Ringeriksbanen
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This article or section contains information about a planned or expected public transportation infrastructure. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the infrastructure approaches, and more information becomes available. |
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| Ringeriksbanen | |
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|---|---|
| Info | |
| Type | Railway |
| System | Norwegian railway network |
| Status | Proposed |
| Locale | Ringerike, Norway |
| Terminals | Sandvika Station Hønefoss Station |
| No. of stations | 4 |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Jernbaneverket |
| Operator(s) | |
| Character | Mixed |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 40 kilometres (25 mi) |
| No. of tracks | Single |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) |
| Electrification | 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC |
| Operating speed | 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) |
Ringeriksbanen is a proposed 40-kilometre (25 mi) extension of the Bergensbanen railway from Hønefoss to Sandvika, Norway; reducing rail travel from Oslo to Bergen by 60 kilometres (37 mi) and 50 minutes.[1] Currently trains from Bergensbanen to Oslo must traverse via Drammen on Randsfjordbanen and Drammenbanen, or via Roa on Roa-Hønefossbanen and Gjøvikbanen.[2]
The project was presented as part of the original proposal of Bergensbanen, when the latter was approved by the Norwegian Parliament in 1894; but due to the narrow gauge on Drammenbanen at the time, a temporary solution via Roa was chosen instead. Later proposals have been launched, and parliament has voted over it in 1954, 1978, 1984 and 1992; only the last being passed, but not followed up by funding, and the Norwegian National Rail Administration has not allocated any date to start construction; detailed plans have however been produced.[3]
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[edit] Line
The line would branch off from Askerbanen just west of Sandvika Station, and continue mostly in tunnel to Hønefoss Station, with an intermediate station at Sundvollen. While only single track, sufficient passing loops every six to eight kilometers, each at 750 metres (2,500 ft), allowing 600 metres (2,000 ft) long freight trains. Capacity would be eight trains per hour operating at 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) permitting both freight and passenger trains through 22.5 tonne axle load and maximum 1.2% gradient; electrification would be at the Norwegian standard 15 kV AC. In 2002 a route over Åsa was preferred to a route over Kroksund by parliament; despite less passenger potential for local traffic and NOK 700 million more expensive, this would give a smaller environmental impact.[1][4][5] Travel time for the quickest trains from Hønefoss to Oslo would be 30 minutes,[1] compared to 60 minutes by buss or 95 minutes by train.[6]
Jernbaneverket has proposed a number of upgrades to Bergensbanen that would allow total travel time between the termini to reduce to four and a half hours. Ringeriksbanen is seen as the hallmark of this attempt, that was first launched by the director of NSB in 1954; sixty years late travel time remains at six and a half hours. The project is estimated to cost NOK 7 billion,[7], of which 4 billion would be for Ringeriksbanen.[8]
Prior to 1989 there were four local trains in each direction from Oslo to Hønefoss;[2] followed by on rush hour service each, but this single service has since been terminated;[9] mainly due to quicker travel times by coaches. Ringeriksbanen would allow the Oslo Commuter Rail once again to serve Ringerike; other places served usually have one hourly service, with additional services in rush hour.[10] Reducing travel time from Hønefoss to Oslo to 30 minutes would probably cause larger population growth in Ringerike.[11]
[edit] History
Initial proposals for the Bergensbanen route went from Hønefoss via Sandvika to Oslo Vestbanestasjon (Oslo V), but the proposal met technical and political restrictions. At the time Norway had two rail gauges; standard gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) and narrow gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in). The former was taking predominance over the latter, with among others Vossebanen, the initial stage of Bergensbanen from Bergen to Voss, being converted from narrow to standard gauge. Drammenbanen, that connected Sandvika to Oslo, was narrow gauge, as was most of the rest of the western network, including Vestfoldbanen; hundreds of kilometers of railway would have to be converted.
On the other side of Oslo, Nordbanen (now named Gjøvikbanen) was being built as standard gauge; it was considered the new mainline northwards, and was to be connected to the mainline through Gudbrandsdalen. By building a branch line from Roa to Hønefoss, Bergensbanen could be connected to Nordbanen, allowing standard gauge trackage all the way to Oslo Østbanestasjon (Oslo Ø). This also gave another advantage, as Oslo Ø was seen as superior to Oslo V; the latter only served limited commuter routes west of town while Oslo Ø was the main station for long-distance trains to Trondheim, as well as Göteborg and Stockholm in Sweden, with whom Norway was in a union with at the time. Only by terminating at Oslo Ø would direct transfer to trains to other parts of the country be possible.
When parliament passed the building of Bergensbanen in 1894, the Roa-Hønefossbanen branch line was made part of the plans; but the line was given a separate name indicating that Bergensbanen would continue from Hønefoss to Oslo in a more direct route. But after the finish of Bergensbanen other important mainline routes, in particular Dovrebanen, Sørlandsbanen and Nordlandsbanen, combined with the effort to convert narrow gauge line, made presidency over distance reductions. Ideas for the additional construction of Ringeriksbanen were pressed by commercial interests in Ringerike in both 1890 and 1906, but failed both times.[12]
In 1955 the Bergen businessperson Fritz Rieber launched an idea for the shortening of Bergensbanen; the Ulriken Tunnel through the Bergen mountains, electrification from Voss to Bergen, and the construction of Ringeriksbanen. Private financing would be provided through a dedicated limited company taking a surcharge on tickets, equal to the reduction in fare induced by the shorter line; within twenty years the debt would be covered. Passed by parliament in 1955, a year later they had changed their minds and only the investments around Bergen were supported; removing the support for Ringerike.[13] Prime Minister Trygve Bratteli commented that private debt financing would have to compete with the debt taken up by the government on other railway projects, since politicians had to see the national economy as a whole, and that private financing would not allow more lines to be built; the cost estimated at NOK 100 million.[3]
New proposals were debated in parliament in 1978, and again in 1984, but failing to be passed. The final decision to build the line was taken in 1992 as part of a political swap between the Labour Party (Ap) and the Socialist Left Party (SV); the Labour Party would support the line if the Socialist Left Party would support building European route E16 via the Lærdal Tunnel and Valdres, instead of via Hol or Eidfjord. Initially the agreement involved the completion of Ringeriksbanen in 1997,[3] but as of 2008 still not date or funding has been set.[1] Director of Jernbaneverket Steinar Killi has indicated that the period 2010-19 would be a natural time for completion, but only if more funding is provided.[14]
As either an alternative or supplement to the line, expansion of European route E16 from Sandvika to Hønefoss has been proposed; increasing from two to four lanes on the first 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Bjørum to Hvervenmoen, estimating to cost NOK 3.5 billion;[15]local politicians have suggested toll road financing.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Jernbaneverket (2007-08-31). Ringriksbanen (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ a b Aspenberg, Nils Carl (1999). Fra Roa til Bergen (in Norwegian). Oslo: Baneforlaget.
- ^ a b c Rødland, Kjartan (1999). Bergensbanen - livsnerven over høyfjellet (in Norwegian). Bergen: Alma Mater, 98-102.
- ^ Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications (2002-05-31). Bergensbanens forkortelse - Ringeriksbanen: Regjeringen går inn for "Åsa-korridoren". Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Aftenposten (2002-11-06). Fugl koster ny jernbane 700 millioner (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2006-06-04.
- ^ Buskerud county municipality (1999-10-01). Høringsuttalelse til Ringeriksbanen, konsekvensutredning fase 2 (Norwegian).
- ^ Jernbaneverket (2007-08-31). Rask og effektiv Bergensbane for sju milliarder (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (2007-10-09). Blir det 100 nye år? (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Norges Statsbaner. NSB rutekart lokaltog Østlandet. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Norges Statsbaner. Rutetabeller. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Jernbaneverket (2002-04-10). Ringeriksbanen : -et godt prosjekt. Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Ringeriksavisa (2005). Ringeriksbanen over 100 år (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Bjørn, Holøs (1984). Bergensbanen 75 (in Norwegian). Oslo: Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, 99-102.
- ^ Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (2008-01-17). Mer til tog (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Norwegian Public Roads Administration. E16 Sandvika - Sollihøgda (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
- ^ Hallingdølen. Tilrår bom på E16 (Norwegian). Retrieved on 2008-06-04.
[edit] External links
- Jernbaneverket project page (Norwegian)
