Gevingåsen Tunnel

Historie

Gevingåsen Tunnel is a 4.4km single track railway tunnel between Hommelvik and Hell, Norway, on the Nordland Line. Blasting started in 2009, and the tunnel opened on 15 August 2011, having cost 635 million Norwegian krone (NOK). Built by the Norwegian National Rail Administration, the tunnel has shortened travel time south of Stjørdal by five minutes and increased the capacity of the Trondheim–Stjørdal to four trains per hour in each direction.The tunnel was the first stage in a project to reduce travel time between Steinkjer and Trondheim to one hour. The tunnel section will not be suitable for high-speed trains, as it was built with curves with too small a diameter, notwithstanding political debate about both these tight curves and the possibility of double track. The whole project involved of new tracks and permanent way. The blasted rock is used to build a new apron at Trondheim Airport, Værnes.BackgroundThe tunnel was built between Hommelvik and Hell on the Nordland Line, through the hill Gevingåsen. The tunnel is 4.4km long, although the whole project consists of of track. The tunnel carries a single track, reducing travel time by five minutes. It has also created the same distance between all passing loops between Trondheim and Stjørdal, allowing the capacity to increase from 5.4 to 8 trains per hour (both directions combined). The old right-of-way, located on a ledge over the sea and prone to landslides, is to be closed. In addition, 92 houses are projected to enjoy reduced noise pollution after the closing. Gevingsåsen was the first part of the plan to reduce rail travel time from Trondheim to Steinkjer to one hour. Politicians have suggested that after the tunnel is completed, they want to electrify the tracks from Trondheim to Steinkjer. The E6 motorway runs parallel through Gevingåsen in the Hell Tunnel.