Sulitjelma Line
| Length: | Starts: | Ends: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 km | Finneid Station | Lomi Station | Abandoned |
The Sulitjelma Line was a 36-kilometre long narrow-gauged railway line between Finneid and Fagerli in Sulitjelma. The line opened in 1892 to transport mining products from Sulitjelma to the port in Finneid. It was the first railway line which opened in Northern Norway.
Motor wagon towards Finneid at Brenn valley. Photo: Nordlandsmuseet
Transport Requirements
A transport system was soon required from Sulitjelma to Finneid. The path crossing the mountains between Langvatnet and Sjønstå was upgraded to horse road between 1887 and 1888, but it was not efficient enough. After considering a ropeway crossing the mountains from Sulitjelma to Saltdal, it was decided to transport the ore by barges on the lake Langvatnet and further by train to Sjønstå. Barges on the lakes Øvervatnet and Nervatnet should be used on the last part to Finneid.
The Construction
In February 1889, Persson's company sent an application to construct a 10-kilometre long railway line from Sjønstå to Langvatnet. It was also applied for NOK 10,000, a quarter of the estimated costs. When the ministry declined the application, the company Sulitelma Aktiebolag Gruber was established in 1891 to finance the line by share subscription. Persson bought 25 percent of the shares and his company the remaining 75 percent. The railway line should be constructed as a so-called tertiary line with a 750 millimetre track gauge. After the 9.14-kilometre long line was traversed in summer 1890, it was decided to extend it to 10.36 kilometres due to problem with heavy water flow in the river Langevatnselva.
The Opening
On 15 September 1892 the first train ran on the Sulitjelma Line, Northern Norway's first railway. It also became the first railway line in Norway with a track gauge of 750 millimetres. On 13 October the line was opened for regular traffic. The Sulitjelma line was constructed with steep parts, especially at Sjønstå with a gradient of 3.57 percent. It was closed during the wintertime, and then the ore was transported by horse on the ice.
Extended to Hellarmo
It was soon decided to extend the line by three kilometres to Hellarmo due to strong river stream. This part was completed in August 1893. On 7 September 1894 passenger traffic was permitted. The ridership was low. Only 4,000 passengers travelled in the operating year 1896/97. In the 1890s three daily trains were in service in both directions, and up to six trains in the summertime. The maximum speed was 25 kilometres per hour. In the operating year 1910/11, 148,500 tonns of iron were transported. The ore trains usually had between 35 and 40 wagons.
Gauge Conversion
In 1911 it was decided to extend the line further eastwards to Fagerli and to terminate the barge transport on the lake Langvatnet. The application was sent on 25 May 1912. It was approved by the ministry on 16 January 1914, but with a requirement that the gauge track was increased to 1067 millimetres. A few curves was flattened out and two new bridges were constructed at Hellarmo. Three new stations were built at Sjønstå, Furulund and Sandnes. The first ore train ran on the upgraded line on 14 June 1915, and on the day after, the line was opened for regular traffic. The travel time was 90 minutes each direction. The official opening was held on 22 July same year. After the extension, the Sulitjelma Line was open all year round. An icebreaker was put in service to keep the lake Øvervatnet open during the wintertime.
Extended to Finneid
In 1935 the isolated people in Sulitjelma required a connection to the rest of the country. A communication committee was sent to Fauske Municipality Council and argued for an extension to Finneid. Next year the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) suggested that the Sulitjelma Line should become a branch line of the Nordland Line, and both lines should share the same track between Grytvik and Finneid via Moen. These discussions terminated after the outbreak of World War II. The Germans decided that the Nordland Line should run along the coast instead. When the war ended, the Communication Committee resumed the debate about the extension to Finneid. On 3 October 1951 a railway committee, established by the Parliament, concluded that it was less expensive to replace the railway line by road. This suggestion led to massive protests by the local inhabitants. When the ministry processed the case on 27 and 28 May 1952, they concluded that a railway was a more stable communication system than road for the mining company. 12 million krones were given as an interest-free government loan to extend the line. It was required that the railway should no longer be a part of the mining company, but reorganised into a new company, A/S Sulitjelmabanen. The extension required three new tunnels: The Grønnlifjell Tunnel (2807 m), the Hårskolten Tunnel (2419 m) and the Sjønståfjell Tunnel (2829 m). The construction work started in 1953.
Branch Line of the Nordland Line
On 12 December 1956 the first train arrived Finneid on the Sulitjelma Line, but the line was not opened for regular traffic before 20 December. The official opening was on 14 June the year after. Two daily passenger trains were put in service as well as two freight trains with some passenger transport. The speed limit was increased to 40 kilometres per hour. Since the Sulitjelma Line was now connected to the national railway network, Sandnes Station and Furulund Station changed names to Lomi and Sulitjelma respectively to avoid confusion with existing stations. On 1 December 1958 the Nordland Line was extended to Fauske. The trains on the Nordland Line stopped at Finneid Station and corresponded with the trains on the Sulitjelma Line, but this practise terminated on 31 May 1959 due to low ridership. From 19 February only diesel trains operated on the Sulitjelma Line. On 30 November 1962 the Stokkviknakken Tunnel was replaced by a new and longer tunnel, which was 560 metres long. On 11 June 1967 the speed limit was increased to 60 kilometres per hour, cutting the travel time to one hour.
Demolished
The Elkem Group took over the majority of the shares of the mining company A/S Sulitjelma Gruber in 1965 and required that the railway line was replaced by road to reduce transportation costs. Many inhabitants of Sulitjelma owned a car at this time. 8,419 cars were transported on the railway line on freight wagons in 1970. This was the only road connection out of Sulitjelma. In summer 1972 it was decided to replace the line. The Sulitjelma Line should be demolished within tree weeks during the summer vacation. On 22 July at 8 in the evening, the last train departed Lomi. Two days later the demolishing work started. Five kilometres of track were removed every day. On 13 August a new bus route started between Bodø and Sulitjelma.
Remains Today
Most of the railway line is today replaced by Highway 830. The Sulitjelma Line's first locomotive, Loke, is today located at the Norwegian Railway Museum at Hamar. The heritage railways Urskog-Høland Line and Setesdal Line have taken over many of the couches. There are still several remains of the Sulitjelma line. Near the terminus Lomi there are a huge stable of tracks with sleepers as well as a passenger couch and a bridge. It is possible to follow a part of the route through the 72-kilometres long Stokkviknakken Tunnel on an overgrown path. The platform and the waiting shed of Sjønstådalen Halt are preserved as well as a railway dwelling house. Finneid Station with the loading ramp is also preserved. In the inner part of the bay Hellarmobukta the railway path exists as an one-kilometre long trail to the previous terminus Hellarmo.