Vestfold Line

Vestfold Line
Sande Station is located on one of the double-tracked sections
Overview
Native name	Vestfoldbanen
Owner	Bane NOR
Termini	Drammen Station Skien Station
Stations	13
Service
Type	Railway
System	Norwegian railway
Operator(s)	Vy
Rolling stock	Class 70 and 74
History
Opened	13 October 1881
Technical
Line length	138 km (86 mi)
Number of tracks	Single or Double
Character	Regional passenger
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Operating speed	200 km/h (125 mph)

v t e Vestfold Line
Legend
elev (M)   elev (M) or length (m) in metres km km or length (m) in metres Drammen Line 1872– 52.86 Drammen 1866 2.2 M Randsfjorden Line Kobbervik Fjellsbyen 1930 61.50 Gunnarsrud 1883 80.0 M 63.05 Skoger 1881 75.4 M 2001– New section Gutu 1928 68.63 Galleberg 1881 Hallerud 1928 Tømmerås 1928 2001 Sande 73.07 Sande 1881–2001 Ve 1928 77.01 Holm 1884 2016 New section 12,385 m Holmestrandsporten Øgarden 1928 81.28 Smørstein 1921 Smørstein Tunnel 255 m Husdalen 1929 Tvillingbru 1935 2016 Holmestrand 86.09 Holmestrand 1881-2016 4.8 M 1902–1938 Holmestrand– Vittingfoss Line Gausen 1929 Snekkestad 1928 Nykirke Passing Loop c.150 m 95.26 Nykirke 1881 Gutulsrød 1920 99.54 Skoppum 1881 Horten Line 102.97 Adal 1881 Jareteigen 1930 Skotte 1932 1881–2011 2011– 1881 Barkåker 108.42 1931 Tomsbakken 111.74 Jarlsberg Tunnel 2011– 1,750 m 1881–1915 Kjelle 1931 1915–2011 115.55 Tønsberg 1915 14.5 M Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line Tønsberg Slottsfjell Tunnel c.200 m Kjelleolla 1931 117.80 Jarlsberg Points 1901 1901–1938 Tønsberg– Eidsfoss Line Jarlsberg Landbane 1932 120.26 Auli 1932 121.03 Sem 1881 124.21 Vølen 1929 125.27 Grytingen 1928 126.96 Grimestad 1929 128.24 Stokke 1881 129.84 Kile Bru 1929 132.17 Stavnum 1928 133.31 Tue 1929 134.97 135.10 Sandefjord Airport 1881-1978 2008- 136.69 Unneberg 1928 137.56 Gokstad 1929 138.45 Hosle 1929 139.52 Sandefjord 1881 14.5 M 141.00 Virik 1930 142.33 Skiringssal 1928 143.27 Bærløkka 1929 Førstad 1929 144.71 Jåberg 1881 Istre 1929 146.52 Hybbestad 1929–1978 147.33 Skalberg 1928 149.80 Lauve 1881 151.17 Vikvegen 1929–1978 151.97 Viksfjord 1904–1978 153.23 Guri 154.25 Kaupang 1928–1978 155.09 Grøtting 1885 156.12 Skreppestad 1929 Lågens Dampsag 156.86 Lågen Alfred Andersen Norsk Impregneringskompani –2007 Torstrand Herregårdssletten 102 m 158.66 Larvik 1881 1.7 M New section 2018 c.350 m Vassvik Martineåsen Tunnel 3,670 m c.200 m Skautvet c.150 m Sandviksodden Askekloa Tunnel 170 m 1882 Kjose 169.41 Hovås Tunnel 110 m 1938 Strandsmyr 171.84 Skillingsmyr Tunnel 3,810 m 1891 Eikenes 174.44 –1978 Bakke Ønsåen Tunnel 635 m Oklungen 182.10 Storberget Tunnel 4,680 m Bjørkedal 188.65 Tjølsrud Eidanger Tunnel 2,080 m Brevik Line Eidanger 192.60 Bratsberg Line 190.12 Porsgrunn Bratsberg Line elev (M) or length (m) km km elev (M) or length (m) in metres   in metres

The Vestfold Line (Norwegian: Vestfoldbanen) is a 137.79-kilometer (85.62 mi) railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The line connects to the Drammen Line at the northern terminus at Drammen Station and continues as the Bratsberg Line past Skien Station. The line is exclusively used for passenger trains, which are provided by Vy, which connect northwards to Oslo and south-westwards to Grenland. The 13-kilometer (8.1 mi) section from Eidanger to Skien is often colloquially included in the Vestfold Line.The standard gauge line is electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC and has twelve remaining stations. The Vestfold Line runs through the coastal region of Vestfold and serves major towns including Holmestrand, Tønsberg, Sandefjord and Larvik, as well as Sandefjord Airport, Torp.

The section to Larvik Station was opened on 13 October 1881 and the remainder, including an extension to Skien Station, opened on 23 November 1882. The line was originally variously known as the Drammen–Skien Line (Drammen–Skienbanen), the County Line (Grevskapsbanen) and the Jarlsberg Line (Jarlsbergbanen), until it became known as the Vestfold Line. Horten was served via the now closed 7-kilometer (4.3 mi) Horten Line from Skoppum Station. Three other branches were later built: the Brevik Line (1895), the Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line (1901) and the Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line (1902). The latter two were private and closed in 1938. The Vestfold Line received gauge conversion from the original narrow gauge 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) in 1949, as the last mainline railway in Norway. It was electrified in 1957.

Since the 1980s there have been plans to upgrade the line to high speed. The first section, at Skoger, opened in 1995. It was followed by a 13-kilometer (8.1 mi) section past Sande Station in 2001, a passing loop at Nykirke in 2002 and a 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) section including the Jarlsberg Tunnel in Tønsberg in 2011. In 2016 a new railway through Holmestrand, of which most is in the Holmestrandsporten tunnel, opened. In September 2018 a new double track line between Larvik and Porsgrunn opened, which shortened the travel-time from 33 to 12 minutes.