page_title: Nordland Line
section_title: Mo i Rana–Bodø
hierarchical_section_title: Nordland Line / History / Mo i Rana–Bodø
caption_attribution_description: English: en:Bodø stasjon on en:Nordlandsbanen, Norway Norsk bokmål: no:Bodø stasjon på nb:Nordlandsbanen
context_page_description: The Nordland Line is a 729-kilometer railway line between Trondheim and Bodø, Norway. It is the longest in Norway and lacks electrification. The route runs through the counties of Trøndelag and Nordland, carrying a combination of commuter, long-haul passenger and freight trains. From Trondheim Central Station to Steinkjer Station the line is most heavily used, with hourly services by the Trøndelag Commuter Rail. There are three branch lines—the Stavne–Leangen Line at Leangen Station, the Meråker Line at Hell Station and the Namsos Line at Grong Station.
  The section from Trondheim to Hell opened on 22 July 1882. The next section, initially the Hell–Sunnan Line, opened in stages between 1902 and 1905. The line was lengthened to Snåsa Station on 30 October 1926 and then to Grong on 30 November 1929. Construction continued in a slow pace northwards, but was accelerated by the Wehrmacht after the 1940 occupation. The line was built through most of Helgeland and opened in seven stages to Dunderland Station in the next five years. The line then had to be brought up to standards before continuing northwards.
context_section_description: The Wehrmacht had set a goal of ultimately extending the Nordland Line to Kirkenes. In early 1942 construction of two segments were started, north of Mo i Rana as well as the Polar Line which ran from Fauske and northward. This work was originally organized as part of Eisenbahnbaukommando Norwegian, with Organisation Todt responsible from March 1943. In addition to the Nordland Line, they were working on the completion of the Sørlandet Line. 
  Beginning in September 1942, the workforce was supplemented by prisoners of war. The number reached 21,600 on the Nordland and Polar Lines by 1945, distributed between 47 camps. An estimated ten percent of these died before the war ended. The 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) from Storforshei to Grønfjelldal was completed in April 1943. The last opening during the war was to Dunderland on 1 May 1945.
  At the end of the war in May 1945, NSB took control over the construction. They shifted focus towards bringing the existing line up to standards. The Dunderland Line was bought by the state and taken over by NSB on 1 July 1947. Class 87 diesel multiple units were introduced between Elsfjord and Mosjøen, later extended to Majavatn, until 1951. An express train started running directly from Trondheim in 1949 and the next year a night train service was introduced. Sleeping cars to Mo i Rana were introduced in 1956, and to Mosjøen in 1970.
  The preliminary earthworking on route up to Lønsdal was finished by the end of the war, and this segment of the line could open on 8 December 1947. Work was carried out along the entire line until Fauske, and for instance, the bridge across Finneidstrømmen was completed in 1947, ten years before the line was taken into use. Once the war was finished the investments on the line fell dramatically. The next stage, to Røkland, was not opened until 1 December 1955. With this a direct freight and passenger train operated north of Mo i Rana, while previously all trains had been locals terminating there. NSB's first diesel locomotive, Di 1 was used from Trondheim to Mo from 1953. The following year also Di 3 locomotives were used, which gradually were taken into use on more and more trains. The line was finished to Fauske on 1 December 1958. At the time it had a common station with the narrow-gauge Sulitjelma Line at Finneid Station.
  Because the Wehrmacht was not interested in a branch to Bodø, this segment of the line originally did not receive any work until 1946, albeit very limited until 1956. From the completion of Fauske the workforce was moved to the final stretch, peaking at 430 people in 1961. The 54 kilometers (34 mi) cost about 100 million kroner. Revenue freight service commenced on 1 December 1961, with passenger trains running from 1 February 1962. The official opening of the Nordland Line was carried out on 7 June 1962 by King Olav V.
caption: Bodø Station is the terminus of the line
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