Finse Tunnel

Finse Tunnel

A freight train about to enter the Finse Tunnel
Overview
Line	Bergen Line
Location	Finse, Norway
System	Norwegian railway network
Operation
Opened	16 May 1993
Owner	Bane NOR
Operator	Vy Tog CargoNet
Technical
Line length	10,300 m (6.4 mi)
No. of tracks	Single
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrified	15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Highest elevation	1,237 m (4,058 ft)

v t e Haugastøl–Hallingskeid
Legend
km elev (M) or length (m) in metres 275.50 Haugastøl 1908 988.0 M new line via Gråskallen Tunnel 288.70 Tunga new line 302.10 Finse 1908 1,222.2 M new line via Finse Tunnel 1993 306.90 1,237 M 312.28 Kvinå 1959 313.00 Taugevatn 1,300 M c.300 m c.850 m 318.57 Høgheller junction 322.80 Hallingskeid 1908 1,110.1 M km   elev (M) or length (m) in metres

The Finse Tunnel (Norwegian: Finsetunnelen) is a 10,300-metre-long (6.4 mi; 11,300 yd) railway tunnel west of the village of Finse in Eidfjord Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The tunnel is part of the Bergen Line between the cities of Oslo and Bergen. It is the longest tunnel on the line, and the third longest railway tunnel in the kingdom.^[1] Inside the tunnel, at 1,237 metres (4,058 ft) elevation, is the highest point on the Norwegian railway network.^[1][2]

The tunnel was constructed to increase the regularity of the line past the Finse peak which was often blocked by snow. Planning started during the 1980s to remove this section that was regularly snowed down, and at the same time reduce the length and increase the speed of the railway. Construction started in 1990, and it was opened by King Harald V on 16 May 1993. Following the construction of the tunnel, 32 kilometres (20 mi) of railway around this area was also rebuilt to achieve higher train speeds, a shorter overall distance, and to maximize the natural protection from the weather. This was built in five stages, opening between 1995 and 1998.