Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 34, 2008

Ringeriksbanen is a proposed 40 km extension of the Bergensbanen railway from Hønefoss to Sandvika, Norway; reducing rail travel from Oslo to Bergen by 60 km and 50 minutes. Currently trains from Bergensbanen to Oslo must traverse via Drammen on Randsfjordbanen and Drammenbanen, or via Roa on Roa–Hønefossbanen and Gjøvikbanen. The project was presented as part of the original proposal of Bergensbanen when approved by the Norwegian Parliament in 1894, but due to the narrow gauge on Drammenbanen at the time, a temporary solution via Roa was chosen instead. Later proposals have been launched, and parliament has voted over it in 1954, 1978, 1984 and 1992; only the last being passed, but not followed up by funding, and the Norwegian National Rail Administration has not allocated any date to start construction; detailed plans have however been produced.