Romerike Tunnel
 | |
| Flytoget Airport Express Train at Etterstad | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | Gardermoen Line |
| Location | Østmarka, Norway |
| System | Norwegian railways |
| Start | Etterstad |
| End | Lillestrøm |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 22 August 1999 |
| Owner | Norwegian National Rail Administration |
| Operator |
Norwegian State Railways Flytoget SJ Värmlandstrafik |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 14.580 km (9.060 mi) |
| No. of tracks | Double |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Electrified | 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC |
| Operating speed | 210 km/h (130 mph) |
The Romerike Tunnel (Norwegian: Romeriksporten) is a 14.580-kilometre (9.060 mi) railway tunnel in Norway that connects Oslo with Lillestrøm. Being the longest railway tunnel in Norway, the tunnel forms the first half of the Gardermoen Line. It is double track and electrified, permitting speeds of 210 kilometres per hour (130 mph).
Construction started in 1994, with plans to open along with the rest of the Gardermoen Line and the Oslo Airport, Gardermoen on 8 October 1998. Due to a major leak from Lutvann and several other lakes, the tunnel could not open until 22 August 1999. The leakages increased the cost of the tunnel from NOK 0.5 billion to NOK 1.8 billion. The main contractor was Scandinavian Rock Group. While the tunnel was originally owned by NSB Gardermobanen, it is now owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The tunnel allows long-distance, regional and Flytoget Airport Express Trains to bypass the old Hoved Line, reducing journeys between Oslo and Lillestrøm from 29 to 12 minutes.
Background
The tunnel was constructed as part of the high-speed Gardermoen Line that runs from Oslo to Eidsvoll via Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. The tunnel covers most of the 18-kilometre (11 mi) section between Oslo Central Station and Lillestrøm Station, and needed to be built to bypass the windy Trunk Line that was built in 1854. Despite the older line having double track, capacity had reached its limit due to a combination of some trains making many stops and others none until Lillestrøm. The Romerike Tunnel would also be straighter and allow higher through speeds, decreasing travel time from 29 to 12 minutes.[1] The decision to build the Gardermoen Line and Romerike Tunnel was taken on by the Parliament of Norway on 8 October 1992, with the opening planned to be six years later on 8 October 1998.[2]
An alternative to the airport at Gardermoen was proposed at Hurum, south-west of Oslo. Had Hurum been chosen, the Gardermoen Line would not have needed to be built for the airport express train, but the planning documents recommended that construction still proceed to ease traffic north of Oslo. The tunnel is used by all trains on the Gardermoen Line, including the Flytoget airport express trains, and regional and express trains that continue to via the Dovre Line. In addition, local trains north along the Hoved Line and on the Kongsvinger Line use the tunnel. The Hoved Line is limited to freight trains, and commuter trains that make stops along the route.[1]
Construction
Construction started in August 1994, after a tender had been won by Scandinavian Rock Group (SRG), a cooperation between Målselv Anlegg, Nor Entreprenør and PEAB. The original contract price was NOK 541 million. In average 388 man-years were employed during construction, and the work involved the removal of 1.62 million tonnes of rock. There were three points of attack (headings), located at Bryn, Starveien on the Oslo–Lørenskog border, and at Stalsberg outside Lillestrøm.[3]
The tunnel is 14.580 kilometres (9.060 mi) long, with a 105 m2 (1,130 sq ft) profile, making it the longest tunnel in Norway when it opened[4]—and still the second longest tunnel following the opening of the Lærdal Tunnel for road vehicles. It allows speeds of 210 km/h (130 mph), with a slope of 0.2–0.4% slanting upwards towards Lillestrøm. This will allow a natural draft towards Lillestrøm, but to be able to force the draft in the opposite direction, a horizontal ventilation system has been installed. This is supplemented with vertical ventilation shafts at Bryn and Starveien. The tunnel is located between 6 metres (20 ft) and 120 metres (390 ft) below ground, with the lowest being in the area around Bryn.[3] Trains using the tunnel must be capable of a minimum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph) to be permitted through.[5] The tunnel has overhead wires with 15 kV AC railway electrification (16 2⁄3 Hz).[3]
Leakages
The tunnel needed to be built under Østmarka, a recreational area to the east of Oslo. This area had unstable ground, and was not ideal for building tunnels. Time pressures to coincide with the opening of the new airport resulted in tunnel construction being done at maximum speed, without adequate measures to keep out water, resulting in leakages. Houses in Hellerud, over the route of the tunnel, received damages and the water level in many lakes in Østmarka was reduced, including the lakes Lutvann and Nordre Puttjern.[6]
After the damage was discovered on 3 February 1997, sanctions were initiated by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, requiring work to remove the leakages. At the worst, the tunnel leaked 3,000 litres (660 imp gal; 790 US gal) of water per minute. To plug the holes, the substance Rhoca-Gil was used. After investigation, it turned out that Rhoca-Gil contained the toxic chemical acrylamide, which caused health problems among the tunnel workers. Removal of Rhoca-Gil resulted in additional delays in the construction process, while concrete was instead used for plugging leaks. In addition, an extensive, permanent pumping system was installed to recreate and maintain lake levels in Østmarka.[6]
The entire process of fixing the leaks and cleaning up the toxin delayed the process of building the tunnel for one year; the final opening was held on 22 August 1999. The entire process was complicated further due to conflicts between NSB Gardermobanen and the Scandinavian Rock Group. Retrospective surveys showed a lack of control and reporting procedures during the incidents, which should have been addressed in 1995, but had never been taken seriously. Approximately 60 houses received damage and compensation, as a result of the tunnel construction works. An evaluation performed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications showed that NOK 500 million was spent fixing the leaks; however the report claimed that this was to a large extent a waste of money, resulting from inefficient engineering procedures. The same report criticized the planning and organization of the entire construction of the railway.[6] In total the extraordinary additional costs for the tunnel totaled NOK 1.3 billion.[7]
Delay
When the new airport opened on 8 October 1998, the Flytoget airport express trains started working immediately, as did the Gardermoen Line from Lillestrøm to the airport and onwards to Eidsvoll. Because the tunnel itself was not open, trains were required to use the old Trunk Line from Oslo Central Station to Lillestrøm. After taking the diversion, the express trains switched onto the remainder of the new Gardermoen Line between Lillestrøm to Oslo Airport. Regular operations using the Romerike Tunnel started on 22 August 1999.[7]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Norwegian State Railways (1991). Gardermobanen Hovedrapport (in Norwegian).
- ↑ Bredal, Dag (1998). Oslo lufthavn Gardermoen: Porten til Norge (in Norwegian). Schibsted. p. 28. ISBN 82-516-1719-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 NSB Gardermobanen and Scandinavian Rock Group (1994). Romeriksporten (in Norwegian).
- ↑ Norwegian National Rail Administration (2007). "Jernbanestatistikk 2006".
- ↑ Verdens Gang (21 November 2000). "Nye Agenda-tog kjører for sakte" (in Norwegian).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications (1999). "Særskilt om Romeriksporten" (in Norwegian).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Flytoget. "History". Retrieved 24 May 2008.
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Coordinates: 59°54′20.25″N 10°47′40.00″E / 59.9056250°N 10.7944444°E