Nordland Line

Norway's longest railway, filmed by NRK on a summer day in 2012: fjords, forest valleys and the climb over Saltfjellet across the Arctic Circle to Bodø.

The route

The Nordland Line runs about 729 km from Trondheim to Bodø, making it the longest railway in Norway. It was built in stages over eighty years. The first section, from Trondheim to Hell, opened in 1882, and the line crept north valley by valley until passenger trains finally reached Bodø in February 1962. Along the way it serves 43 stations, many of them small halts in long, thinly settled valleys.

Much of the northern section was pushed forward during the German occupation. From 1942 prisoners of war were put to work alongside Norwegian labourers, and by 1945 about 21,600 of them had worked on the Nordland Line and its planned extension in 47 camps. Roughly one in ten died before the war ended.

Unlike Norway's other main lines, the Nordland Line has never been electrified, so diesel trains work the whole distance. It climbs to about 680 m on Saltfjellet, crossing the Arctic Circle just before the summit. SJ Norge runs the passenger trains and CargoNet the freight. A 2015 study found electrification would pay off, but recommended other lines be done first.

What you will see

NRK filmed the line four times in 2012, once in each season, for its "minute by minute" series; this is the summer journey, recorded on 31 July. For the first hours out of Trondheim the train runs close to the Trondheimsfjord, past Hell and through farming country, before reaching Steinkjer at the head of the fjord. From there it turns inland, and the scenery becomes forest, lakes and river valleys around Grong in Namdalen.

North of Grong the line follows long, lightly populated valleys into Nordland county. Mosjøen and Mo i Rana are the largest towns on this stretch, each a brief burst of streets and industry between hours of forest and water. Beyond Mo the train climbs the Dunderland Valley at a steady 1.2 per cent, with the river below and steep slopes above.

The climb then steepens to 1.8 per cent onto Saltfjellet, a treeless plateau. Watch for the moment the forest gives out completely; the train crosses the Arctic Circle about 1.8 km before the summit, just south of Stødi. The descent runs down Saltdalen to Rognan, past the inner fjord to Fauske, and then west along the water for the final stretch into Bodø, the end of the line.

Riding it for real

SJ Norge runs a daytime train between Trondheim and Bodø that takes about nine hours and fifty minutes, and has also offered a night train on the route, though that service has been affected by a shortage of locomotives. Interrail and Eurail passes are valid, and booking a seat in advance is wise on the long-distance trains.

The day train is the way to see the scenery, and Bodø makes a good base for continuing north by ferry or coastal ship. Check SJ Norge for current timetables, fares and any replacement buses before you plan the trip.

The video is embedded from YouTube and remains on its owner’s channel. Views count toward the original video.