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The 'T-bane' is the metro system of Oslo, Norway, operated by Oslo T-banedrift, a subsidiary of the municipality transit authority Oslo Sporveier. As of 2005 the network consists of five lines which all run through the city centre.

Contents

Line network

Operating lines

Western lines

Eastern lines

Connection and metro standard

Line 1 (light blue)

Line 2 (red)

Line 3 (green)

Lines 4 & 6 (dark blue)

Line 5 (pink)

History

Operations

See also

External links

Line network

The original ''T-bane'' connecting the eastern suburbs of Oslo to the centre of the city, was built in 1966. It consisted of four main lines, Grorudbanen, Furusetbanen, Østensjøbanen and Lambertseterbanen. Later, the easterly lines were connected to the in-part much older western lines: Holmenkollbanen (originated as a tram line between Majorstuen and Besserud in 1898), Kolsåsbanen, Røabanen and Sognsvannsbanen, forming a city-wide metro system. With the exception of the new northern circle line T-baneringen, the western lines are mostly not really subway, they have an absence of tunnels west of the city centre. Two of the western lines, Røabanen and Kolsåsbanen, reach deep into the neighboring municipality of Bærum.

Operating lines

Currently, there are five lines:

★ Line 1: Frognerseteren - Helsfyr (to Bergkrystallen during peak hours). This line combines Holmenkollbanen with a part of the joint subway section East of downtown, Bergkrystallen is the end terminus of Lambertseterbanen.

★ Line 2: Østerås - Ellingsrudåsen. This line combines Røabanen with Furusetbanen.

★ Line 3: Sognsvann - Mortensrud. This line combines Sognsvannsbanen with Østensjøbanen.

★ Lines 4 & 6: Husebybakken ''(temporary terminus while the line is closed for upgrade work)'' - T-baneringen (Circle line) - Bergkrystallen. This line combines Kolsåsbanen with Lambertseterbanen via the new Circle line north of the city centre.

★ Line 5: Storo - Vestli. This line combines a part of the new northern circle with Grorudbanen.

Western lines

★ Holmenkollbanen was opened in 1898 as a tram service between Majorstuen and Besserud. Wide suburban wagons were taken into use from 1909. In 1916 the line was expanded to Frognerseteren, and in 1928 a tunnel was opened between Majorstuen and Nationaltheatret. Between 1916 and 1940 there was a track from Frogneseteren to Øvresetertjern, which has become a hiking trail.

★ Røabanen, originally called Smestadbanen, was opened in 1912.

★ Sognsvannsbanen was opened in 1935. It was converted to third rail operation in 1993.

★ Kolsåsbanen, originally called Lilleakerbanen, opened as a tram line to Lilleaker in 1919, to Haslum in 1924 and to Kolsås in 1930. A connection between Jar on Kolsåsbanen and Sørbyhaugen opened in 1942. The new line Nationaltheatret - Kolsås was given the name Kolsåsbanen and operated with wide suburban wagons. At the same time the trams turned around at Jar. In July 2003 the westernmost portion of Kolsåsbanen was closed because of budget disagreements between the public transport company, Oslo and the municipality of Bærum which the line runs in on the stretch between Jar and Kolsås. After more than a year of a massively unpopular replacement bus, the line was fully reopened in November 2004. The line was closed again in the summer of 2006 for renewal of the infrastructure. The line will be fitted with an automatic train protection system, some curves will be straightened out and the current collection system will be changed from overhead wire to third rail. All level crossings will be replaced with bridges or underpasses. Because of disagreements between Oslo and Bærum municipalities, the upgrade will be done separately on the two sides of the municipal boundary, with the Oslo side opening first.

Eastern lines

★ Østensjøbanen was opened as a tram line from Vålerenga to Oppsal in 1926. It was converted to metro standard in 1967, and has since then been expanded and reached Mortensrud in 1998.

★ Lambertseterbanen opened as a tram line from Brynseng (on Østensjøbanen) to Bergkrystallen in 1957. It was converted to T-bane in 1966 and connected to the new Subway line from Jernbanetorget to Helsfyr. This was Norway's first Subway and rapid transit line.

★ Grorudbanen opened from Tøyen to Grorud in 1966. Exstended to Vestli in 1975.

★ Furusetbanen was opened from Hellerud (on Østensjøbanen) to Haugerud in 1970. Since then it has gradually been expanded and reached Ellingsrudåsen in 1981.

Connection and metro standard

The eastern lines were expanded westwards to Sentrum Station when it opened in 1977. In 1987 also the western tracks were expanded to the stations, and it changed name to Stortinget. At this point the station became terminus for all the lines because the western lines used overhead wire while the eastern lines used third rail. But in 1993 Sognsvannsbanen, including the common stretches on the west side of town, were converted to third rail and the metro units could drive east-west for the first time, followed by Røabanen in 1995. This was possible with new stock that could operate on both overhead and third rail.
All four of the eastern lines were built or rebuilt as T-bane. After the two sides of town have been connected, Oslo Sporveier has defined metro standard as a common standard that the subway system should meet. In involves third rail electrification, grade separation with other traffic, barrier free access, modern track- and signal systems, increased speed, capacity and regularity in addition to platforms for six-wagon trains (where the current platforms only can hold three cars). Kolsåsbanen was closed in 2006 and will be upgraded to metro standard before reopening. It in uncertain whether or not Holmenkollbanen will ever be upgraded as the track certain places is too curved for metro standard. This has been causing a discussion whether to keep the line as metro or transfer it to tramway. In such a case, a new connection would need to be built as there are no connection between the systems currently. The trains on Holmenkollbanen switch to overhead electricity at Frøen while the trains on Kolsåsbanen used to switch at Montebello.
The latest addition to the subway is the circular line from Ullevål stadion (on Sognsvannsbanen) to Carl Berners plass (on Grorudbanen). The first stage was opened in 2003 (to Storo while the last stretch of tunnel and Sinsen were opened in 2006. In 2004 construction of this line caused a tunnel to collapse on Grorudbanen, the system's largest line. This forced a shutdown of this line until December, creating a havoc of overfilled replacement buses.

Line 1 (light blue)

'Line 1: Frognerseteren – Stortinget – Helsfyr (– Bergkrystallen)'

Frognerseteren - Voksenkollen - Lillevann - Skogen - Voksenlia - Holmenkollen - Besserud - Midtstuen - Skådalen - Vettakollen - Gulleråsen - Gråkammen - Slemdal - Ris - Gaustad - Vindern - Steinerud - Frøen - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Ensjø - Helsfyr (- Brynseng - Høyenhall - Manglerud - Ryen - Brattlikollen - Karlsrud - Lamberseter - Munkelia - Bergkrystallen)

Line 2 (red)

'Line 2: Østerås – Smestad – Stortinget – Ellingsrudåsen'

Østerås - Lijordet - Eiksmarka - Ekraveien - Røa - Hovseter - Holmen - Makrellbekken - Smestad - Borgen - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Ensjø - Helsfyr - Brynseng - Hellerud - Tveita - Haugerud - Trosterud - Lindeberg - Furuset - Ellingsrudåsen

Line 3 (green)

'Line 3: Sognsvann – Ullevål – Stortinget – Mortensrud'

Sognsvann - Kringsjå - Holstein - Østhorn - Tåsen - Berg - Ullevål stadion - Forskningsparken - Blindern - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Ensjø - Helsfyr - Brynseng - Hellerud - Godlia - Skøyenåsen - Oppsal - Ulsrud - Bøler - Bogerud - Skullerud - Mortensrud

Lines 4 & 6 (dark blue)

These lines both serve the circle line (''T-baneringen''), continuing in a loop once they leave the central area.

''Note: As of August 2006, the line to Kolsås is closed for maintenance. The temporary western terminus for line 4 is the temporary station of Husebybakken, just east of Montebello.''

'Line 4: Bergkrystallen - Stortinget - Ullevål stadion - (becomes Line 6)'

'Line 6: Nydalen - Carl Berners plass - Stortinget - Smestad - Kolsås'

(''As Line 4''): Bergkrystallen - Munkelia - Lambertseter - Karlsrud - Brattlikollen - Ryen - Manglerud - Høyenhall - Brynseng - Helsfyr - Ensjø - Tøyen - Grønland - Jernbanetorget - Stortinget - Nationaltheatret - Majorstuen - Blindern - Forskningsparken - Ullevål stadion - (''Becomes Line 6'') - Nydalen - Storo - Sinsen - Carl Berners plass - Tøyen - Grønland - Jernbanetorget - Stortinget - Nationaltheatret - Majorstuen - Borgen - Smestad - Montebello - Ullernåsen - Åsjordet - Bjørnsletta - Lysakerelven - Jar - Tjernsrud - Ringstabekk - Egne hjem - Bekkestua - Gjønnes - Haslum - Avløs - Valler - Gjettum - Hauger - Kolsås

Line 5 (pink)

'Line 5: Storo – Ullevål – Stortinget – Grorud – Vestli'

Storo - Nydalen - Ullevål Stadion - Forskningsparken - Blindern - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Carl Berners plass - Hasle - Økern - Risløkka - Vollebekk - Linderud - Veitvet - Rødtvet - Kalbakken - Ammerud - Grorud - Romsås - Rommen - Stovner - Vestli

History

1898: Holmenkolbanen opens from Majorstuen to Holmenkollen, now part of line 1 (west). It reaches its current end point Frognerseteren in 1916. Street trams used until 1909, when 3.1 m wide railway-like cars are introduced.
1912: A side branch from Holmenkolbanen to Smestad opens, now part of line 2 (west). It is later called Røabanen, and reaches its current end point Østerås in 1972.
1924: Lilleakerbanen opens from Lilleaker to Avløs, the part from Jar to Avløs now being part of line 4 (west). It reaches its current end point Kolsås in 1930. Street trams used from the beginning.
1926: Østensjøbanen opens from Vålerengen to Oppsal, the part from Helsfyr to Oppsal now being part of line 3 (east). It reaches its current end point Mortensrud in 1998. Street trams used from the beginning.
1928: Holmenkolbanen opens its tunnel from Nationaltheatret to Majorstuen. This is Scandinavia's first underground. When the was digging the tunnel, the roof collapsed at Valkyrien plass, so they desided to build a station there. It was later closed because of short distanse between the two stations.
1934: Sognsvannsbanen opens, now the western part of line 3.
1942: A track between Lilleakerbanen at Jar and Røabanen at Sørbyhaugen opens. The new connection Majorstuen - Sørbyhaugen - Jar - Kolsås is called Kolsåsbanen, and wide railway-like cars are introduced.
1957: Lambertseterbanen opens from Brynseng to Bergkrystallen, now part of line 4 (east). Street trams used from the beginning.
1966: The T-bane opens. The new line goes from Jernbanetorget to Helsfyr, mostly in tunnel. Lambertseterbanen from Helsfyr is converted into T-bane standard. Grorudbanen opens as a T-bane from Tøyen to Grorud, now part of line 5 (east). It reaches its current end point Vestli in 1975.
1970: Furusetbanen opens as a T-bane from Hellerud to Haugerud, now part of line 2 (east). It reaches its current end point Ellingsrudåsen in 1981.
1987: The tunnel between Nationaltheatret and Jernbanetorget, connecting the western and the eastern part of the underground system, opens. All trains turn at Stortinget because of the two different electrical systems, and passengers have to switch there.
1993: Sognsvannsbanen converted into T-bane. First direct trains east-west.
1995: Røabanen converted into T-bane. Dual system cars introduced. All western and eastern lines combined. (Line 1 switches from overhead wire to third rail at Frøen; line 4 at Montebello.)
2003: T-baneringen (the circle line) opens its first part from Ullevål stadion to Storo. The circle is planned to be completed in 2006 with a connection from Storo to Carl Berners plass.
2006: T-baneringen is complete, and services start running as a combination of lines 4 and 6 on 20 August.

Operations

The current rolling stock consists of:

★ 146 cars of types T1-T4. These run only on a third rail system and can therefore not run on Holmenkollbanen or Kolsåsbanen. These cars are old, purchased in the 1960s, and have recently proved themselves unreliable by untimely stoppages occurring at random. They are due to be supplemented by newer cars in 2006. Trains run in trains of 2, 4 or 6 cars, occasionally with 3 or 5 cars, on Lines 2, 3 and 5.

★ 49 cars of types T5-T8. These run cars can run both on a third rail and overhead wire system, and can therefore be used on the entire system. However they usually only run on trips on Line 4 (usually with 3-car trains) and on Line 1 (with 2-car trains).
The T1 to T8 make up the T1000 stock. In addition the subway operates some newer trains:

★ 12 cars of type T2000. These cars were delivered in 1993. They can run both on third rail and overhead wire. Unfortunately, these cars have not been particularly successful. They now run in 2-car trains on Line 1.

★ New cars of type MX3000: This series of rolling stock is being constructed to replace the old T1-T4 stock. They are coupled in sets of three and allow passengers to walk between the cars in each set. Two prototype sets were delivered in late 2005 for a trial period; the main series delivery started with the third set, which was delivered on December 2, 2006.
For the most part, the trains run from about 5 in the morning (6 in the morning during weekends) to 1 at night. Usually, the trains on a fifteen minute headway, although during low traffic the trains run only every half hour.

See also

★ Oslo Sporveier

★ List of Oslo T-bane stations

★ List of rapid transit systems

External links

★ T-bane map

★ Oslo T-bane at UrbanRail.Net

★ Oslo T-banedrift

★ Oslo Sporveier

★ Fare and timetable information