Rauma Line

The Rauma Railway ( norw Raumabanen ) is a single-track, non- electrified railway in the south of Norway. The route starts at 659 meters above sea level in Dombås (connection to the Dovrebahn, i.e. the distance Oslo - Trondheim ), and ends after 114 kilometers on the Atlantic coast in Åndalsnes.

History

Construction of the railway took place in January 1912. The work was continued during the First World War. Due to the wartime shortage of raw materials such as steel, coal and dynamite was resorted to old techniques such as blasting by heating the rock and then cooling with cold water. In November 1924, the track was solemnly inaugurated. The construction of the railway needed more than 14 million person-hours work and cost a total of 49 million Norwegian kroner.

During World War II the way for military transports and also for the gold train was used. 1940, the Norwegian gold reserves of Oslo were coming brought to the sea and brought from there to the United States and Great Britain to safety. Attempts of German troops to make the track during the retreat from Norway in 1944 by blowing up bridges unusable, failed. At the Stuguflåtbrua a concrete point is to see where the damage of the explosive test were repaired.

Route

2012 From the original 23 intermediate stops still existed in the station Lesya, the breakpoint in Lesjaverk and the train station in Bjorli, but they are no longer occupied. The Bjorli station is only occupied in the summer for the tourist trains. Although lying in the lower stretch to Bjorli stations Verma and Marstone have each a siding, passenger trains no longer stop here, however.

The route takes in the upper section from Dombås through the wide agricultural valley of the river Lågen. Here the trail is quite flat. Only at Bjorli, about halfway, the route switches to the Romsdal. This stretch is the scenic far more interesting part. The route follows the partially gorge-like course of the river Rauma, the namesake of the track. The first highlight is the Stuguflåtbrua. There then follows a turning tunnel ( norw Stavem vendetunnel ), another turning loop and right after the stone Kylling; in this area, the route is laid out like a Serpentine and replaced as twice 180 degrees direction. Just as the two bridges mentioned are the following in the track goes high mountain walls popular photo opportunities until then in Åndalsnes reaching the sea.

Bridges

The Stuguflåtbrücke ( norw Stuguflåtbrua ) is a stone bridge. It is 10 meters high and it was 54 feet long, built by 1919 up to 1923. Below her the Rauma rushes through a narrow gorge.

The Kylling ( norw Kylling ) is also a stone bridge. It is 59 meters high and 76 meters long, it was built by 1913 to 1922. Too, crossed the Rauma. This bridge is one of the most famous railway bridges in Norway and at the same time landmark of the route itself

Railway operation

On the route operate in passenger railcars of class 93 with tilting technology. This solved in 2000 from the conclusions drawn by Di 3 passenger trains. In season, additional courses are run in tourist traffic. On the section from Åndalsnes to Bjorli came earlier this also a tourist train with historic wooden cart used. By 2006, this museum steam locomotive hauled the 2770 series 63a, after the museum received 3,602 Di.

In freight transport, since the number of CD 312 has replaced the Di 8. Typically, a pair of trains traveling on weekdays.