Sørlandsbanen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sørlandsbanen is a railway line between Drammen (though this is connected to Oslo by means of Drammensbanen) via Kristiansand to Stavanger. The line is 545 km long between Oslo and Stavanger. Sørlandsbanen was completed by the German occupation force during World War 2. It was opened for regular traffic on May 1, 1944. The line was an important communications line for transportation of troops, as well as war material.
Long stretches of the Sørlandsbanen railway are away from the coast, instead of the more densely populated coastline. One reason for this was to protect the line from invading forces, and also to prevent the line being bombarded by navy ships.
Among the stretches which Sørlandsbanen can be divided into are:
- Oslo - Drammen is Drammensbanen, completed in 1872.
- Drammen - Kongsberg was opened in 1871.
- Kongsberg-Bø was opened in 1924.
- Lunde-Kristiansand was opened in 1938.
- Kristiansand-Moi was opened in 1944.
- Egersund-Stavanger is Jærbanen, opened in 1878.
Sørlandsbanen has one operational branch line, Arendalsbanen, which runs between Nelaug and Arendal. Another branch line, Flekkefjordbanen, from Sira to Flekkefjord, was once part of the main line. Upon completion of Sørlandsbanen in 1944, it was turned into a branch line, and it was closed in 1990. Other branch lines which are closed are Numedalsbanen between Kongsberg and Rødberg (in Nore og Uvdal), Setesdalsbanen, and Kragerøbanen between Neslandsvatn and Kragerø.
Kristiansand station is designed as a terminal station. Therefore, trains from Stavanger towards Oslo reverse direction when leaving Kristiansand.
