Ålgård Line
The railway line Ganddal - Ålgård (Norwegian Ålgårdbanen or Ålgårdsbanen ) is a 12.2 km long Norwegian railway line that runs from Ganddal to Ålgård in Gjesdal municipality in Rogaland.
History
The track is a branch line from the Jærbane. It was opened on 20 December 1924. 1988 was the Jernbaneverket belonging route that overcomes a difference in height of 72.8 meters between the start and end station, shut down due to a decision of the Storting.
First thoughts on a railway line to Ålgård already existed in the 1870s. Ålgård was already an important industrial city. But it took a long time before the final decision was made on the construction.
The railway was built in connection with a Parliament decision of 20 July 1921 with the construction of Indre Linje of Klungland and Bjerkreimselva about Vikeså was set to Ålgård from 1923. The first sod was turned on 21 December 1921. Due to the decision that the track should be part of Sørlandsbane, it was built after the then highest standard. The stations were designed by R. Werenskiold from NSB architects and drawn in neoclassicism. The track width was set at 1067 mm as the Jærbane. Since it was decided at that time that Jærbanen should be rebuilt in the near future to standard gauge, the base of the route for this track was prepared during construction. The Ålgårdbane was at that time the most modern railway system in Rogaland.
1937 met the Parliament a new decision, as a result, the standard gauge Sørlandsbane included a stop in Egersund and Jæren.
Indre stambane
1941 planned a railway over local committee chaired by Sigval Bergesen, the Ålgårdbane about Hunnedalen and Setesdalsheiene to Lunde in Telemark to extend stambane as Indre. The course should be built and allow travel time between Stavanger and Oslo in four to five hours to the highest standard. A route between Ålgård and the border already has been unplugged for Telemark for this route.
Umspurung
It was also assumed that the onset of Sørlandsbane should begin approximately between North Jæren and Sørlandet. So it did not come, which opened on May 1, 1944 Sørlandsbane took a different path. In this context, the stretch of narrow gauge was converted to standard gauge. However, the track was a spur route with little traffic.
Operation setting
Because of the little undrawn lines of passenger transport on November 1, 1955, set. The drive from Ganddal to Ålgård took about 20 minutes. The transport of goods between Foss - Eikeland Ålgård and ended in 1988. Vegvesen Statens then let the Eisenbahnbrücke58.780955.82522 north of Figgjo degrade because it hindered heavy transports with their headroom. The bridge was kept. The tracks in Ålgård station were demolished.
1998 and 1999 Sunday trips were carried out on the section Ganddal - Figgjo, organized by Jernbaneverket, the Cultural Office of Sandnes and the inn in Figgjo station. For this, the railcar BM 86 22 and a control vehicle was used, with the a few days over 1,000 passengers were transported.
By 2001, the first three kilometers of the route for the transport of concrete elements were used. Jernbaneverket uses the northern part of the route for heavy transport of transformers that are loaded on wagons. For this part of the thresholds was exchanged on a part of this route.
2008 requested the District Committee of Figgjo to remove the tracks of the Ålgårdbane, which was not approved by Jernbaneverket. By 2012 Transformatorentranporte were conducted to Vagle.
Station Figgjo
From the bus stop Figgjo, which is now a museum, in summer, the route can be traveled to Ålgård with Handcars. In the shunting station 220c Skd 197 and the cars BF 19904 is issued.
Future prospects
As part of the campaign of 2013, the reopening of the route was investigated. The complete repair would cost according to rough estimates 580-750 million crowns. After a technical upgrade of the route and the use of new trains the connection between Ålgård could be driven with around 10,000 inhabitants and Stavanger in about 30 minutes.
Station Figgjo
Station Foss - Eikeland
Station Ålgård