The Røros Line () is a railway line which runs through the districts of Hedmarken, Østerdalen, and Gauldalen in Innlandet and Trøndelag, Norway. The line branches off from the Dovre Line at Hamar Station and runs a more easterly route to Støren Station, where the two lines meet again. The Røros Line also intersects with the Solør Line at Elverum Station. The single track, standard gauge line lacks electrification and only has centralized traffic control south of Røros Station. SJ Norge operate regional passenger trains. In addition the line is used by freight trains hauling lumber and wood chippings.
The first parts of the line was the Hamar–Grundset Line and the Trondhjem–Støren Line, which opened on 23 June 1862 and 5 August 1964, respectively. To save costs, the lines were built with narrow gauge, thus making it the first locomotive-hauled line in Norway. The Grundset–Aamot Line extension to Rena Station was opened on 19 October 1871. The connecting line onwards to Støren opened on 13 October 1877. The 1880 completion of the Dovre Line to Hamar allowed a continuous train service linking Oslo and Trondheim, albeit with a break-of-gauge in Hamar.
The line remained the main north–south link in Norway until the 1921 completion of the Dovre Line. Since then, the Røros Line has been relegated to regional passenger and freight trains, losing most of the through traffic. Gauge conversion started with dual gauge on parts of the line in 1917. South of Koppang Station standard gauge was taken into use from 1931, north of there from 1941. There are plans to electrify and install European Train Control System during the early 2020s, which would allow the Røros Line to act as a reserve for the Dovre Line.
Route
The Røros Line runs between Støren Station and Hamar Station, both located on the Dovre Line. The line runs through the district of Gauldalen in the county of Trøndelag from Støren to Røros before crossing the border to the county of Hedmark. It continues southwards through the district and valley of Østerdalen until Elverum Station, after which is crosses over to the district of Hedmarken. Through Gauldalen the line largely follows the river Gaula, a section which is hilly with many curves and limited speed. Through Østerdalen the landscape is more level, allowing for a straighter and faster line. Until Elverum the line largely follows the river Glomma.
The Røros Line branches off from the Dovre Line at Hamar Station, situated from Oslo Central Station at an elevation of . At Elverum Station, from Hamar, the line intersects with the Solør Line.Bjerke & Holom: 100 The Røros Line reaches its highest elevation, of , is located just north of the closed Harborg Station in Røros.Bjerke & Holom: 106 Støren Station is situated from Oslo, at an elevation of .Bjerke & Holom: 108 The Røros Line has limited capacity compared to other longer lines in Norway due to few and short passing loops. The line has single track and standard gauge, but is not electrified. It has a simplified centralized traffic control and automatic train control between Hamar and Røros, but lacks this north of the latter. It is equipped with GSM-R train radio. The railway line is owned and maintained by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.
History
Trondhjem–Støren and Hamar–Grundset
Following the successful construction of the Trunk Line from Oslo and Eidsvoll Station in 1854, proposals were made for other projects, even a line to connect the capital with Trondheim. The start of the Røros Line would, however, be tied to two smaller railway projects which instead would serve regional needs. Both had their basis in the need for hauling lumber along difficult terrain. After local initiatives, the Ministry of the Interior gave Carl Abraham Pihl the task of preliminary surveys of two routes. In Sør-Trøndelag a route from Trondheim to Støren Station was considered,Bjerke & Stenersen: 15 while in Hedmark the a route was proposed which would link Østerdalen to Hamar, where cargo and passengers could be transshipped and freighted by ship down the lake Mjøsa to Eidsvoll.Bjerke & Stenersen: 16
These two lines were planned by the ministry along with the Kongsvinger Line. The Trunk Line had been built by and was owned by an English company, and the government was not satisfied with the private arrangement. They therefore recommended that the three lines be built as state railways. The government would borrow money, build and operate the lines, covering any deficits. However, local municipalities, counties and private individuals and companies were required to participate in the funding through the issuing of shares in the individual lines. This model of financing would remain for decades. Parliament approved the three lines on 3 September 1857.Bjerke & Holom: 98
In order to cut costs, Pihl recommended that the line be built using narrow gauge. This would allow for smaller curve radii and cheaper construction. A major drawback was that the lines would not be compatible with Swedish lines and the Trunk Line. Aiding in his cause, it was at the time not believed that the lines would ever connect, as lakes and rivers were seen as complementary to railways. Pihl opted for the 1067 mm gauge, for which the Hamar–Grundset Line became the first locomotive-hauled system. It would soon become the most used narrow gauge in the world.Bjerke & Stenersen: 10
Originally the Hamar Line was approved to Elverum, with a terminus on the east side of Glomma. A group of forest owners petitioned that a branch be built on the west shore in order to negotiate a difficult part of the river. A channel was initially proposed and would have been slightly cheaper, but on 7 October 1859 Parliament approved that the line be extended to Grundset and that Elverum Station would be placed on the west shore. Construction began in September 1858.Bjerke & Stenersen: 17 Groundwork had progressed sufficiently that the first of tracks were laid in 1860. Two locomotives were delivered in August and could aid in construction. The following year the stations were built and the telegraph service from Hamar to Elverum opened on 1 March.Bjerke & Stenersen: 18 The line initially received 18 kilograms per meter (37 lb/ft) rails. Revenue service from Hamar to Løten commenced on 1 July. By 3 September trains were running to Midtskog, by 22 October to Elverum and by 4 November 1861.Bjerke & Stenersen: 19 The official opening took place on 23 June 1862.Bjerke & Stenersen: 21
Detailed surveying of the Trondhjem–Støren Line started in September 1858. Groundwork started in August 1859, initially near Trondheim were the plans were clear. Work on the three southerly sections commenced the following year, after the routes had been finalized.Bjerke & Stenersen: 23 By 1861 the number of construction workers had risen to 900.Bjerke & Stenersen: 24 The most challenging part was between Lundamo and Hovin, where the route had to be cut into hilly terrain. Compared to other contemporary Norwegian railways, the line had many large bridges, built of wood.Bjerke & Stenersen: 26 There were several fatal accidents during the work. The first two locomotives were delivered in 1862, allowing ballast to be hauled by rail.Bjerke & Stenersen: 25 Construction ended at 2.86 million kroner, just under budget.Bjerke & Stenersen: 31 The first revenue freight train ran on 23 January 1864.Bjerke & Stenersen: 27 Revenue passenger trains started running on 1 April. The line initially received three locomotives, sixty freight cars and ten passenger cars.Bjerke & Stenersen: 29 The official opening took place on 5 August.Bjerke & Stenersen: 30
Construction Grundset–Støren
Proposals for an extension from Grundset to Åmot was made in 1864, which would allow the railway to connect to the steamships operating on Storsjøen, by placing the end station at Rena where the river Renaelva empties into Glomma.Østvedt: 237 This part of the line was less controversial than later parts and was approved by Parliament with 80 against 21 votes.Østvedt: 239 The segment was initially named the Grundset–Aamot Line. Construction started soon after the parliamentary decision and was easy due to the flat valley the line was built through. Grundset Station was dismantled and the station building moved to Rena Station, the new terminus.Bjerke & Stenersen: 36 The depot and turntable were moved to Elverum Station, which received an upgrade. The line was operational in September 1871 and officially opened on 19 October.Bjerke & Stenersen: 37
Proposals for a railway connecting Støren and Røros were proposed by the Governor of Sør-Trøndelag in 1864. The government approved preliminary surveys the following year. These included extensions southwards through Østerdalen. There were two route proposals—one running via Røros and one via Kvikne.Bjerke & Stenersen: 33 The latter would have lower peak altitude and would be shorter. However, it would involve a branch line from Tynset to Røros.Bjerke & Stenersen: 35 The Kvikne and Røros alternatives were part of the discussion to the very end. Parliament approved the line via Røros with 67 against 44 votes on 3 May 1872.
Construction between Rena and Støren commenced during the fall of 1872, and by the following summer of 1873 there were 900 people working on the line. the most demanding part was through Ålen Municipality where a large amount of blasting was needed. A challenge was that during the fall harvest many people returned to the farms, with only half the men left for construction work. By March 1874 the workforce peaked at 2,100 men. That year there was a short strike, following demands for higher wages, which had been set at 1.75 kroner per day.Bjerke & Stenersen: 39 Construction problems were the most severe in Gauldalen and Drøyliene; at the latter the Tamlaget Tunnel had to be built. Another challenge was the reliable sourcing of lumber; forest owners were often not willing to sign contracts and the railway often had to cut its own timber.Bjerke & Stenersen: 41
The section from Rena to Koppang Station was taken into use on 14 December 1875. It was followed by the section from Støren to Singsås Station on 4 January 1876, although temporary freight traffic had been conducted since 12 February 1875. Temporary traffic between Trondheim and Røros commenced on 17 November 1876 and was taken into ordinary use on 16 January 1877, following the completion of the from Singsås to Røros. Regular service on the final segment, the from Røros to Koppang, commenced on 17 October. The official opening of the entire line between Rena and Støren took place on 13 October.
Narrow-gauge operations
Operations on the Hamar Line initially consisted of a single daily round trip, increasing to two on weekdays from 1867.Bjerke & Stenersen: 53 The cargo load was asymmetrical, with five times as much being freighted westwards as eastwards.Bjerke & Stenersen: 54 The railway initially had three locomotives.Bjerke & Stenersen: 55 Also between Trondheim and Støren there was initially only a single daily round trip, increasing to two from 1870.Bjerke & Stenersen: 59 Traffic was above prognosis, soon resulting in the ordering of additional rolling stock.Bjerke & Stenersen: 58 There was more than twice as much cargo heading southwards as northwards.