Blindern (station)

Blindern
MX3000 train at Blindern
Location	Blindern, Nordre Aker, Oslo Norway
Coordinates	59°56′24″N 10°42′58″E / 59.94000°N 10.71611°E / 59.94000; 10.71611Coordinates: 59°56′24″N 10°42′58″E / 59.94000°N 10.71611°E / 59.94000; 10.71611
Elevation	74.8 m (245 ft)
Owned by	Sporveien
Operated by	Sporveien T-banen
Line(s)	Sognsvann Line
Distance	4.0 km (2.5 mi) from Stortinget
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	1
History
Opened	10 October 1934
Rebuilt	1993
Traffic
Passengers (2002)	4,989 (weekday boarding average)
Services
Preceding station   Oslo Metro   Following station Forskningsparken towards Vestli Line 4 Sognsvann Line Majorstuen towards Bergkrystallen Forskningsparken towards Sognsvann Line 5 Sognsvann Line Majorstuen towards Vestli

Blindern is a rapid transit station of the Oslo Metro's Sognsvann Line. It is situated in the Blindern neighborhood of the Oslo, Norway borough of Nordre Aker. Located 4.0 kilometers (2.5 mi) from Stortinget, the station is served by lines 4 and 5 of the metro, with a combined five-minute headway. Travel time to Stortinget is seven minutes. Along with Forskningsparken, it serves eponymous campus of the University of Oslo.

The station opened on 10 October 1934 along with the rest of the Sognsvann Line. Until 1994 the station was called Blindernveien, named for the road which cross the line at a level crossing. The station received a major upgrade in 1993, in which it received longer platforms and an overpass.

Construction of single dwellings in the area commenced in the 1920, starting off with the Blindern Haveby estate. In 1920 the Parliament of Norway decided that the area would be the main campus for the University of Oslo. Meanwhile, Aker Municipality worked with plans for construction of a suburban railway which would serve the areas around Blindern. Holmenkolbanen was granted permission in 1922, but the plans were placed on hold. Work commenced again in 1933 and the line opened on 10 October 1934. It was originally called Blindernveien.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute moved to Blindern in 1937, but large-scale development of the campus did not take place until the 1960s. During the 1980s, the city decided to connect the four suburban lines west of the city center with the Oslo Metro. The Sognsvann Line was selected as the first line to be upgraded, so the two systems would become compatible. The line was upgraded to metro standard by replacing the overhead wire with a third-rail power supply and installing automatic train protection. Blindern received a standardized design as the rest of the stations on the Sognsvann Line. The station cut off the road Blindernveien, as it could not longer cross the tracks. Originally the plans had called for the street to be carried over the station on an overpass. This was protested by local residents, and eventually led to a much smaller overpass being built which only carried a combined pedestrian and bicycle path.