Ofoten Line

Ofoten Line
Malmtrafik train hauled by twin Iore locomotives
Overview
Native name	Ofotbanen
Owner	Bane NOR
Termini	Port of Narvik Riksgränsen
Stations	7
Service
Type	Railway
System	Norwegian railway network
Operator(s)	CargoNet Malmtrafikk Vy Tåg Arctic Train
History
Opened	15 November 1902
Technical
Line length	43 km (27 mi)
Number of tracks	Single
Character	Freight
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Highest elevation	513 m (1,683 ft)
Route map Legend Fagernes Terminalen/Narvik H Kleivhammeren (28 m) Sjøsida Knuserbakken 0.00 km Port of Narvik/Narvik D (1902) 6 m amsl 1.70 km Øvre Kleiva E6 Rombaksveien 3.70 km Narvik Station (1902) 47 m amsl Ornes (120 m) Bjørneborg (104 m) Djupvik (113 m) 7.91 km Djupvik (1902–1923) 103 m amsl Forsnes (114 m) Hvelv I (55 m) Hvelv II (30 m) 13.76 km Straumsnes Station (1902) 178 m amsl Straumsnes (81 m) Fjellheim (335 m) 20.86 km Rombak Station (1902) 265 m amsl Indre Sildvik (120 m) 24.20 km Kvitur Kvitur (81 m) Middagselv (536 m) Kapp Horn (280 m) 29.73 km Katterat Station (1902) 374 m amsl New tunnel (940 m) (2002) Sørdalen (384 m) 30.60 km Sørdalen Katterat (535 m) Norddal Norddal Bridge (85 m / 180 m) 36.00 km Søsterbekk Station (1955) 457 m amsl 36.50 km Old Bjørnfjell (1912–1956) 37.00 km Haugfjell (1955) Mons Olsen tunnel (290 m) Solheim (76 m) 40.42 km Bjørnfjell Station (1925) 514 m amsl 41.91 km Norway–Sweden border 42.56 km Riksgränsen Station (1923) 523 m amsl Ore Line This diagram: view talk edit

The Ofoten Line (Norwegian: Ofotbanen) is a 43-kilometre (27 mi) railway line in Narvik, Norway. It runs from the Port of Narvik to Riksgränsen on the Norway–Sweden border, where the line continues as the Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to Luleå. The Ofoten Line is single track, electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC and has seven stations. The line only connects to the rest of the Norwegian railway network via Sweden. The main traffic is up to 12 daily freight trains operated by Malmtrafik that haul iron ore from Sweden to Narvik. In addition, CargoNet operates container trains, branded as the Arctic Rail Express (ARE), and Vy Tåg operates passenger trains, including a night train to Stockholm.

Construction of the Ofoten Line started in 1898 along with the Ore Line from Riksgränsen to Kiruna. They were completed in 1902, allowing LKAB to haul ore from their mines in Kiruna to the ice-free Port of Narvik. Operation and ownership of the line was held by the Norwegian State Railways. The line was electrified in 1915 and Norwegian State Railways (NSB) started using El 3 and El 4 locomotives. During World War II, the ore traffic stopped because of the Battles of Narvik and the bombing of the town. In the following decades, NSB introduced El 12 and El 15 locomotives. In 1996, operation of the ore trains was taken over by Malmtrafik, which was controlled by and now is a subsidiary of the mining company LKAB. The same year, ownership of the railway line was transferred to the newly created Norwegian National Rail Administration. The line has been upgraded to 30 tonnes (30 long tons; 33 short tons) axle loads, allowing the new Iore locomotives to haul 8,600 tonnes (8,500 long tons; 9,500 short tons) trains.