Asker Line

Infobox rail line
name = Asker Line
nativename = Askerbanen

---

caption = NSB BM70 unit to Vestfold and the Airport Express Train are some of the units that use Askerbanen, here at Asker.
type = Railway
start = Sandvika
end = Asker
stations = 2
open = 2005
close =
owner = Norwegian National Rail Administration
operator = Norges Statsbaner
Flytoget
CargoNet
character = Express passenger
Freight
stock = BM70, BM71, BM72, BM73
linelength = 9.5 km
tracklength = 19 km
notrack = Double
gauge = RailGauge|sg
el = 15 kV AC
speed = 160 km/h

Askerbanen|

The Asker Line ( _no. Askerbanen) is a 9.5 km railway line between Asker and Sandvika in Norway. The line runs parallel to the Drammen Line and will be extended from Sandvika to Skøyen. Most of the railway is in tunnel and is dimensioned for 160 km/h. The entire railway is electrified with 15kV 16 2/3Hz and cost NOK 3.7 billion. [cite web |url=http://www.orapp.no/Arsrapportannonser/31466 |title=Jernbaneverket |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Økonomisk Rapport |date=2006-06-29]

The railway line was built so regional- and express trains could drive directly between Asker Station and Sandvika Station without being slowed by local trains that make multiple stops on the railway. The main purpose of the new track is to increase the regularity of the line, but when the stretch to Skøyen is complete, the travel time between Skøyen and Asker will have been reduced from 20 to 13 minutes.

Use

The track is used by express trains on the Bergen Line and the Sørland Line, regional trains on the Vestfold Line in addition to the Airport Express Train and the local train between Kongsberg and Eidsvoll. Other local trains are operated on the old Drammen Line, in addition to freight trains, though in 2006 the night freight trains were moved to the new line, despite not operating at more than 100 km/h. [cite web |url=http://www.budstikka.no/sec_nyheter/article89148.ece |title=Nærmere løsning for godstogene |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Budstikka |date=2006-06-02]

Expansion

As of 2006, Lysaker Station is being renovated, while the construction of the 6.7 km stretch from Sandvika to Lysaker will start in 2007 and will be completed in 2011, two years after Lysaker Station. There are also plans to expand with a 2.1 km line from Lysaker to Skøyen, starting some time after 2015. [cite web |url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/prosjekter/pagaende/skoyen_asker/ |title=Nytt dobbeltspor Skøyen - Asker |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Jernbaneverket |date=2006-11-01] On the southeast side of Oslo construction of an equivalent project will be constructed between Oslo and Ski. [cite web |url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/prosjekter/pagaende/oslos_ski/article.jhtml?articleID=1490132 |title=Nytt dobbeltspor Oslo S - Ski |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Jernbaneverket |date=2005-09-27]

Criticism

* Norsk Bane and other high speed railway interest organizations have criticized the Norwegian National Rail Administration for not building the railway to permit a train to operate with continual high speed through the entire line, if it should wish to not make stops at Sandvika station, like the express trains do today. The line has been built so that all trains have to break down to 80 km/h in a curve going inn to Sandvika Station. They claim this defeats the entire purpose of construction high speed railways and may hinder or severely exaggerate the cost of building new high speed lines to Western and Southern Norway. [cite web |url=http://www.norskbane.no/oslo_n.htm |title=Oslo-området |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Norsk Bane |date=2006-06-02]
* The same advocates claim that though the track will give higher regularity, the service frequency will not be able to be increased due to that the bottleneck on the service west of Oslo lays in Oslo Tunnel between Oslo and Skøyen. [cite web |url=http://www.norskbane.no/oslo_n.htm |title=Oslo-området |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Norsk Bane |date=2006-06-02]
* The Progress Party claims that building new track is too expensive, as it costs a lot per kilometer of track with small effects due to the short stretches that are built.
* The NOK 1 billion renovation of Lysaker Station has turned into a scandal due to that the station is being built on a curve, and thus doesn't have straight platforms. This will become a security problem in addition to creating a gap up to 40 cm, denying accessibility to the trains. Norges Statsbaner claims they will have to buy new trains due to this station alone, costing the state owned company NOK 1.5 billion. [cite web |url=http://www.budstikka.no/sec_nyheter/article93128.ece |title=NSB ber om byggestans |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Asker og Bærums Budstikke |date=2006-07-14] Minister of Transport and Communications, Liv Signe Navarsete (Center) has said that resolving the problems by building a straight station is not an alternative, since it would cost many hundred million kroner and delay the new station up to many years. [cite web |url=http://odin.dep.no/sd/norsk/tema/bane/nyheter/028061-210006/dok-bn.html |title=Presisering om Lysaker stasjon |accessdate=2006-12-06 |language=Norwegian |author=Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications |date=2006-07-14]

References

External links

* [http://www.jernbaneverket.no Jernbaneverket page on the Asker Line construction]