Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 19, 2020

The Namsos Line (Namsosbanen) is a 51 km railway line between the village of Medjå and the town of Namsos in Trøndelag county, Norway. The line branched off from the Nordland Line at Grong Station and runs through the municipalities of Grong, Overhalla, and Namsos. The line largely follows the river of Namsen (and it crosses the river twice). The section from Grong to Skogmo is maintained, although not used for ordinary traffic. The section from Skogmo to Namsos is closed, but the infrastructure remains. Planning of the line started in the 1870s and it was originally thought as part of the Nordland Line. This resulted in a debate of whether the Nordland Line should run from Steinkjer via Beitstad and Namsos to Grong (the Beitstad Line) or via Snåsa to Grong, with a branch to Namsos. The latter was selected as it gave the shortest route for the Nordland Line, but gave a longer distance southwards from Namsos and went through a less densely populated area. The line was passed by Parliament in 1913, although construction did not start until 1921. In 1927, construction was halted, but resumed the following year, although the line was built with substandard permanent way. Passenger traffic was terminated in 1977, and the line has been closed for ordinary traffic since 2002.