Voss – Granvin railway line

Voss-Granvin
Granvin station in 1939
Route length:	27.5 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system :	15 kV 16 2/3 Hz  ~
Maximum slope :	45  ‰
Minimum radius :	180 m
Operating points and routes
Legend Bergensbanen of mountains 385.32 Voss (1883) 56.5 moh. to Myrdal Vosso (87 m) Haugamoen (1935) Industrial connection 388.74 Palmafoss godsterminal (1935) Voss sementvarefabrikk Chins (1935) 392.26 Mønshaug (1935) Bjørgum Mala (1981) 395.99 Dalsleitet (1935) 397.14 Flatlandsmo (1935) 400.27 Skjervet (1935) Skjervet I (60 m) Skjervet II (123 m) Skjervet III (1101 m) Skjervet IV (27 m) 404.30 Såkvitno (1935) 405.62 Nesheim (1935–1950 station, then Hp) Selland (1935) Kollanes (1935) Granvinelva (34 m) Hurpo (22 m) Granvinelva (36 m) 412.77 Granvin (1935)

The Voss – Granvin railway line ( Norwegian Hardangerbana , Hardangerbanen or Eidebanen ) was a 27.5 km long electrified Norwegian railway line that ran from Voss to Eide (Granvin station) along the Granvinfjord in Hardanger .

history

Hardangerbanen during the construction phase

The decision to build the line was made in Storting in 1919 . But it was only opened on March 30, 1935. During construction, work was stopped because Labor Minister Worm Hirsch Darre-Jenssen was convinced that the route could be better operated by car than by train. The regional parliament of Hordaland followed this conviction, but was overruled by the Storting.

The minimum curve radius was 180 meters, the greatest gradient 45 per thousand and the weight of the rails was initially 25 kilograms. Later, rails weighing 30 kilograms per meter were also used.

Decommissioning and current state

Passenger traffic ended on June 1, 1985, freight traffic was maintained until March 1, 1989. NSB considered revising the route and continuing to operate it. For freight trains, however, the axle load should have been increased considerably. A possible tourist traffic similar to that on the Flåmsbana was discarded. The demolition work began on December 10, 1991.

The 3.39-kilometer route from Voss to the Palmafoss freight station was retained as a siding. Much of the former route was used as a pedestrian and cycle path.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Stasjonsdatabasen. Norsk Jernbaneklubb, accessed February 28, 2014 (Norwegian). Hardangerbanen. In: Nebysamlingene. Retrieved February 28, 2014 (Norwegian).   
2. ↑ Jon Tufto, Arne Hofseth, Camilla Aadland: Lastebil sto almost under bro på Voss. In: Bergens Tidende . October 26, 2012, accessed February 28, 2014 (Norwegian). 
3. ^ Railroad cycling in Norway. Retrieved February 28, 2014 . 

Web links

Commons : Hardangerbana  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Hardangerbanen. In: Store norske leksikon . Retrieved February 28, 2014 (Norwegian). 
• Palmafoss godsterminal, photo collection Thomas Markovic. Retrieved September 9, 2015 . 
• Photos of the route. In: flickr . 1985, accessed February 28, 2014 . 
• Stasjonsdatabasen. Norsk Jernbaneklubb, accessed February 28, 2014 (Norwegian).