Bratsbergbanen
| Bratsbergbanen | |
| Info | |
|---|---|
| Type | Railway |
| Start station | Notodden |
| End station | Eidanger |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1916 |
| Owner | Jernbaneverket |
| Operator(s) | Norges Statsbaner |
| Rolling stock | Y1 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 74 km |
| No. of tracks | 1 |
| Gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) |
| Electrified | 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC |
Bratsbergbanen is a railway line in Telemark county which runs between Eidanger and Notodden. Though at Skien, the line continues as Vestfoldbanen. The line was opened in 1917, connecting the older Tinnosbanen to the rest of the rail network. Along the route, the line crosses Sørlandsbanen and shares the station of Nordagutu with that line. The tallest bridge on the Norwegian rail system, the 65 metre tall truss arch bridge called Hjukse Bru, is on Bratsbergbanen. Bratsbergbanen is electrified, but the only passenger trains operating on the line now are diesel powered Y1 railcars.
History
The original use of Bratsbergbanen was to connect the Norsk Hydro's fertilizer plant in Rjukan to the port in Skien. When the plan opened in 1909 a railway, Rjukanbanen, was buildt between Notodden and Rjukan, while transport from Notodden to Skien was performed along the Telemark canal. Bratsbergbanen was built to make it possible to transport the goods all the way to the port using railway.
Like several other Norwegian branch lines, Bratsbergbanen has had a troubled history, it was closed between October 2000 and August 2001. On August 25 2004, the northern terminus Notodden was moved by 800 m to a more central location. This 800 m extension of the line is not electrified.
External links
- Jernbaneverket's list of stations on Bratsbergbanen (Norwegian)
- Jernbaneverket's list of stations on Bratsbergbanen (in English, but lacks descriptions)
