Portal:Trains/Selected article/Week 37, 2014

The Finse Tunnel (Finsetunnelen) is a 10300 m long railway tunnel west of the village of Finse in Hordaland county, Norway. The tunnel is part of the Bergensbanen railway line between the cities of Oslo and Bergen. It is the longest tunnel on the line, and the third longest railway tunnel in the kingdom. Inside the tunnel, at 1237 m elevation, is the highest point on the Norwegian railway network. The tunnel was constructed to increase the regularity of the line past the Finse peak which was often blocked by snow. Planning started during the 1980s to remove this section that was regularly snowed down, and at the same time reduce the length and increase the speed of the railway. Construction was started in 1990, and was opened by King Harald V on 16 May 1993. Following the construction of the tunnel, 32 km of railway around this area was also rebuilt to achieve higher train speeds, a shorter overall distance, and to maximize the natural protection from the weather. This was built in five stages, opening between 1995 and 1998. The tunnel has been criticized for being a potential death trap in case of a fire.