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Flåm Line

Length:	Starts:	Ends:	Status:
20 km	Myrdal Station	Flåm Station	In service

The Flåm Line is one of Norway's most visited tourist attractions and was rated as one of the ten most beautiful railways in Europe by The National Geographic Traveller Magazine in 2010. The line has 20 tunnels and is the steepest standard-gauge railway in Europe.

Photos

Movie

Myrdal Station in 1942. Photo: Anders Beer Wilse/Norsk Folkemuseum

In 1908, the Parliament approved the construction of the branch line of the Bergen Line from Myrdal to Flåm in Sogn og Fjordane. The debate started already in the late 1800s were different routes were studied. The path Voss—Stalheim—Gudvangen as a rack railway was also debated, following the original mail route from 1620. Even a tram in the Flåm Valley complemented by a cable car up the mountain to Myrdal were considered, which would be the most affordable solution. In the following years until the opening in 1940, different track gauges and railway types were investigated. After studying different railway types in the Alps, it was concluded that an ordinary adhesion railway was sufficient, that is, a railway type where the power is applied by driving the wheels of the locomotive.

Steep railway
The difference in altitude of the 20-kilometre railway is over 865 meters from Myrdal to Flåm. Five different brake systems are therefore required to bring the train safely down the valley. The line is so steep that the Vatnahals Tunnel is a turning tunnel where the train goes in loops in the mountains. 80 percent of the line has a gradient of 5.5 percent and is thus an art of engineering in Norwegian railway history. The Flåm Line has 20 tunnels and a maximum speed of 40 kilometres per hour.

Late opening
The Flåm Line was supposed to be opened as an electric railway in 1942, but these plans were hampered by the Germans. In 1940 it was instead opened by using steam locomotives. Since the railway never got an official opening as a result of the German occupation, this became a reality in 1980 in connection with the 40th anniversary. The Flåm Line, however, has never been an important railway for ordinary passenger traffic by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). Passenger traffic are dominated by tourists during the summer months, operated by _Norway's Best_.

Navvy Road
The popular biking path Rallar Road, also known as the Navvy Road, follows the Flåm Line from Myrdal along the Flåm Valley down to Flåm, making this part ideal for walking. The beautiful landscape has made this part of the Rallar Road popular among racers. The first part is the most challenging one. The thin gravel road winds down the steep mountains. It is easy to slip on the gravel, so one must be extra careful. When the steep parts are passed, the rest of the part through the valley is flat and easy to follow. The road down to Flåm passes beautiful waterfalls and abandoned farms. It may be a little bit dark when the road continues through a short tunnel on the way. It is recommended to visit the Flåm Line Museum which has free admission for those with a valid ticket on the Flåm Line. The microbrewery Ægir has its own pub and restaurant recommended for beer-loving people. The trip can be completed with taking the Flåm Line back to Myrdal which takes about an hour.