Kongsvinger, Varingskollen, Stryken, Strømmen

It is the 3rd of July and now when the vaccination is in progress, countries are starting to open up. Norway has announced that fully vaccinated travelers can enter the country, so today I'm finally going abroad outside Sweden after almost one year since my European trip last summer.

Only a few roads are open between Norway and Sweden, I'm traveling through the Morokulien border which is between Charlottenberg and Kongsvinger

No queues, no waiting - I had to scan my QR code from the vaccine pass and now I'm in Norway. It was a long time ago I felt this happy to cross the border to Norway

The first stop is in Kongsvinger

Things have happened in Norway since the last time I was here, state-owned NSB has become VY, and now there are also other companies operating, SJ on the route Oslo-Trondheim and GoAhead on the route Oslo-Stavanger

NSB Class 75, Stadler Flirt arriving from Oslo to Kongsvinger

Unfortunately, the reopening of the border is only valid for cars, the first passenger train to cross the border will start operating only in November-December depending on the route. 

Freight trains have been operating all the time even during the lockdown, here is HR 41614

243 111 "Baldwin"

941 001 "Morricone"

Dovrebanen

Leirsund station

The line has a busy traffic between Oslo and Gardemoen airport

NSB Class 71, Flytoget

Nittedal station at Gjøvikbanen

Today many trains are diverted here from Bergensbanen due to railworks

Here is NSB El 18, similar to SBB Re 460

Varingskollen station near a ski resort

Local train from Gjøvik to Oslo

CN 5520 from Bergen to Oslo

185 688 and 185 707

Hakadal station 

Unlike in Sweden, Norway has kept all its old station buildings. Most of them are made of wood and represents the time when the railway was once constructed

Stryken station - not many trains stops here

Regionstog from Oslo to Bergen

Type 7 cars are used here on Bergen line

GC 84842 from Bergen

Stadler Eurodual is a locomotive you don't see much of in Sweden, even though it operates by Swedish company Green Cargo

Tractive effort for Eurodual is 475kN compared to 300kN of a Traxx locomotive

Today is a really warm day, so I even take a swim in a lake nearby the railway

I have to return back to Sweden today, so I'm on my way back passing through Strømmen station

Lillestrøm

Class 72 on the route Lillestrøm-Oslo

Strømmen station under renovation

GC 4814 from Trondheim

Class 187 Traxx is only available in one version in Sweden, operated by CFL Cargo. Here in Norway it is used both by Green Cargo and CargoNet

187 403 and 187 406

Skarnes

I'm back at Kongsvinger

TXL 93477 delivering new Stadler bi-modal Flirt trains

185 679

HectorRail train on the way to Norway at Morokulien border