European Railroad Discussion > Roaming around Norway: Bergen Edition

The second to last stop on the tour was Norway's second largest city Bergen. I have previously covered the trams and funicular in Bergen. Passenger service is dominated by Vy and almost all the trains are the same modern electric trainsets operating as Vossebanen, Voss being a city to the east on the mainline to Oslo. The few trains per day that operate to and from Oslo are locomotive-hauled and the coaches are marked Bergenbanen. Bergen would become notable for the only time that I was approached by the authorities for suspect behavior on the platforms of the station. "You need to write to Bane NOR for permission." Kind of late for that. They quickly assessed me as not a threat to the homeland and allowed me to continue. It did make me twice shy when I got to Oslo and I did not linger on the platforms there spending more time with the trams.

1. A typical 5-car train departs for Voss at 5:25 PM on June 9, 2023.

2. A typical 5-car train arrives in Bergen. You can see a bit of the intermodal facility off to the right. There appears to be very little freight traffic between Norway's two largest cities. I saw a container train preparing to leave in the evening with a Cargo Net electric locomotive.

3. This one was two 5-car sets together.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/23 09:25 by NMlurker.

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4. I like this shot just for the 'signal' that shows the position of the slip switch. This is a not-in-service train coming from the service area in the background to become a departing train.

5. A much better shot of a Vy Vossebanen trainset the following morning at the Bergen station. It appears to be a ten-car set with a destination of Finse which is well east of Voss and past Myrdal.

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6. The most interesting sighting to me was this rather large centercab switcher that was used to shunt the Vy passenger equipment. The cars on the adjacent track are the Bergenbanen coaches.

7. A roster shot reveals that this unit is marked "Berging Jernbane." 'Jernbane' translates to 'iron road' or 'railroad.'

8. In the same paint scheme but labeled "Rail COMBI" was this Class 224 0-4-0 shunter beside the intermodal yard.

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My main goal of the evening was to see the train arrive from Oslo as I would be riding this service the following morning. It would turn out to be the ubiquitous Class 18 electric with just a 'Vy' decal where the square plaque was on the Flåm units.

9. In my favorite shot of the evening the train arrives from Oslo on-time at 7:02 PM.

10. Another shot of the same train under the Bergen trainshed. Interestingly, the locomotive is sublettered 'NSB' for the Norwegian State Railway.

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Did you take a ride on the Floibanen - funicular on Mt Floyen?  These photos are from a summer 2006 visit and show the station at the bottom, an en-route view, and the view from the upper station.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/23 10:43 by WoodwardEJ.

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Again, beautiful coverage scenes that many don't get to see.  Thank you it's appreciated.
Blaine
American Fork

WoodwardEJ Wrote:
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> Did you take a ride on the Floibanen - funicular
> on Mt Floyen?  These photos are from a summer
> 2006 visit and show the station at the bottom, an
> en-route view, and the view from the upper
> station.

Yes, covered in an episode of Funicular Friday. Your second shot is fabulous.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?17,5698893

A few years ago I spent several days in a cabin with a good view of the Oslo Bergen railroad. Short, fast container trains were fairly common.

The container yard in Bergab is in the process of ending a multi year rebuild in conjunction with the opening of the new tunnel. This will allow freight train to  directly leave and enter the yard, which, in the past, they couldn't do. Rail Cow Girl now drives for one of the freight carriers, so the recent vidoes give a sense of how this works.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA