Ofoten Line

Ofoten Line
Malmtrafik train hauled by twin Iore locomotives
Overview
Native nameOfotbanen
OwnerBane NOR
Termini
Stations7
Service
TypeRailway
SystemNorwegian railway network
Operator(s)CargoNet
Malmtrafikk
Vy Tåg
Arctic Train
History
Opened15 November 1902
Technical
Line length43 km (27 mi)
Number of tracksSingle
CharacterFreight
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification15 kV  16.7 Hz AC
Highest elevation513 m (1,683 ft)
Route map

Fagernes Terminalen/Narvik H
Kleivhammeren
(28 m)
Sjøsida
Knuserbakken
0.00 km
Port of Narvik/Narvik D
(1902)
6 m amsl
1.70 km
Øvre Kleiva
E6 Rombaksveien
3.70 km
Narvik Station
(1902)
47 m amsl
Ornes
(120 m)
Bjørneborg
(104 m)
Djupvik
(113 m)
7.91 km
Djupvik
(1902–1923)
103 m amsl
Forsnes
(114 m)
Hvelv I
(55 m)
Hvelv II
(30 m)
13.76 km
Straumsnes Station
(1902)
178 m amsl
Straumsnes
(81 m)
Fjellheim
(335 m)
20.86 km
Rombak Station
(1902)
265 m amsl
Indre Sildvik
(120 m)
24.20 km
Kvitur
Kvitur
(81 m)
Middagselv
(536 m)
Kapp Horn
(280 m)
29.73 km
Katterat Station
(1902)
374 m amsl
New tunnel
(940 m) (2002)
Sørdalen
(384 m)
30.60 km
Sørdalen
Katterat
(535 m)
Norddal
Norddal Bridge
(85 m / 180 m)
36.00 km
Søsterbekk Station
(1955)
457 m amsl
36.50 km
Old Bjørnfjell
(1912–1956)
37.00 km
Haugfjell
(1955)
Mons Olsen tunnel
(290 m)
Solheim
(76 m)
40.42 km
Bjørnfjell Station
(1925)
514 m amsl
41.91 km
Norway–Sweden border
42.56 km
Riksgränsen Station
(1923)
523 m amsl

The Ofoten Line (Norwegian: Ofotbanen) is a 43-kilometre (27 mi) railway line in Narvik Municipality, Norway. It runs from the Port of Narvik to Riksgränsen on the Norway–Sweden border, where the line continues as the Ore Line via Kiruna and Gällivare to Luleå. The Ofoten Line is single track, electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC and has seven stations. The line only connects to the rest of the Norwegian railway network via Sweden. The main traffic is up to 12 daily freight trains operated by Malmtrafik that haul iron ore from Sweden to Narvik. In addition, CargoNet operates container trains, branded as the Arctic Rail Express (ARE), and Vy Tåg operates passenger trains, including a night train to Stockholm.

Construction of the Ofoten Line started in 1898 along with the Ore Line from Riksgränsen to Kiruna. They were completed in 1902, allowing LKAB to haul ore from their mines in Kiruna to the ice-free Port of Narvik. Operation and ownership of the line was held by the Norwegian State Railways. The line was electrified in 1915 and Norwegian State Railways (NSB) started using El 3 and El 4 locomotives. During World War II, the ore traffic stopped because of the Battles of Narvik and the bombing of the town. In the following decades, NSB introduced El 12 and El 15 locomotives. In 1996, operation of the ore trains was taken over by Malmtrafik, which was controlled by and now is a subsidiary of the mining company LKAB. The same year, ownership of the railway line was transferred to the newly created Norwegian National Rail Administration. The line has been upgraded to 30 tonnes (30 long tons; 33 short tons) axle loads, allowing the new Iore locomotives to haul 8,600 tonnes (8,500 long tons; 9,500 short tons) trains.