Bestun Station

Bestun
Location	Bestum, Oslo Norway
Coordinates	59°55′13″N 10°39′53″E / 59.9203°N 10.6648°E / 59.9203; 10.6648Coordinates: 59°55′13″N 10°39′53″E / 59.9203°N 10.6648°E / 59.9203; 10.6648
Elevation	24 m (79 ft)
Owned by	Norwegian State Railways
Line(s)	Drammen Line
Distance	4.31 km (2.68 mi) from Oslo V
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Architect	Eivind Gleditsch
History
Opened	15 July 1884 (15 July 1884)
Closed	3 July 1973 (3 July 1973)
Rebuilt	1890, 1918
Electrified	30 August 1922
Location
Bestun Location within Oslo

Bestun Station (Norwegian: Bestun stasjon) was a railway station situated at Bestum of the Ullern area of Oslo, Norway, on the Drammen Line. The station, located 4.31 kilometers (2.68 mi) from Oslo West Station (Oslo V), was served by Oslo Commuter Rail trains of the Norwegian State Railways.

The station opened as Vækkerø on 15 July 1884. It received a new station building, designed by Paul Due in 1890, and took the name Bestum on 15 August 1890. The third and current station building, designed by Eivind Gleditsch, was completed in 1918. This allowed the station to receive its form as an elevated. The name Bestun was taken into use on 1 September 1922, a week after electric traction and double track had been established past it. The station was one of several closed on 3 July 1973 as part of a service upgrade to speed up local trains on the Drammen Line. Due's station building has been preserved and is on display at the Norwegian Railway Museum.

The Drammen Line past the site of Bestun Station opened as a narrow gauge railway on 7 October 1872. Ullern was at the time sparsely populated, so the railway company decided that there would be only one station in the area, situated at Tyskerstranden, now Skøyen Station. However, the road to Tyskerstranden was in poor condition. During the late 1880s and 1890s construction of housing in Bestum accelerated, increasing the basis for patronage. The station opened on 15 July 1884 and was originally named Vækkerø. The first installation was a simple platform with a ticket stand, which was located 4.24 kilometers (2.63 mi) from Oslo V.

Bestum lacked any schools at the time and therefore all school children had to take the train into town. Train services were at first limited with only some trains calling at the station. Especially in the evenings this was regarded by the residents as a problem, as the last train from Oslo arrived before 20:00. This was later made better by two weekly services calling at Vækkerø at 23:30, allowing the locals to enjoy the city's nightlife. The original kiosk was later moved to Randsfjord Station.