Gardermoen Line

Gardermoen Line
Eidsvoll Verk Station
Overview
Native name	Gardermobanen
Type	High-speed railway
Termini	Oslo Central Station Eidsvoll Station
Stations	5
Operation
Opened	8 October 1998
Owner	Bane NOR
Operator(s)	Norges Statsbaner Flytoget SJ CargoNet
Rolling stock	El18, BM70, BM71, BM72, BM73, BM74, BM75
Technical
Line length	64 kilometres (40 mi)
Number of tracks	Double
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV  16 2⁄3 Hz AC
Operating speed	210 kilometres per hour (130 mph)
Route map Dovre Line to Hamar 67.51 km Eidsvoll(1854) Hoved Line Tunnel (ca. 400 m) 63.30 km Eidsvoll Verk(1998) 62.35 km Bekkedalshøgda (ca. 1650 m) Underpass below runway (ca. 850 m) 51.85 km Oslo Airport, Gardermoen(1998) 42.22 km LangelandConnection to Hovedbanen Hoved Line Connection to Hoved Line Connection to Hoved Line Kongsvinger Line 20.95 km Lillestrøm(1854) Nitelva Hovedbanen to Oslo Romeriksporten (14 580 m) EtterstadGjøvik Line VålerengaHoved Line GrønlandSide track to Lodalen Østfold Line 0.27 km Oslo S(1854) Oslo Tunnel(1980) This diagram:

The Gardermoen Line (Norwegian: Gardermobanen) is a high-speed railway line between Oslo and Eidsvoll, Norway, running past Lillestrøm and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. The line is 64 kilometres (40 mi) long and replaced the older Hoved Line as the main line north-east of Oslo. The older Hoved Line now handles commuter and freight traffic, while the Gardermoen Line handles high-speed passenger trains and freight trains laden with jet fuel for the airport. Both lines are owned by Bane NOR.

The line was opened in 1998, at the same time as the airport that gave the line its name. It is used by the Flytoget airport express train service as well as express trains by Norges Statsbaner. It is the only high-speed railway in the kingdom, with a maximum permitted speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). Most of the line between Oslo and Lillestrøm is through the 14,580-metre (47,830 ft) long Romeriksporten tunnel—the longest railway tunnel in Norway. The decision to build the line was made in 1992; construction started two years later. The line was subjected to severe criticism during construction when the Romerike Tunnel sprung severe leaks due to hurried construction. As a result, the tunnel was opened a year after the rest of the line.

When the Parliament of Norway decided on 8 October 1992 to build a new central airport for Eastern Norway, they also decided that the main mode of ground transport to the airport should be by railway. While the previous airport, Oslo Airport, Fornebu, was located just outside the city limits; the new Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, would be located some 50 kilometers north of the city, outside the reach of the existing public transport systems. The political agreement to build the airport stated that the costs of construction should not be borne by the tax payers. As a result, the entire airport was financed with money borrowed through Oslo Lufthavn AS, a subsidiary of the Norwegian Airport Administration. The same principle was chosen for the airport rail link. The Norwegian State Railways (NSB) created the subsidiary, NSB Gardermobanen AS, on 24 November 1992 to perform the construction of the line. This company would be able to charge train operators using the railway line; and could use this income to cover its down payments and interest on the debt created to pay for the infrastructure investment. It was planned to give a profit margin of 7.5%.

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