Dovrebanen
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| Dovrebanen | |
 |
|
|---|---|
| A now retired El 11 locomotive at Eidsvoll | |
| Info | |
| Type | Railway |
| Start station | Oslo S |
| End station | Trondheim S |
| No. of stations | 25 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1921 |
| Owner | Jernbaneverket |
| Operator(s) | Norges Statsbaner CargoNet |
| Rolling stock | BM73, El 18 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 553 km |
| No. of tracks | 1 |
| Gauge | 1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) |
| Electrified | 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC |
Dovrebanen is the nickname for the main line of the Norwegian railway system between Oslo and Trondheim. Dovrebanen itself is only the stretch between Dombås and Støren, but it is more commonly used as a nickname for the entire line between Oslo and Trondheim. The line from Oslo to Eidsvoll is Norway's only high-speedline, Gardermobanen. The line between Eidsvoll and Dombås is from old times the Eidsvoll-Dombås line. The line from Støren to Trondheim is called Størenbanen. The entire line from Oslo to Trondheim is 553 km.
The line was completed September 17, 1921. It is a more heavily trafficated line than the older Rørosbanen and is electrified. Before electrification, Dovrebanen was served by some of Norway's largest steam locomotives, the 2-8-4 "Dovregubben" ("Dovre Giant").
The worst Norwegian railway disaster in peacetime happened on Dovrebanen February 22, 1975 when two trains collided one kilometre north of Tretten station, killing 27 people and wounding 25. There were approximately 800 people on the two trains.
Compared to Rørosbanen, Dovrebanen takes a more westerly course running through the town of Lillehammer and over the mountainous stretches of Dovre, before merging with Rørosbanen again at Støren. There is one branch line, Raumabanen which leaves Dovrebanen at Dombås.
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(note: most trains do not stop at the smaller stations)
