The Flam Railway

 

Norway has plenty of spectacular scenery. The Flam Railway (Flåmsbana in Norwegian) runs between Myrdal, in the mountains, and Flam, down at sea level. From Flam, you can travel by boat towards Bergen or take the train back up to Myrdal.

 

The Flam railway opened in 1940. The original idea, from 1908, was to have a track from the main line, between Oslo and Bergen, to the mighty Sognefjord. The track between Myrdal and Flåm is 20.2 kilometer. Despite the short distance, the journey takes almost an hour. The railway is one of the steepest railways in the world, not counting mountain railways with rack system (cog railways) Since the opening of the road tunnel to Flåm, the railway line is almost exclusively used by tourists.

 

Myrdal is on the railway line between Bergen and Oslo. You can take the train from Oslo but it takes more than four hours to Myrdal so it will became a long day if you want to visit Flåm and get back to Oslo. It is easier to visit Flåm from Bergen. The tourist information center in Bergen has tours that take you to Flåm by train, by boat from Flåm to Gudvangen followed by bus and train (change from bus to train in Voss) back to Bergen. The cruise between Flåm and Gudvangen takes about two hours and the scenery is stunning.

 

The journey down to Flåm is nice experience. The track includes 20 tunnels, one of them is a 180 degree turn, the Vatnahalsen tunnel. The longest tunnel is the Nåli tunnel, 1341.5 meters. Apart from the horseshoe bend in the Vatnahalsen tunnel there is second 180 degree turn along the track. The railway is single track with a passing loop at the Berekvam station.

 

The train stops at the Kjossfoss waterfall, an impressive 93 meter fall, for photos. The river is supposed to supply the electricity to the Flåm railway. During the tourist season, a short dance show with music is provided by two girls.

 

Flam is a small place, a population of around 500 people, beautifully located at the end of the Aurlandsfjord, which is a branch of Sognefjord. A huge number of tourists visit Flåm every year, almost half a million. This includes a number of huge cruise ships. If you are unlucky, the train could be jam-packed with tourists from a cruise ship. In that case, you may want to wait for the next train. The trains have no numbered seats, so you can not reserve a window seat. In worst case you may end up standing which means no views, the trains have no panorama windows.

 

Flåm itself does not have much to offer, a couple of souvenir shops and a supermarket, plus a small Flams Railway museum. Of course, different kinds of accommodation exist as well.

 

The Flam Railway operates the whole year, with extra trains during summer. Despite that it can be a good idea to avoid the holiday time. The trains can be very crowded during summer. In winter, the days are short and it can be cold. Personally, spring or late autumn are my preferred choices. It is reasonably warm and some snow may be visible in the mountains. Just make sure to plan your travel, check departure times so you do not end up waiting a couple of hours for the next train, boat or bus.

 

All in all, the Flam Railway is a nice journey in a beautiful environment. But if you want to see the magnificent Norwegian fjords, you are better of going by boat. Hopefully you have enough time, and money, to enjoy both the Flam Railway and the fjords. Norway is a beautiful country but unfortunately very expensive.