation
Opened	1862
Owner	Norwegian National Rail Administration
Operator(s)	Norges Statsbaner CargoNet SJ
Character	Commuter trains Freight
Rolling stock	BM 69 Rc Regina
Technical
Line length	115 km
Number of tracks	Single
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Route map Legend Charlottenberg Station Furumoen - Border Magnor Valmand Closed 1990 Vestmarka Line Skotterud Stansberg Closed 1979 Matrand Vrangselva Grasmo Closed 1990 Sandnesberget Closed 1990 Eidsbrua Closed 1990 Åbogen Snarebrua Gjermshus Closed 1990 Granli Closed 1990 Vingersjø Closed 1944 Solør Line Kongsvinger Station Skyrudsåa Galterud Station Mellandsåa Mellandsmo Closed 1991 Sander Station Mangbakken Closed 1991 Mangå Skarnes Station Disenå Station Seterstøa Station Funnefoss Closed 1967 Husmo Closed 1991 Årnes Station Fjuk Closed 1942 Velvang Closed 1991 Brauter Closed 1991 Bodung Station Stubberud Closed 1942 Haugen Closed 1991 Haga Station Grøndal Closed 1942 Auli Station Rånåsfoss Station Blaker Station Fossåa Urskog–Høland Line Narrow gauge Bingsfoss Closed 1942 Sørumsand Station Rv172 Østby Closed 1942 Lystad Closed 1942 Guttersrud Station Holter Closed 1942 Varaa Closed 1932 Varåa Svingen Station Glomma Fetsund Station Nerdrum Station Tuen Station Trunk Line Lillestrøm Station

The line

At Kongsvinger there is a junction, the main line turns south and continues to Charlottenberg in Sweden, while another line, the Solør Line—now closed for passenger traffic—runs northwards to Elverum. The entire stretch between Kongsvinger and Charlottenberg, is 115 km long.

At Sørumsand, an old narrow gauge heritage railway called Tertitten operates during the summer.

Passenger service on the Kongsvinger Line is operated mostly by electric multiple unit commuter trains which run between Oslo and Kongsvinger. Passenger service across the border was once frequent and operated by Linx to Stockholm and Kungspilen to Karlstad. However poor business caused these companies to cease operations after 2004. During 2005 and 2006, passenger service between Oslo and Stockholm still existed, but not on a daily basis.

Passenger service across the border is again frequent. Starting 7 January 2007 the Swedish national rail company SJ reinstated daily traffic on the route, although the train journeys are 90 minutes longer than Linx provided, partly because they stop at several stops in Norway and operate as local trains, allowing commuter tickets.[1] The local traffic authority in Värmland operates trains with a similar traffic pattern between Oslo and Karlstad. They have connection with X 2000 high speed trains between Karlstad and Stockholm. The Swedish trains have between Oslo-Kongsvinger replaced some Norwegian local trains, and the Swedish operators get Norwegian funding, on the condition they operate like local trains in Norway.

Stations

• Lillestrøm
• Tuen
• Nerdum
• Fetsund
• Svingen
• Guttersrud
• Sørumsand
• Blaker
• Rånåsfoss
• Auli
• Haga
• Bodung
• Årnes
• Seterstøa
• Disenå
• Skarnes
• Sander
• Galterud
• Kongsvinger
• Charlottenberg

References

1. Expensive and slow, but clean Archived 2007-01-06 at the Wayback Machine Aftenposten, January 4, 2007 (in Norwegian)

External links

• Norwegian National Rail Administration's list of stations on the Kongsvinger Line (in Norwegian)
• Norwegian National Rail Administration's list of stations on the Kongsvinger Line (in English, but lacks station descriptions)