Krøderen Line
| Length: | Starts: | Ends: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 km | Vikersund Station | Krøderen Station | Heritage railway |
The Krøder Line is the longest heritage railway line in Norway which runs between Vikersund and Krøderen. The traffic reached its peak in 1908 along with opening of the Bergen Line. The passenger traffic was terminated in 1958.
Photos
Movie
Snarum Station. Photo: Norsk Jernbanemuseum
Passenger growth
After the opening, two daily trains were operating which corresponded with the trains on the Randsfjorden Line at Vikersund and with the steamships between Krøderen and Gulsvik. A large amount of timber was also transported with steamships on the lake Krøderen and further on the Krøderen Line to Drammen. The peak was in 1908 when the Bergen Line opened between Voss and Gulsvik. Passengers towards Bergen could now take the train to Krøderen, continue with steamship on the lake Krøderen to Gulsvik and then change to the Bergen Line. The number of passengers were significantly reduced the year after when the Bergen Line was extended to Hønefoss and officially opened. At the same time, the Krøderen Line was converted to standard gauge.
Heritage railway
The amount of passengers using the line continued to decrease after the opening of the Bergen Line. It was soon outcompeted by cars and bus services. At the peak, 19,500 passengers were traveling annually compared to only 3,303 in 1955. The passenger services was terminated in 1958 and the freight trains stopped operating in 1985. The Parliament decided to preserve the line as well as Krøderen Station as a heritage railway. Since then, vintage train pulled by steam locomotives have been running during the summer months, operated by the Norwegian Railway Club.