Hvalstad Station

Hvalstad
Kristiansen's elevated station is the third station building at Hvalstad
Location	Hvalstadveien Hvalstad, Asker Norway
Coordinates	59°51′32″N 10°27′43″E / 59.85889°N 10.46194°E / 59.85889; 10.46194Coordinates: 59°51′32″N 10°27′43″E / 59.85889°N 10.46194°E / 59.85889; 10.46194
Elevation	64.0 m (210.0 ft)
Owned by	Norwegian National Rail Administration
Operated by	Norwegian State Railways
Line(s)	Drammen Line
Distance	20.19 km (12.55 mi) from Oslo S
Platforms	1 island platform
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Parking	33 places
Architect	Georg Andreas Bull (1872) Jens Flor (1916) Julia Kristiansen (1957)
Other information
Fare zone	2V
History
Opened	7 October 1872 (7 October 1872)
Rebuilt	1915, 1957
Electrified	30 August 1922
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	233,000 (annually)
Location
Hvalstad Location within Akershus

Hvalstad Station (Norwegian: Hvalstad stasjon) is a railway station of the Drammen Line located at Hvalstad in Asker, Norway. Situated 20.19 kilometers (12.55 mi) from Oslo Central Station, it consists of an island platform and serves the L1 line of the Oslo Commuter Rail operated by the Norwegian State Railways. The station served 233,000 passengers in 2012.

The line opened at the same time as the Drammen Line on 7 October 1872. The first station building was a wooden structure designed by Georg Andreas Bull. The station was moved in 1915 to its current location. This resulted in another wooden station building, designed by Jens Flor. The third station building, designed by Julie Kristiansen, was completed in 1957. This resulted in the station being raised to an elevated structure. Bull's building has been demolished, while Flor's and Kristiansen's have been listed as heritage sites.

Hvalstad was along with Asker Station the only stations to be opened along with the Drammen Line on 8 October 1872. The first station building was a simple wooden structure designed by Georg Andreas Bull. It was a stable design, which was seen on several low-traffic stations along the Randsfjorden Line, the Drammen Line and the Jæren Line. Near the station there was a wooden viaduct, the 176-meter (577 ft) Hvalstad Viaduct. It was the largest of its kind in Northern Europe and became a tourist attraction. The station became the natural center for the area and soon both residences and shops.

In the mid-1910s, the Norwegian State Railways decided to replace Hvalstad Viaduct. This required the rebuilding of 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) of the Drammen Line past Hvalstad. It also required the moving of the station, about 200 meters (660 ft) parallel to the tracks to the southwest. This also involved the construction of a tunnel on each side of the new station, the 29-meter (95 ft) Hvalstad 2 Tunnel to the north and the 130-meter (430 ft) Hvalstad 3 Tunnel. The new station received a new station building, designed by Jens Flor of NSB Arkitektkontor. The new segment of track opened on 14 June 1915 and the old viaduct was demolished in 1916.