NORWAY: Infrastructure manager Jernbaneverket has announced that the 30 km Kongsberg - Flesberg section of the Numedalsbanen route is to be permanently reactivated to meet increased demand for forest product transport.
Vegetation clearance, tamping and rehabilitation of the 27 m steel Lyngdalselva bridge is scheduled to be finished for reactivation in mid-September.
The 92 km Numedalsbanen closed on January 1 1989, however local authorities and other interested parties were keen protect the line for possible revival. Rail cycle hire has been available between Veggli and Rødberg, and irregular heritage trains operated.
The section to Flesberg was temporarily reopened in 2011, operated as a long siding from Kongsberg to enable ballast trains to run from a quarry at Svene.
Increased forestry activities and the loss of processing facilities in Norway with a resulting growth in traffic to Sweden have now made rail viable again.
