Oslo T-bane

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**T-banen i Oslo** <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">Image:LogoT-banen.jpg</td></tr>
Locale	Oslo
Transit type	Rapid transit<tr><th style="white-space: nowrap;">Began operation</th><td>1898 (as a tramway service)</td></tr><tr><th style="white-space: nowrap;">System length</th><td>84.2 km or 52.3 miles</td></tr><tr><th style="white-space: nowrap;">No. of lines</th><td>6</td></tr><tr><th style="white-space: nowrap;">No. of stations</th><td>104</td></tr><tr><th style="white-space: nowrap;">Daily ridership</th><td>162,740 daily (2004)</td></tr><tr><th style="white-space: nowrap;">Track gauge</th><td>1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)</td></tr>
Operator	Oslo T-banedrift

The T-bane is the metro system of Oslo, Norway, operated by Oslo T-banedrift, a subsidiary of the municipality transit authority Oslo Sporveier. As of 2005 the network consists of five lines which all run through the city centre.

1 Line network
2 History
3 Operations
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Line network

Image:Tbane geografisk.png

The original T-bane connecting the eastern suburbs of Oslo to the centre of the city, was built in 1966. It consisted of four main lines, Grorudbanen, Furusetbanen, Østensjøbanen and Lambertseterbanen. Later, the easterly lines were connected to the in part much older western lines: Holmenkollbanen (originated as a tram line between Majorstuen and Besserud in 1898), Kolsåsbanen, Røabanen and Sognsvannsbanen, forming a city-wide metro system. With the exception of the new northern circle line T-baneringen, the western lines are mostly not really subway, they have an absence of tunnels west of the city centre. Two of the western lines, Røabanen and Kolsåsbanen, reach deep into the neighboring municipality of Bærum.

In July 2003 the westernmost portion of Kolsåsbanen was closed because of budget disagreements between the subway company, Oslo and Bærum. After more than a year of an unpopular replacement bus, the line was fully reopened in November 2004. In 2006, circle line opened, making it possible to reach Storo as well as connecting the west and east portions of Oslo without running on the crowded central stretch. In 2004 construction of this line caused a tunnel to collapse on Grorudbanen, the system's largest line. This forced a shutdown of this line until December, creating a havoc of overfilled replacement busses.

Currently, there are five lines:

Line 1: Frognerseteren - Helsfyr (to Bergkrystallen during peak hours). This line combines Holmenkollbanen with a part of the joint subway section East of downtown, Bergkrystallen is the end terminus of Lambertseterbanen.
Line 2: Østerås - Ellingsrudåsen. This line combines Røabanen with Furusetbanen.
Line 3: Sognsvann - Mortensrud. This line combines Sognsvannsbanen with Østensjøbanen.
Lines 4 & 6: Husebybakken (temporary terminus while the line is closed for upgrade work) - T-baneringen (Circle line) - Bergkrystallen. This line combines Kolsåsbanen with Lambertseterbanen via the new Circle line north of the city centre.
Line 5: Storo - Vestli. This line combines a part of the new northern circle with Grorudbanen.

[edit] Line 1 (light blue)

Line 1: Frognerseteren – Stortinget – Helsfyr (– Bergkrystallen)

Frognerseteren - Voksenkollen - Lillevann - Skogen - Voksenlia - Holmenkollen - Besserud - Midtstuen - Skådalen - Vettakollen - Gulleråsen - Gråkammen - Slemdal - Ris - Gaustad - Vindern - Steinerud - Frøen - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Ensjø - Helsfyr (- Brynseng - Høyenhall - Manglerud - Ryen - Brattlikollen - Karlsrud - Lamberseter - Munkelia - Bergkrystallen)

[edit] Line 2 (red)

Line 2: Østerås – Smestad – Stortinget – Ellingsrudåsen
Østerås - Lijordet - Eiksmarka - Ekraveien - Røa - Hovseter - Holmen - Makrellbekken - Smestad - Borgen - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Ensjø - Helsfyr - Brynseng - Hellerud - Tveita - Haugerud - Trosterud - Lindeberg - Furuset - Ellingsrudåsen

[edit] Line 3 (green)

Line 3: Sognsvann – Ullevål – Stortinget – Mortensrud
Sognsvann - Kringsjå - Holstein - Østhorn - Tåsen - Berg - Ullevål stadion - Forskningsparken - Blindern - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Ensjø - Helsfyr - Brynseng - Hellerud - Godlia - Skøyenåsen - Oppsal - Ulsrud - Bøler - Bogerud - Skullerud - Mortensrud

[edit] Lines 4 & 6 (dark blue)

These lines both serve the circle line (T-baneringen), continuing in a loop once they leave the central area.
Note: As of August 2006, the line to Kolsås is closed for maintenance. The temporary western terminus for line 4 is the temporary station of Husebybakken, just east of Montebello.

Line 4: Bergkrystallen - Stortinget - Ullevål stadion - (becomes Line 6)
Line 6: Nydalen - Carl Berners plass - Stortinget - Smestad - Kolsås
(As Line 4): Bergkrystallen - Munkelia - Lambertseter - Karlsrud - Brattlikollen - Ryen - Manglerud - Høyenhall - Brynseng - Helsfyr - Ensjø - Tøyen - Grønland - Jernbanetorget - Stortinget - Nationaltheatret - Majorstuen - Blindern - Forskningsparken - Ullevål stadion - (Becomes Line 6) - Nydalen - Storo - Sinsen - Carl Berners plass - Tøyen - Grønland - Jernbanetorget - Stortinget - Nationaltheatret - Majorstuen - Borgen - Smestad - Montebello - Ullernåsen - Åsjordet - Bjørnsletta - Lysakerelven - Jar - Tjernsrud - Ringstabekk - Egne hjem - Bekkestua - Gjønnes - Haslum - Avløs - Valler - Gjettum - Hauger - Kolsås

[edit] Line 5 (pink)

Line 5: Storo – Ullevål – Stortinget – Grorud – Vestli
Storo - Nydalen - Ullevål Stadion - Forskningsparken - Blindern - Majorstuen - Nationaltheateret - Stortinget - Jernbanetorget - Grønland - Tøyen - Carl Berners plass - Hasle - Økern - Risløkka - Vollebekk - Linderud - Veitvet - Rødtvet - Kalbakken - Ammerud - Grorud - Romsås - Rommen - Stovner - Vestli

Image:Vindern T-bane.jpg Image:Mortensrud stasjon 18jun2005.jpg

[edit] History

1898: Holmenkolbanen opens from Majorstuen to Holmenkollen, now part of line 1 (west). It reaches its current end point Frognerseteren in 1916. Street trams used until 1909, when 3.1 m wide railway-like cars are introduced.

1912: A side branch from Holmenkolbanen to Smestad opens, now part of line 2 (west). It is later called Røabanen, and reaches its current end point Østerås in 1972.

1924: Lilleakerbanen opens from Lilleaker to Avløs, the part from Jar to Avløs now being part of line 4 (west). It reaches its current end point Kolsås in 1930. Street trams used from the beginning.

1926: Østensjøbanen opens from Vålerengen to Oppsal, the part from Helsfyr to Oppsal now being part of line 3 (east). It reaches its current end point Mortensrud in 1998. Street trams used from the beginning.

1928: Holmenkolbanen opens its tunnel from Nationaltheatret to Majorstuen. This is Scandinavia's first underground.

1934: Sognsvannsbanen opens, now the western part of line 3.

1942: A track between Lilleakerbanen at Jar and Røabanen at Sørbyhaugen opens. The new connection Majorstuen - Sørbyhaugen - Jar - Kolsås is called Kolsåsbanen, and wide railway-like cars are introduced.

1957: Lambertseterbanen opens from Brynseng to Bergkrystallen, now part of line 4 (east). Street trams used from the beginning.

1966: The T-bane opens. The new line goes from Jernbanetorget to Helsfyr, mostly in tunnel. Lambertseterbanen from Helsfyr is converted into T-bane standard. Grorudbanen opens as a T-bane from Tøyen to Grorud, now part of line 5 (east). It reaches its current end point Vestli in 1975.

1970: Furusetbanen opens as a T-bane from Hellerud to Haugerud, now part of line 2 (east). It reaches its current end point Ellingsrudåsen in 1981.

1987: The tunnel between Nationaltheatret and Jernbanetorget, connecting the western and the eastern part of the underground system, opens. All trains turn at Stortinget because of the two different electrical systems, and passengers have to switch there.

1993: Sognsvannsbanen converted into T-bane. First direct trains east-west.

1995: Røabanen converted into T-bane. Dual system cars introduced. All western and eastern lines combined. (Line 1 switches from overhead wire to third rail at Frøen; line 4 at Montebello.)

2003: T-baneringen (the circle line) opens its first part from Ullevål stadion to Storo. The circle is planned to be completed in 2006 with a connection from Storo to Carl Berners plass.

2006: T-baneringen is complete, and services start running as a combination of lines 4 and 6 on 20 August.

[edit] Operations

The current rolling stock consists of:

146 cars of types T1-T4. These run only on a third rail system and can therefore not run on Holmenkollbanen or Kolsåsbanen. These cars are old, purchased in the 1960s, and have recently proved themselves unreliable by untimely stoppages occurring at random. They are due to be supplemented by newer cars in 2006. Trains run in trains of 2, 4 or 6 cars, occasionally with 3 or 5 cars, on Lines 2, 3 and 5.
49 cars of types T5-T8. These run cars can run both on a third rail and overhead wire system, and can therefore be used on the entire system. However they usually only run on trips on Line 4 (usually with 3-car trains) and on Line 1 (with 2-car trains).
12 cars of type T2000. These cars were delivered in 1993. They can run both on third rail and overhead wire. Unfortunately, these cars have not been particularly successful. They now run in 2-car trains on Line 1.

In 2006, replacements of the old T1-T4 stock will be initiated with the introduction of MX-stock. These cars are coupled in sets of three and allow passengers to walk between the cars in each set.

For the most part, the trains run from about 5 in the morning (6 in the morning during weekends) to 1 at night. Usually, the trains on a fifteen minute headway, although during low traffic the trains run only every half hour.