Norway - Tram services over obscure routes

Introduction

Some tram systems advertise their depot workings and enable one to ascertain the regular use by passenger-carrying services of junctions or sections of line that do not otherwise see public service. This occasional series lists such services that have come to notice. While the data for each system is current at the date stated, it is not the intention to endeavour to keep every entry up to date at every service change - the listing serves as a guide for travellers as to the sort of services they can look out for, enabling them to check current published timetable material at their time of travel.

To assist in tracing services, the route and/or timetable number for each journey is shown in parentheses, e.g. (1). Days of operation are in English notation (respectively: Su, M, T, W, Th, F, S) - plus "O" for only, "X" for excepted. Su (Sundays) usually includes public holidays in mainland Europe - but check locally.

Listings for other systems throughout the world - in the same format as shown below (please include date of timetable validity) - will always be welcomed.

Oslo:

Ruter As is the overall public transport authority covering Oslo and former Akershus. See Ruter#

Oslo: Sporveien Trikken AS, formerly Oslo Sporvognsdrift AS

[trikken = trams]
Advertised journeys in timetable dated 2 July 2018 or later observations. Oslo have a very unusual policy in as much as if there are city centre road works they have been known to construct temporary lines in nearby streets that go out of use again when the original route reopens! It can be difficult to locate the official current route map on line and it is schematic, so as August 2021 is believed to be the latest here the entries below are compass referenced from the Gleisplanweb website map. Their are ongoing upgrade works to accommodate 87 new trams, which started to arrive in 2020.

Jernbanetorget to Stortorvet

The official route map gives the impression of identical routings from where routes 17, 18 and 19 coincide but that is not the case. Routes 17 and 18 approach/depart the west stop at Jernbanetorget from the north using the north to west curve, whereas route 19 calls at Jernbanetorget south stop, and as there is no south to west curve, runs south to north or vv into Nygata and at the junction with street Storgata uses a south to west curve and line to/from stop Stortorvet.

Majorstuen

Prior to a track closure on 18 May 2020, a route 19 arrived from Ljabru, then departed as a route 12 to Kjelsås from the same north stop on Kirkeveien, this also used by terminating route 11's on a one way anti-clockwise street loop. Route 11 then departed via an north to east curve into Bogstadveien which was then single track until meeting the route 11 inbound split point. By October 2020, the tracks in Bogstadveien had been doubled and a new east to south curve built with routes 12 and 19 diverted to run via Bogstadveien.

Route 12's now change to 19's at Bogstadveien in both directions so the new south to east curve is used by all route 12's. Additionally a May 2023 traveller saw a notice on the north arrival stop still used by route 11 in Kirkeveien advising joining passengers to walk around the corner to the stops in Bogstadveien, so the north to east [plus north to south following re-routing of route 12] are no longer travelled in regular service.

Jerbanetorget - Bussterminalen Grønland - Ekebergparken

This section closed 28 September 2020, in conjunction with the opening of the extension from Bjørvika to Ekebergparken - [Ljabru] on 4 October 2020.

Nationaltheatret - Turn Back Options

No such workings in May 2023, but what was used in summer 2020 works when the Majorstuen loop closed, westbound route 19 trams were shown terminating at Nationaltheatret. However, no turn back facilities exist at this point.

Two solutions to this issue were observed;

• The tram continued, in service, to Skøyen, before entering the loop there [out of service]. After a layover, the vehicle returned as a Route 19 service to Ljabru and were then shown on the Skøyen and other stop indicators as such.
• While at the Nationaltheatret stop the tram's destination indicator changed to Aker Brygge. The vehicle then continued west, but took the east to south curve at Solli to end up at Aker Brygge. Also of note was a temporary southbound stop, at the south end of the triangle at Solli, which was used by these services. When at Aker Brygge, the vehicle then renumbered to Route 12 going to Kjelsås.

Also of note, at the normal eastbound Solli Route 12 stop, was a sign directing you to the temporary stop at the base of the triangle.

The Majorstuen loop reopened on 4 October 2020, with Routes 12 and 19 retuning there, so these operations were assumed to cease from 3 October 2020.

Solli - Turn Back Options

No such workings in May 2023, but for the summer 2020 works, closing the Majorstuen loop, westbound route 12 trams were shown terminating at Solli.

Here the trams just continued to Skøyen but they weren't advertised on the stop indicators beyond Solli. After layover in the loop they returned as Route 12 to Kjelsås but again weren't shown until the Solli stop. It also wasn't clear if they used both the normal eastbound stop and the temporary stop to the south of the triangle at Solli.

From 4 October 2020, Route 12 resumed operation through to Majorstuen and this turn back option was assumed to cease.

Storo - Grefsen stasjon

Before the summer 2020 closures, the entry was to advise that trams on [then] Routes 13 and 17 changed routes and ran through on arrival at Grefsen stasjon. Previously that was not the case and they were kept separate, each turning out of service through the adjacent Depot resulting in a small gap in track coverage. The latest route map shows Grefsen stasjon served by routes 17 and 18 so it is not known if they are kept separate or run through.

Disen turning circle

No scheduled services in May 2023. Route 17 used this loop in public service from 18 May 2020 to 3 October 2020 for the 2020 summer works timetable.

Oslo: Sporveien T-banen AS, formerly Oslo T-banedrift AS

[T-banen = metro]
Advertised journeys in timetable dated 2 April 2017. None in a previous timetable dated 26 April 2009. On a May 2023 visit an engineering work closure meant this curve could not be accessed from Ryen Depot so no updated information was available. The curve is single track with no crossover at the east end junction explaining why it is only ever scheduled in one direction.

Ensjø - Carl Berners plass (Tøyen east curve)

• From Ryen to Vestli (depot workings for route 5): 04:49 SSuX, 05:04 SSuX, 05:19 SSuX
• From Ryen to Storo (depot workings for route 5): 05:33 SSuX, 05:48 SSuX, 06:19 SO, 06:49 SuO, 10:34 SuO