Eastern Østfold Line

The Eastern Line serves the hourly R22 services of the Oslo Commuter Rail, operated by Vy.

It became the first line in Norway to feature the European Rail Traffic Management System, becoming operational in 2015.

With a length of 78.9 kilometers (49.0 mi) it provides an alternative route to the Østfold Line between Ski and Sarpsborg.

It is the only railway in Norway to feature ERTMS, with both GSM-R and European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2.

[2] The term Østfold Line is most commonly used to describe the section from Oslo via Moss to Kornsjø.

[3] The lack of early interest in a railway in Østfold was caused by the ice-free Oslofjord and the perceived non-necessity of build a line where a suitable waterway already existed.

[4] Preliminary surveys were carried out the following year, which also investigated two routes to the Swedish border, one via Tistedalen and one along Iddefjord.

[5] By 1872 the disagreement over an interior or coastal route was raging and a compromise was proposed in which the line would be built with two branches.

With increasing cost estimates, Parliament decided to reduce the standard on the Eastern Line.

A recession hit in 1877 and the government stopped all construction for a period, initially only continuing it on the Western Line.

This caused an uproar along the line and municipal councils sent inn demands that construction resume.

[9] Groundwork was conducted directly by the railway based on accords, with the track was laid by contractors.

The Kykkelsrud Line was built in 1899to allow access to the pulp mill Glommens Træslliperi.

[2] A triangular track was installed at Hafslund Station south of Sarpsborg, operative from 7 April 1995.

Trains which wanted to run from the Eastern Line southwards towards Halden previously had to drive into Sarpsborg Station and then change direction.

[24] Four stations with very low patronage, Drømtorp, Langli, Langnes and Askim Næringspark, were closed in 2012.

Trials first ran in November 2013 on the section from Rakkestad to Sarpsborg, as this line did not have regular traffic.

In addition to a new signaling system and centralized traffic control, the platforms and stations at Kråkstad, Tomter, Spydeberg, Askim and Mysen were modernized.

The job thus fell to his successor Balthazar Lange, who continued largely in the same style as Blix.

Second-class stations were built at Spydeberg, Askim and Rakkestad, each which were 123 square meters (1,320 sq ft).

Third-class stations were built at Kråkstad, Tomter, Slitu, Mysen, Eidsberg, Gautestad and Ise.

[30] The National Rail Administration has expressed desires to cut the travel time from Mysen to Oslo to 45 minutes.

Map of the Smaalenene Line in 1884; the line still follows the same route.
Mysen Station in 1922. The station building was demolished in 1989
Slitu Station during the 1920s
Rakkestad Station became the center of its namesake municipality and was one of several stations which received a grain silo
Heia Station was typical for new stations established in 1928, with a simple shed and platform near a level crossing
Knapstad Station was upgraded with a new platform in 2012
Tomter Station was one of the third-class stations designed by Balthazar Lange