Exploring Myrdal Station | Flåms line railway | Norway in a Nutshell | Trip to Bergen, Norway 2022

Myrdal Station (Norwegian: Myrdal stasjon) is a mountain railway station and junction, located on the Bergen Line regional mainline in Aurland, Vestland, Norway. The railway station is also the upper terminal of the Flåm Line local railway, which ascends from the valley floor of the Sognefjord to the mountain-top junction, providing a vital public transport link, but deriving a majority of its passengers through tourism. Most passengers using Myrdal station are changing trains between the two lines.
Myrdal station is located about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) south of the village of Flåm and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Aurlandsvangen. There is no road connection to Myrdal although there are some cottages and hotels in the area, served by Myrdal Station, and the nearby Vatnahalsen Station, about a kilometer before Myrdal, and 50 metres lower towards mean sea level.
The station is located between two tunnels on the Bergen Line: the Gravahals Tunnel to the west and the Vatnahalsen Tunnel to the east. Completion of the 5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi) long Gravahals Tunnel was done in 1905. The station is 867 metres (2,844 ft) above mean sea level.
The station has three platforms. Platform 1 is the principal platform on the mainline, and platform 2 is the alternative mainline platform located on the passing loop. The non-consecutively numbered platform 11 is the platform used by local trains to and from Flåm. As the mainline is single track, the passing loop allows regional trains to cross with freight services, and occasionally with other passenger trains. A large cafeteria and gift shop provides refreshment and shelter, and there are waiting rooms and lavatories. There are freight sidings located at Myrdal.
The station opened in 1908. On 17 January 1923, the station restaurant was taken over by Norsk Spisevognselskap. As the facilities were too small, the restaurant was later moved to another, larger building.
The Flåm Line (Norwegian: Flåmsbana) is a 20.2-kilometer (12.6 mi) long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland Municipality, in Vestland county, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is 866 meters (2,841 ft); it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18). Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway.
Construction of the line started in 1924, with the line opening in 1940. It allowed the district of Sogn access to Bergen and Oslo via the Bergen Line. Electric traction was taken into use in 1944; at first El 9 locomotives were used, and from 1982 El 11. Until 1991, the train connected with a ferry service from Flåm to Gudvangen. In 1992, freight services were terminated, and due to low ticket prices and high operating costs, the line was nearly closed. In 1998, Flåm Utvikling took over marketing and ticket sale for the line, prices were heavily increased and El 17 locomotives were introduced (replaced by El 18 in 2014). The trains remain operated by the Vy, while the line itself is owned and operated by the Bane NOR.
The Flåm Line runs from Myrdal on the Bergen Line to Flåm. Myrdal Station is located in a mountain pass at 863.6 meters (2,833 ft) above mean sea level (AMSL), while Flåm is located at 2.0 meters (6 ft 7 in) AMSL. The line's maximum gradient is 5.5 percent, and 16.1 kilometers (10.0 mi) of the line's 20.20 kilometers (12.55 mi) have at least 2.8 percent gradient. The line has standard gauge and a minimum curve radius of 130 meters (430 ft), and is the steepest standard-gauge railway in Europe. Maximum permitted speed upwards is 40 km/h (25 mph), while it is 30 km/h (19 mph) downhill. The line has eight stops, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The line is electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC using overhead wire, and is equipped with Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R), but lacks centralized traffic control (CTC). The infrastructure is owned and operated by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.
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English title: Exploring Myrdal Station | Flåms line railway | Norway in a Nutshell | Trip to Bergen, Norway 2022
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