Flekkefjord Station

Flekkefjord
Flekkefjord Station in 1908
Location	Flekkefjord, Flekkefjord Norway
Coordinates	58°17′37″N 6°39′54″E / 58.2937°N 6.6651°E / 58.2937; 6.6651Coordinates: 58°17′37″N 6°39′54″E / 58.2937°N 6.6651°E / 58.2937; 6.6651
Owned by	Norwegian State Railways
Operated by	Norwegian State Railways
Line(s)	Flekkefjord Line
Platforms	4
Construction
Architect	Paul Armin Due
History
Opened	1 November 1904
Closed	31 December 1990

Flekkefjord Station (Norwegian: Flekkefjord stasjon) is a former railway station located in the town of Flekkefjord in the municipality of Flekkefjord in Vest-Agder county, Norway. It served as the terminus of the 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge Flekkefjord Line from 1904 to 1990. The station building was designed by Paul Armin Due and was built in brick Art Nouveau.

The station was important for transport along the coast until 1944, when the completion of the Sørland Line made Flekkefjord a branch station. At the same time, the line was converted to standard gauge, the number of station tracks was reduced, and the station received an overhaul. The station building was demolished in 1970, but the station was still served until the line closed in 1990. The tracks and depot buildings still exist.

The Flekkefjord Line ran from Egersund to Flekkefjord, as an extension of the Jæren Line, that ran from Stavanger to Egersund. The Norwegian Parliament voted in favor of the line in 1894, and construction started two years later. While initial plans were to open the line in 1902, the station and line did not open until 1 November 1904. The line was built as a 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge line, and the first rolling stock was reallocated from the Voss Line.

Initially, there were four trains daily in each direction, reduced to three on holidays. The most important train was the one that coordinated with the west-bound steam ship; the train would wait up to 45 minutes if the ship was delayed. This become the dominant route for people to get from Stavanger to cities along the South Coast, as well as to Oslo. In addition to passengers, major cargo shipments included seasonal shipments of herring, as well as lumber from the surrounding areas. Coal for the trains was imported by steam ship to Flekkefjord.