Flåm Line

Overview

Type

Railway

System

Rail transport in Norway

Termini

Myrdal
Flåm

Stations

Operation

Opened

15 October 1941

Owner

Norwegian National Rail Administration

Operator(s)

Norwegian State Railways

Character

Tourist trains

Rolling stock

El 18

Technical

Line length

20.2 km (12.6 mi)

Number of tracks

Single

Track gauge

1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) standard gauge

Electrification

15 kV 16 ²⁄₃ Hz AC

Operating speed

40 km/h (25 mph)

Highest elevation

866 m (2,841 ft) AMSL

Route map

Bergen Line from Bergen

0.00 km

Myrdal

866 m amsl

Bergen Line to Oslo

Toppen øvre Tunnel101 m

Toppen nedre Tunnel80 m

1.13 km

Vatnahalsen(1940)

811 m amsl

2.20 km

Reinunga(1942)

767 m amsl

Vatnahalsen Tunnel889 m

14 m

22 m

Bakli Tunnel195 m

4.40 km

Kjosfossen(1951)

670 m amsl

Kjosfoss Tunnel478 m

Nåli Tunnel1341.5 m

6.34 km

Kårdal(1946)

557 m amsl

Blomheller Tunnel1029.6 m

8.40 km

Blomheller(1942)

458 m amsl

Melhus Tunnel178 m

Melhusgjelet Tunnel11 m

Reppa Tunnel133 m

Sjølskott Tunnel39 m

10.51 km

Berekvam(1940)

345 m amsl

Geithus Tunnel139 m

Timberheller Tunnel173 m

Høga Bridge

Høga Tunnel59 m

Øvre Dalsbotn Tunnel154 m

Nedre Dalsbotn Tunnel207 m

13.90 km

Dalsbotn(1942)

200 m amsl

Spælemyren Tunnel25 m

Furuberget Tunnel424 m

17.21 km

Håreina(1940)

48 m amsl

18.60 km

Lunden(1942)

16 m amsl

20.20 km

Flåm(1940)

2 m amsl

The Flåm Line (Norwegian: Flåmsbana) is a 20.2-kilometer (12.6 mi) long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is 863 meters (2,831 ft); it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18). Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway.

Construction of the line started in 1924, with the line opening in 1940. It allowed the district of Sogn access to Bergen and Oslo via the Bergen Line. Electric traction was taken into use in 1944; at first El 9 locomotives were used, and from 1982 El 11. Until 1991, the train connected with a ferry service from Flåm to Gudvangen. In 1992, freight services were terminated, and due to low ticket prices and high operating costs, the line was nearly closed. In 1998, Flåm Utvikling took over marketing and ticket sale for the line, prices were heavily increased and El 17 locomotives were introduced. The trains remain operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), while the line itself is owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.

...
Wikipedia