Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 23, 2013

The Lier Line (Lierbanen) or LB is an abandoned railway line that ran through Lier in Norway. The private, narrow gauge railway branched from the Drammen Line at the old Lier Station, and ran 21.15 km to Svangstrand on the lake Tyrifjorden, where it connected with a steam ship operated by the railway company. Among the villages the line served were Egge, Sjåstad and Sylling, in addition to two branch lines, from Iledalen to Tronstad Bruk, and from Egge to Egge Gravel Pit. Discussions regarding the building of a line through Lier started in 1895, and construction commenced in 1901. The line opened on 12 July 1904 and was initially profitable, in part because of tourist traffic. In 1920, the Drammen Line was converted to standard gauge, resulting in expensive transshipment between the two lines. This and falling traffic caused the line to become unprofitable. The Lier line was closed for ordinary traffic on 23 October 1932. All traffic ceased on 1 January 1937 and the track was demolished shortly afterwards.