Aura Line
| Length: | Starts: | Ends: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 km | Sunndalsøra Station | Holbu Station | Abandoned |
The Aura Line was a 22-kilometre long narrow-gaged industrial line which ran between Sunndalsøra and the dam Osbuvatnet. It was built in order to transport heavy equipment during the construction of the Aura Power Plant. The line was in operation between 1916 and 1954.
Locomotive no. 1 from 1914. Photo: Statkraft Aura kraftverk arkiv
Topp Lift
The railway was extended southward 620 metres further up in the mountains to Holbu. This stretch was nine kilometres long. From Dalen the wagons were carried up and down the steep mountainside on an 1300 metres long railway lift. Topp Lift was opened in 1916 along with the stretch between Sunndalsøra and Dalen. It had a track gauge of two metres and was considered a masterpiece of engineering.
Extension
The Aura Line was further extended two kilometres from Holbu to Dalen in 1941. From Tredal station an 1.5-kilometre siding was built to Hammerkaia quay. The Germans constructed a new siding with a track gauge of 900 millimetres during WW2.
Railway Material
The railway had four locomotives – three steam locomotives called Aura 1, 2 and 3 as well as one gasoline locomotive. The Aura Line also had 69 wagons, and three of them had roof and walls suitable for passenger transport. Even thought the railway did not have any official passenger service, tickets were issued in some circumstances.
The Navvy March
The lower part was closed in 1919, the stretch Holbu–Osbu in 1951 and the remaining part in 1954. The corridor of the upper part is well preserved as a rail trail between Osbu and Topp Lift. After the closure, the annual Navvy March ("Busmarsjen") was arranged between the Holbu Dam and Aura Power Plant. This was to honour the navvies who built the Aura Line. The last event was arranged in 2010.