Narvik Station
Narvik | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Narvik station in 2022 | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Narvik Municipality, Nordland county Norway | ||||
| Coordinates | 68°26′30″N 17°26′30″E / 68.44167°N 17.44167°E | ||||
| Elevation | 46.6 metres (153 ft) | ||||
| Owned by | Bane NOR | ||||
| Operated by | |||||
| Line(s) | Ofoten Line | ||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Station code | NK | ||||
| History | |||||
| Opened | 1902 | ||||
| Rebuilt | 1951 | ||||
| |||||
Narvik is a railway station located in Narvik Municipality in Nordland, Norway on the Ofoten Line. The station is located about 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) from the end of the line at the Port of Narvik.
It is served by two daily passenger trains, one to Stockholm (an overnight train, see below) and one to Luleå, both go via Kiruna and Boden, all these destinations are in Sweden.[1] In 2024 these passenger services are operated by Vy Tåg, a subsidiary of the former Norwegian State Railways which won the operating contract, but SJ, a state-owned passenger train operator in Sweden, has won back the contract from 15 December 2024 onwards.[2]
Since 2020 a local summer seasonal passenger service, called 'The Arctic Train' has been operated between Narvik and Bjørnfjell and back. Tickets are sold to general public but cruise ship passengers are a target group.[3][4]
The station is the northernmost station in the Schengen Area and the northernmost standard-gauge railway station in the world.[citation needed]
It is the northern terminus for one of Europe's most celebrated night trains, the Norrlandståget which leaves Stockholm around six every afternoon, reaches Lappmarken by early the following morning, and then traverses the mountains that delimit the modern frontier between Sweden and Norway to reach the Ofotfjord, on the south shore of which lies the port of Narvik, where it arrives early afternoon. It is a journey which has been praised as "surely one of the most engaging adventures by train in all Europe".[5]
Onward journey is by bus only. Narvik is a bus hub, the bus station is located about 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) south-west of the railway station at Sleggesvingen (68°26′15″N 17°25′20″E / 68.43750°N 17.42222°E), popular routes include:
- South to Fauske, Bodø and the Norwegian rail network
- West to Svolvær/Lofoten, Sortland/Vesterålen and Harstad.
- North to Tromsø, with connections to Finnsnes and Senja.[6]
History
[edit]
Prior to the line opening the station was known as Taraldsvik station, it was constructed in 1900/1901. The station opened for passengers in 1902 along with Ofoten Line, to the Swedish border, and its continuation, the Iron Ore Line, in Sweden.[7]
The station was officially opened and renamed as Narvik by King Oscar II on 14 July 1903.[8]
The building was designed by Paul Armin Due, the ground floor was built of cut granite and fitted with arched windows, while the first floor was constructed of wood in the Swiss style.[9]
In 1914 the station had one long-distance sleeper service to and from Boden Central Station.[10] By 1939 there were two sleeper services that ran through to Stockholm.[11]
The station was badly damaged during World War II and was rebuilt afterwards, reopening in 1951. The new station was described as "small, modern and convenient".[12]
| Preceding station |  | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narvik Port | Ofoten Line | Straumsnes | ||
| Preceding station | Express trains | Following station | ||
| Terminus | F8 | Narvik–Luleå C | Rombak | |
| F8 | Narvik–Stockholm C | Bjørnfjell | ||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Narvik stasjon". Entur. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ Nyström, Ulf (10 July 2024). "SJ tar över nattågen i norr" [SJ takes over the night trains in the north]. Järnvägar. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "The Arctic Train - The Ofot Railway". Norways best. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ "The Arctic Train - Ofoten Line". Visit Narvik. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ Gardner, Nicky (July 2007). "Night Train to Narvik". Hidden Europe Magazine. 15: 22–27.
- ^ "Northern Norway by bus: Narvik is a bus hub". northern norway. Archived from the original on 1 March 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "Narvik jernbanestasjon - Ofotbanen / Lokomotivstall I, Jernbaneanlegg" [Narvik railway station - Ofotbanen / Locomotive stall I, Railway facilities]. Kulturminnesok (in Norwegian). Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Owen 1996, p. 117.
- ^ "Km 03,70 Narvik Stasjon historie" [Km 03.70 Narvik Station history] (in Norwegian). gamlenarvik.no. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Bradshaw 1972, Table 311a.
- ^ Cook's Timetable 1939, Table 218.
- ^ Watts 1953, p. 384.
Bibliography
[edit]- Bradshaw, George (1972) [1914]. Bradshaw's August 1914 continental guide. David & Charles Reprints. ISBN 0 7153 5509 0. OCLC 707182588.
- Cook's continental timetable : a new edition of the August 1939 issue of Cook's continental timetable with enlarged type and introduction by J.H. Price. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. 1987 [1939]. OCLC 988081599.
- Owen, Roy (1996). Norwegian railways : from Stephenson to high speed. Hitchin: Balholm Press. ISBN 0-9528069-0-8. OCLC 43127416.
- Watts, C.E.N. (June 1953). "Railway through Lapland". Railway Magazine. Vol. 99, no. 626. pp. 380–384.
