Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 11, 2013

Oslo Commuter Rail (NSB Lokaltog Østlandet) is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) and its subsidiary NSB Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units (EMU). The network spans eight routes and 128 stations, with Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) as the central hub. The trains run on 553 km of electrified mainline railway owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration. The commuter rail operates mainly within Greater Oslo. The system is also an airport rail link to Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. West of Oslo, the system uses the Drammen, Asker, Spikkestad and Sørland lines, north of Oslo it uses the Gjøvik Line, east of Oslo it uses the Trunk, Gardermoen and Kongsvinger lines and south of Oslo it follows the Østfold and Eastern Østfold lines. The system's predecessors date back to the opening of the Trunk Line in 1854. By 1902, all the routes used by the commuter rail had been taken into service. Electrification started in 1922, and was completed in 1963. In 1980, the Drammen Line was connected to the rest of the system and all trains started operating to the new Oslo S. The high-speed Gardermoen Line opened in 1998. By 2012, NSB will have taken delivery of new Stadler FLIRT units and the Asker Line will have been completed. By 2018, the Follo Line is scheduled to open.