page_title: Sognsvann Line
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Sognsvann Line / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Proposed line map of Sognsvann Line made in 1918
context_page_description: The Sognsvann Line is a rapid transit line on the Oslo Metro of Norway. It branches from the Common Tunnel at Majorstuen and runs 6.0 kilometers to Sognsvann. After Ullevål stadion, the Ring Line branches off. The Sognsvann Line serves the northwestern and northern neighborhoods of Oslo, mostly within the borough of Nordre Aker. The line is owned and maintained by Kollektivtransportproduksjon and has nine stations. The western end of line 5 serves the entire line. Line 4 and the eastern end of line 5 serve the southern part of the line up to Ullevål stadion before branching off and continuing along the Ring Line. This gives an average five-minute headway on the southern part and an average fifteen-minute headway on the northern part of the line.
  The line opened on 10 October 1934 as a light rail. In 1993, it was upgraded to metro standard as the first light rail west of Oslo, with two stations being closed. The Ring Line opened in 2003. Forskningsparken has transfer to the Oslo Tramway and serves Rikshospitalet. Forskningsparken and Blindern both serve the University of Oslo, while Ullevål stadion serves Norway's largest football venue.
context_section_description: The first plans for a light rail along the route of the Sognsvann Line were launched by Holmenkolbanen in 1904. They called for a branch from Gaustad Station on the Holmenkoll Line to Geitmyren and onwards to Sagene. The next proposal for a line was launched in 1917, when Aker Municipality established the company Akersbanerne. It started work planning the Østensjø Line as well as the Sognsvann Line. The neighborhoods of Sogn and Tåsen were being built, and the municipality wanted to establish a good transport system to make the areas more attractive. Holmenkolbanen stated that they should be prioritized to build the system, since they already had a line in the area, but the municipality wanted to have political control over the development of the area.
  In 1920, Holmenkolbanen applied to build a branch from Frøen via Tåsen to Nydalen and Grefsen, along what is today the Ring Line. This proposal included a branch to Sognsvann. The Ministry of Labour granted the concession to Akersbanerne, who started construction in January 1922. However, due to a labor conflict, the work was put on hold in 1924. In 1924, the Røa Line (at the time called the Smestad Line) was taken over by Akersbanerne, but Holmenkolbanen retained the operation. After the first part of the Common Tunnel, from Majorstuen to Nationaltheatret, opened in 1928, Holmenkolbanen was in financial distress, and in 1932 Akersbanerne took over the majority of the shares of Holmenkolbanen. At the same time, the Røa and Sognsvann Lines were merged into Holmenkolbanen.
  Work commenced again in 1933 and the line opened on 10 October 1934. At first the line was built with double track from Frøen to Østhorn and single track to Sognsvann. Between 1937 and 1939, the upper section was converted to double track. The construction spurred a massive residential construction along the line giving a good foundation for ridership.
  After the municipal merger between Oslo and Aker in 1948, Akersbanerne was merged into Oslo Sporveier, although Holmenkolbanen remained a partially owned subsidiary. In 1973, Oslo Sporveier bought the remaining shares, and two years later the operations were transferred to Oslo Sporveier, with Holmenkolbanen remaining a pure real estate company. The municipal take-over resulted in an upgrade to both the track and the rolling stock. New overhead wires and new and heavier track were laid. From 1978, the T1300 trains were taken into use. With the take-over, the lines were numbered, and the Sognsvann Line designated 81, although this was quickly changed to 13.
  During the 1980s, the city decided to connect the four suburban lines west of the city center with the Oslo Metro. The Sognsvann Line was selected as the first line to be upgraded, so the two systems would become compatible. The line was upgraded to metro standard by replacing the overhead wire with a third-rail power supply and installing automatic train protection. All the stations were rebuilt, with platforms lengthened from fitting two-car to fitting four-car trains, and the platform height increased. The third rail required all level crossings to be removed, resulting in the line being rebuilt several places to allow the road to underpass or overpass. The light rail permitted passengers to cross the lines at the stations, but this was made impossible with metro standard. Because of this, underpasses or overpasses were built at the stations.
  Frøen Station was rebuilt so only the trains on the Holmenkollen Line would stop there, while Nordberg Station was closed. All the stations, except Ullevål stadion, were built in the same architectural style. They are constructed in concrete with steel columns and wooden sheds and fences. All platforms have a shed; Ullevål stadion has a larger weather cover and has a design inspired by football. The upgrade also included the installation of third-rail from Majorstuen to Stortinget in the Common Tunnel. From 10 January 1993, the Sognsvann Line re-open, and from 4 April, the line started operating through the Common Tunnel and connected to the Lambertseter Line. The 
caption: Map of various proposals for lines in northern Oslo
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