The Rail Connection between Oslo and Göteborg

A Norwegian class 73b train to Oslo is passing Mon, where the Swedish border station was located. The station is demolished and the sidings lifted.

There are four railway lines crossing the Norwegian-Swedish border. The most important is the railway line from Oslo via Halden to Göteborg (Gothenburg), opened in 1879. The railway line is crossing the border at Kornsjø, where the Norwegian border station was located. The railway was an important connection between Norway and the Continent, with direct coaches to København (Copenhagen), Hamburg and other European cities. Almost all interrailers travel on the Oslo-Gothenburg route to and from Norway. 

A container train hauled by two Swedish locos class RC passing Hökedalen in Sweden. The red cottage belonged to the railway. 

The evening train to Gothenburg passing Haksjön in Sweden.  

The rail service is a part of the rail service on the Østfold Railway between Oslo and Halden via the towns in Østfold, the south eastern part of Norway. The trains consist of four-car electric multiple units class 73b. The electrified railway lines in Norway and Sweden are operating at the same voltage, 15 000 V 16 2/3 Hz. Most of the trains on this route terminate in Halden, but three trains run in each direction between Oslo and Gothenburg daily. On Saturday and Sunday there are only two trains running between Oslo and Gothenburg. During the summers the Swedish State Railways (SJ) operated a night train between Oslo and Malmö, but this service ceased in August 2010.

The northbound night train operated by Swedish State Railways on the Norwegian-Swedish border in July 2008. The border is at the middle of the bridge. The photograph is taken from the Norwegian side of the border.

The southbound train on the viaduct at Prestebakke in Norway.

As a Norwegian rail enthusiast I am not very proud of the rail connection between Oslo and Gothenburg. The rail journey takes four hours. There is no buffet or trolley service available on the trains. There are tea- and coffee machines and vending machines selling Coca-Cola, Sprite, snacks and mineral water. Many Swedish commuters travel with the evening train from Gothenburg to Trollhättan. They are not able to buy anything from the vending machines, unless they have Norwegian coins. 

Kornsjø station. The station building was built in 1900.

The Norwegian border station at Kornsjø was an important station. The customs clearance was carried out, and the cross-border trains changed locomotives here.

Today Kornsjø station is only used for crossings. The impressing station building from 1900 is sold and preserved as a part of the Norwegian heritage. The rest of the station is a sorry sight to see. The sidings are disused, and no trains are stopping at Kornsjø anymore. But all cross-border trains are stopping at Ed, about 20 km from Kornsjø. 

 A Norwegian electric locomotive class El 16 with a container train passing Haksjön

The railway line has a lot of freight traffic. CargoNet operate piggy-back and container trains from Oslo to Gothenburg and Malmö and vice versa. Lots of timber is also transported by trains on the railway. Peterson, owning several paper mills, has its own railway company for timber transport. 

 Ed station. 

Train and bonfire at Haksjön