Lier Line
| Length: | Starts: | Ends: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 km | Lier Station | Svangstrand Station | Abandoned |
The Lier Line was a private branch line of the Drammen Line. The 21-kilometre narrow-gauged line was running from Lier to Sylling. After the line was abolished, most parts were replaced by road and the rest as a walking trail.
Passengers at Svangstrand Station. Photo: Ukjent
The opening
After a long political debate, moderate loan and grants for building the line were approved in Parliament. Primitive tools such as shovels, picks and wheelbarrows were used by the railway workers. The line was built with narrow gauge and steep gradients, the maximum of 3.3 percent. As a result, trains could only operate during the summer season. On 12 July 1904 the line was officially opened with a spur line to Hofgaard's sawmill at Sjåstad. The railway corresponded with the steamship service which ran between Svangstrand and Sundvollen on the lake Tyrifjorden.
Growth
From 1910, ridership and freight traffic increased significantly. Many of the new passengers were tourists who traveled especially on Sundays. To increase capacity, the Lier Line had to borrow more trains from the Norwegian State Railways. A second ship was put in service between Svangstrand and Sundvollen.
Closed
The Lier Line was soon outcompeted by bus services. Already in 1927, the line suffered a significantly drop in passenger numbers when a bus service started to operate through the Lier Valley. In order to avoid bankruptcy, the employees agreed to reduce their salaries by 50 percent. Since the Lier Line was of poor quality, track damages occurred frequently which caused problems for the freight transport with delays. As a result, the passenger and freight services terminated on 23 October 1932. Freight trains continued to operate between Lier and Tronstad. On 1 January 1937, the line was officially closed.
Bike path
A large part of the Lier Line functions today as a bike path which passes through many apple orchards. Due to good climate for agriculture, the Lier Valley has a huge production of vegetables, fruits and berries. There are few remains of the line but the station buildings at Utenga and Svangstrand.