page_title: Kristiania Sporveisselskab
section_title: Electrification
hierarchical_section_title: Kristiania Sporveisselskab / History / Electrification
caption_attribution_description: English: Class S tram of Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei in Kierschows gate. Norsk bokmål: Grønntrikken. Trikk motorvogn tidligere kommunal type S nr. 209 linje 8, Vålerengen-Sagene, i Kierschows gate ved Nordre gravlund. Lukkede plattformer. Betjeningen poserer for fotografen. (De kommunale trikkevogner med alt tilbehør ble solgt til den private Grønntrikken 6. oktober 1905.)
context_page_description: A/S Kristiania Sporveisselskab or KSS, nicknamed the Green Tramway, was an operator of part of the Oslo Tramway from 1875 to 1924. The company was established in 1874 and started with horsecar operations on the Ullevål Hageby Line, Gamlebyen Line and the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line. The network was electrified with in 1899 and 1900, whereby the company was bought by Union-Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft. It delivered new Class U trams. Within a few years the company had also opened the Vålerenga Line and Kampen Line. It took over Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie in 1905, taking over its fleet of Class S trams and the Sagene Ring, the Vippetangen Line and the Rodeløkka Line.
  The company was based at Homansbyen Depot. From 1912 it started an extensive cooperation with its main competitor, Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei. KSS also took delivery of the Class SS trams and from 1921 the Class H trams. The company build part of the Sinsen Line in 1923. Both companies were municipalized in 1924 to become Oslo Sporveier.
context_section_description: Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei (KES) became the second tramway operator in Oslo when it opened its first two electric tramway lines on 2 March 1893. Although the new company received a permit for two new lines, KSS retained a preferential treatment allowing priority in building later new lines. KES had significantly lower operating costs and only charged 10 øre for its tickets. Although only very few locations had a choice between the two companies, KSS was soon viewed as outdated and expensive. They chose to cut their ticket prices to 10 øre in 1896.
  To alleviate the situation, KSS's board approved plans in December 1897 for electrify their network. Meanwhile, the board decided to convert its entire network to double track. As tracks for an electric tramway had to be designed to allow for return current, an all-new trackage would have to be laid. These plans were approved by the annual meeting on 17 January 1898. The company both needed a supplier and capital, and struck a deal with Union-Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft, who would deliver the new infrastructures and trams, and also provided capital through purchasing a majority stake in the company. There was a general understanding for the conversion in the public, although there were many protests against installing overhead lines in Karl Johans gate.
  The first section which was electrified was from Munkedamsveien to Grünerløkka, on 29 September 1899. The same day the line was extended to Torshov. The Homansbyen and Oslo Lines were electrified on 17 November, except for the section from Oslo Hospital to St Halvards plass, which had to be hauled by horses until 15 January 1900. This work required the delivery of new electrical trams. Forty-seven Class U units were delivered in 1899, with electrical equipment from Union and bodies built by Falkenried and Linke-Hofmann-Busch. Thirty-eight horsecars were converted to trailers.
  The company continued the work by opening the Vålerenga Line on 3 May. The Kampen Line opened on 6 June. Both of these were branches of the Gamlebyen Line. This resulted in a major restructuring of the routes, with five lines each running on a ten-minute headway. The Grünerløkka–Torshov Line was the next to be expanded. Unlike the rest, it was financed by the municipalities of Kristiania and Aker, and was the first of KSS's lines to run outside the Kristiania's municipal borders. It opened in two stages, to Sandaker on 2 October 1901 to Grefsen Station on 28 November 1902.
caption: A converted Class S tram in 1915, inherited from KKS
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