Ekebergbanen (company)

AS Ekebergbanen was a private company that built and operated the Ekeberg Line in Oslo, Norway.

The company was founded on 24 March 1914, and started construction of the line immediately, but the delivery of technical equipment and rolling stock was delayed because of the First World War.

[1] The company's formal establishment was therefore made on 1 June 1917,[2] when the line between Stortorvet and Sæter was opened.

[4] The stations were mostly built with tiny wooden sheds in new baroque architectural style by the Norwegian architect Erik Glosimodt.

This was to be the "main base" for Ekebergbanen, equipped with power stations with and a tram depot with place for twelve cars on six tracks.

[3] In 1924, the company started to operate diesel buses, especially a route from Oslo city centre to Sværsvann named "Østmarkruten".

[2] The company formally merged with Oslo Sporveier on 1 July 1992,[8] and was declared defunct the year after.

[12] The remaining part of the network was eventually double track[13] and electrified at 1,200 volts direct current.

[14] In 1924, Ekebergbanen bought four Berliet buses with bodies from Skabo Jernbanevognfabrikk and put them into service on two lines, from Jernbanetorget to Abildsø and from Sæter to Godheim.

From 1927 to 1931, the company ran a bus line from Jernbanetorget to Simensbråten, and also for some years from Nordstrandshøgda to Aker University Hospital.

An Ekebergbanen tram in 1918