Nesttun–Os Line
| Length: | Starts: | Ends: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 km | Nesttun Station | Os Station | Abandoned |
The Nesttun–Os Line was a 26.3-kilometre long narrow-gauged railway line which ran between Nesttun and Osøyro in Vestland county. Since it was only in service between 1894 and 1935, it became the first Norwegian railway to be closed.
Nesttun Station. Photo: Anders Beer Wilse/Norsk Folkemuseum
The construction
The construction work started in May 1891. The line was built low-cost as a so-called tertiary railway with a 600 millimetre gauge track. Hence the line had especially sharp curves and was constructed without tunnels. Next year it was decided to extend the gauge to 750 millimetres, the same as the Urskog-Høland Line and the Sulitjelma Line. Although this would permit higher speeds, the limit was only 25 kilometres per hour.
The opening
The 26.3-kilometre long railway line was officially opened on 1 July 1894 between Nesttun and Os, known as Osøyro today. The travelling time was reduced by 50% compared to the steamship transport between Os and Bergen. In the first years of operation, the line was running in deficit. In 1902 an extraordinary general meeting was held to discuss the future of the railway. But between the years of 1901 and 1924, the Nesttun–Os Line was profitable. In the peak year 1918/19, 222,687 passengers and 9,048 tonns of freight were transported on the line.
Closed
In the 1920s several bus routes were established between Os and Bergen. The travelling time by bus was one hour and 20 minutes, 40 minutes shorter than by train. Thus the buses outcompeted the Nesttun–Os Line. On an extraordinary general meeting on 21 February 1935, it was decided to close the line. Hence it was the first railway line in Norway to abolish. In 1936 the track was demolished and removed. The Urskog-Høland Line took over two passenger couches and seven freight wagons.
Nesttun–Os Line today
The Nesttun–Os Line is today a bike path between Nesttun and Kalandseid. Parts of the remaining route is eiter a footpath or has been replaced by road. The station buildings at Rådal, Stend, Fana, Ulven and Osøyro are preserved. In 1987 the Stend Station became a railway museum. One hundred metres of track have been reconstructed on the station area with old wagons and draisines.