That is good news, but also a sign they think this will be very long term!According to banenor, they will now examine the two spans to see if they can be reused and build a new (and improved) pier. It is likely to be spring before it repopens.
They have reopened the line north of Ringebu, so it is now only an hour’s bus journey from Lillehammer, rather than two and a half to Dombås.
That is good news, but also a sign they think this will be very long term!
Some kind of floating barge being moved into position near the collapsed pier today. Seen plenty of boats in the river too.
Regular viewing of the webcam (linked from post 31) permits a guessing game as to what specific tasks are currently in progress. Do the two trailers near the telescopic crane (at noon on Wed 15/11/23) suggest diving operations?
On behalf of Bane NOR, Rambøll Norge AS has examined both bridge elements and mapped the extent of damage.
The report reveals damage to a limited extent, and the damage is mainly located at each end of the soda fountains.
That was a very interesting translation!Google Chrome can translate that page, but with some creative interpretations of Norwegian words...
Brus+pennene instead of bru+spennene which autotranslates as "Bridge buckles" but I suspect means "Bridge spans" which also fits the context.That was a very interesting translation!
Brus+pennene instead of bru+spennene which autotranslates as "Bridge buckles" but I suspect means "Bridge spans" which also fits the context.
which doesn't bode well for the future where Artificial "Intelligence" will rule our lives!Bru = bridge, spenn = span, the -ene makes it definite plural. (Brus is fizzy lemonade or similar and penn means pen, so Google is being very creative…and badly wrong.)
I agree , much better than The Bergen , i went past late Sept 23 . Train to Andalsnes is much better than The Flam for me , too shortThe new pier appears to be fully formed now, but work continues to the two steel spans and to fit bearings to the pier.
Went past on the bus yesterday, the site looks bigger in person than via the webcam, very efficient replacement operation and got loco hauled on the north side of the stoppage which was an unexpected bonus complete with Buffer car.
On a side note the line is breathtaking and well worth a visit, I thought better than Bergen Line.
Agree, and it is a bit of a "hidden gem" so there are not as many tourists as on the route to Bergen and Flåmsbana.I agree , much better than The Bergen , i went past late Sept 23 . Train to Andalsnes is much better than The Flam for me , too short
Didn't get chance to go to Andalsnes this time. We were dissapointed from Trondheim North to find a group from Great Rail Journeys which just took over the buffet car didn't buy anything and leant directly onto some of us while sat down to get pictures without asking.Agree, and it is a bit of a "hidden gem" so there are not as many tourists as on the route to Bergen and Flåmsbana.
Just came to post that some track relaying on the approach has occured. Must be getting close for the bridge relanding.Looking at the webcam of the bridge, it's starting to look like a railway again.
After an intensive construction period, the Randklev bridge is ready to re-open to traffic on 20th May. The bridge suffered extensive damage during the Storm Hans in August 2023. The large amounts of water in Gudbrandsdalslågen caused one of the bridge foundations to overturn, and thus two of the bridge elements ended up in the river. Inspections of the bridge elements after they had been hoisted ashore showed that they could be reused and the bridge restored.
The train companies have been running substitute buses along parts of the route and there are no night trains.
"Reopening the connection over Gudbrandsdalslågen has had the highest priority for us. The Dovrebanen is a very important section, and it has been a demanding time for both the passengers and the train companies. We thank you for your patience while we worked to reopen the Randklev bridge," says Thor Gjermund Eriksen, CEO of Bane NOR.
The freight trains start running on the Dovrebanen again on 20 May, while the passenger trains run the entire route from 21 May.
The Dovrebanen is an important stretch for freight traffic, and every year several thousand freight trains run between the parts of the country.
When the Randklev bridge was damaged, part of the freight traffic was moved to the Røros railway. This has led to more stress and wear and tear on the track, increased noise for residents along the railway and fewer departures for the passenger trains.
While the Randklev Bridge has been closed, there has also been no freight traffic on the Rauma Railway. Due to limited capacity on the Rørosbanen, part of the goods that normally go by train have been transported on the roads by lorries.
"It is critically important for society that the Dovrebanen is open so that large volumes of food and other necessary goods can be transported climate-friendly and traffic-safe by train between Eastern Norway and Central Norway, and on to Northern Norway," says Eriksen.
The train is the most climate- and environmentally friendly means of transport for both goods and people. A freight train on rails is equivalent to 30 trucks on the road.
The work to rebuild the Randklev Bridge has been in full swing since the bridge was damaged. The bridge elements have been repaired on land and will be lifted back up again. The extent of damage to them has been limited.
In addition to repairing the bridge elements, Bane NOR has built a new foundation. The new foundation has a larger base surface area and is better protected against erosion and undermining to withstand more extreme weather due to climate change. At the same time, erosion protection of the other bridge foundation has been carried out.