Kragerø Line

Kragerø Line
Kragerø in 1927
Overview
Native name	Kragerøbanen
Type	Railway
System	Norwegian Railway Network
Status	Abandoned
Locale	Telemark
Termini	Neslandsvatn Station Kragerø Station
Stations	15
Operation
Opened	2 December 1927
Closed	31 December 1988
Owner	Norwegian State Railways
Operator(s)	Norwegian State Railways
Character	Passenger and freight
Technical
Line length	26.62 km (16.54 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)
Electrification	15 kV 16 ²⁄₃ Hz AC
Highest elevation	72.6 m (238 ft) amsl

Kragerøbanen

Sørlandsbanen from Nordagutu

220.76 km

Neslandsvatn Station(1927)

72.6 m asl

Sørlandsbanen to Nelaug

222.40 km

Eskilt Station(1957)

Heldøla(23 m)

223.52 km

Heldøla Station(1928)

Rv38

226.99 km

Merkebekk Station(1927)

Kurdøla(87 m)

228.83 km

Kurdøla Station(1940)

Ytre Kurdøla(28 m)

229.90 km

Bådalshøgda Station(1950)

233.55 km

Saga Station(1951)

234.67 km

Farsjø Station(1927)

Farsjø(66 m)

Tveitereid(45 m)

236.60 km

Tveitereid Station(1940)

Støa(89 m)

239.00 km

Sannidal Station(1927)

Track removed from here to Kragerø

Vadfoss(827 m)

Kammerfosselva(63 m)

Kjerratløp(20 m)

240.80 km

Vadfoss Station(1927)

Bråtene(197 m)

242.10 km

Kammerfoss Station(1938)

Kammerfoss(293 m)

244.30 km

Kallstadbrua Station(1948)

Kallstad(123 m)

245.82 km

Kallstadkilen Station(1946)

Frydenborg(58 m)

Tangenheia(499 m)

247.38 km

Kragerø Station(1927)

The Kragerø Line (Norwegian: Kragerøbanen) was a 27-kilometer (17 mi) long railway line between Neslandsvatn and Kragerø in Telemark, Norway. It was opened on 2 December 1927 as part of the Sørlandet Line. From 10 November 1935, the Sørlandet Line was extended from Neslandsvatn to Arendal, and the Kragerø Line became a branch. It was mostly served with feeder trains, although a though train to Oslo was kept until the 1970s. Falling ridership caused the line to become closed from 1 December 1989, along with many other branch lines. Part of the line remains, although other parts have been demolished.

After the line was closed, the section from Sannidal to Kragerø, roughly 7 kilometers (4.3 mi), was demolished to make way for a road. The Tangenheim Tunnel was widened and also used. The track remains from Sannidal to Neslandsvatn, although a bridge close to Sannidal has been moved to allow better height for the road. In addition, the track across five underpasses have been removed. The track area at Kragerø Station has been converted to a parking lot, and the engine shed has been demolished. The station building has been preserved.

The decision to build the Kragerø Line was made by the Parliament of Norway on 9 July 1908. The decision was part of a larger plan to build the Sørlandet Line from Kongsberg to Kristiansand. It included new lines from Kongsberg to Hjuksebø, where the line would share tracks with the Bratsberg Line. From Nordagutu to Neslandsvatn, the line was planned as part of the Sørlandet Line, while the section from Neslandsvatn to Kragerø was to be temporary part of the line, until it would later be extended from Neslandsvatn to Arendal.

The section from Kongsberg to Neslandsvatn was built with a minimum curve radius of 300 meters (980 ft), while the Kragerø Line was built with 180 meters (590 ft). It was given a maximum gradient of 1.8 percent, and a track weight of 35 kilograms per meter (37 lb/ft). Eight people were killed during construction. The Kragerø Line opened on 2 December 1927, when the Sørlandet Line was extended from Lunde.

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Wikipedia