The Bergen Railway
Explore the Bergen Railway on one of our round trips to the fjords. It is Northern Europe's highest stretch of railway, roughly 100 km of which runs through wild mountain terrain.
The Bergen Railway is the approximately 500 kilometre (approx. 310 miles) long railway line between Bergen and Oslo. The construction of the Bergen Railway was a huge project in its day and was competed in 1909. The line crosses both the Langfjellene mountains and the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The duration of the trip between the two end stations is Bergen ad Oslo is approx. 7 hours.
The decision to build the railway line was made in 1894 and it was completed in 1909. The stretch of railway between Bergen and Voss, which was completed already in 1893, really revolutionised life for the communities along the line. It is said that the construction of the Bergen Railway was a huge project in its day, and that it can be compared with today's development of the oil industry on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the North Sea.
One of the railway’s greatest challenges is the harsh and changeable weather. The Bergen Railway line is exposed to deep low-pressure centres from the west, which can mean strong winds and heavy snow for part of the year. Keeping the railway open demands great effort and technical expertise. Today, skilled workers, efficient equipment, tunnels and snow tunnels make the Bergen Railway one of the safest and most comfortable ways of travelling between Oslo and Bergen.