Train Travelling Holidays

Relaxing travel. Great scenery. No problems with detours or getting used to the locals' traffic habits. That's what you avoid when you travel by train in Norway. Having been working from the Trondheim office for about a week my vacation began with wife and son joining me in Norway. Having enjoyed Trondheim for a few days we took the train for a beautiful 497 km long train ride to Oslo.

EL18 2261 waiting in front of 8 carriages in track 5 on Trondheim station. Splendid weather to help make a scenic ride even more unforgettable.

Being used to travel by train in Denmark and southern Sweden spectacular scenery isn't on the agenda. I have been visiting narrow gauge railways with great scenery, but usually they are rather short. On the ride from Trondheim to Oslo two thirds of the ride is first class views just waiting for you. And its cheap entertainment, too.

While the signal is still red, the hills in the background is promising a great day on the railway.

One of the many great views captured through the less than clean window. Not that it spoiled my enjoyment of the trip.

As part of our stay in Trondheim we spent a day in the hills south of the town. The narrow gauge tram terminus Lian is a great starting point for a hike in the mountains. Sevreral routes are clearly marked in the landscape or available on hiking apps. The tramway is the most northernly tramway on the planet, is doing well finacially and is currently having track and catenary modernised. The wooden catenary masts are probably on their way out which is sort of sad.

The loop on Lian station has received new steel catenary masts. Here trainset 93 is making its way back to the current northern terminus Ilevollen.

From Lian it's down hill to Trondheim. Here the wooden catenary masts are still going strong.

Arriving in Oslo there is no doubt that one is in a capital. Lots of people, more tourists and a much larger tram network transporting 55 mio passengers anually. All trainsets are SL18-types built by CAF in Spain - a type I have also met in Edinburgh and Budapest. Very efficient and cheap travel to all major locations in and around Oslo. Combined with local and regional trains and busses there is no reason to hire a car when visiting Oslo. A car will be like a ball in chain around your leg!

Henrik Ibsens Gate at the Nationaltheatret. Trainset 487 as line 15 toward Disen is moving down hill while trainset 464 towards Majorstuen is beginning the climb.

As a pleasent variety to all the blue trams the orange workscar 358 is seen here passing the pub in the old trading stalls at Kirkeristen with the Oslo cathedral in the background.