Flåmsbana

Flåmsbana is the Flåm Railway, a 20 km line from Flåm, at the head of the Aurlandsfjord, up to Myrdal, where passengers change to the Bergen Line. Flåm sits 2 metres above sea level and Myrdal 867 metres.

The ride between Flåm and Myrdal

This is Northern Europe's steepest standard gauge adhesion line, which means no gears or cables help the train up. Most of the route climbs at 5.5 per cent. There are 20 tunnels, 18 of them dug by hand, and one tunnel turns 180 degrees inside the mountain. The full journey takes about 55 minutes each way.

From Flåm the line follows the river to Lunden, then climbs the valley side to Berekvam, where trains can cross in summer. Kjosfossen comes next, with a five minute stop so passengers can step out beside the waterfall, and Vatnahalsen is near the top. Not every stop is fixed. To get off at one, tell the conductor. To board, stand on the platform so the driver sees you.

Tickets and fares

Tickets are for one departure and are not valid on an earlier or later train. They normally go on sale 120 days ahead, and a sold-out departure has no waiting list. Flåm to Myrdal and back is sold as a round trip through Norway's Best, which markets the railway. A round trip that starts at Myrdal needs two one-way tickets, and Myrdal has no ticket office or ticket machine. Tickets that combine the Flåm Railway with the Bergen Line, for example from Oslo or Bergen, are sold by Vy.

A single adult fare starts at NOK 399, and children aged 6 to 17 pay half. Interrail and Eurail pass holders with an active travel day get 30% off ordinary single tickets, sold through Entur, at staffed stations in Norway and by phone with Vy. There are no student, senior or companion discounts, and seats are not split into first and second class.

Seasons and frequency

Trains run every day of the year. From May to September there are nine or ten departures a day, and fewer in the colder months. Departures are reduced on 24, 25 and 31 December.

On board and at the stations

The train has toilets and overhead luggage racks but no food service. Myrdal station has a waiting room and a seasonal café, and Flåm has lockers next to the customer centre. Dogs travel free. A bike needs a bicycle ticket, NOK 280, with the space reserved when you buy your ticket. It travels on the same departure as its owner, unlocked and without luggage, with a tag collected at Flåm station. Strollers are fine if they do not block seats, aisles or doors, and may need folding into the luggage racks when the train is busy. Each departure has up to two wheelchair spaces, reserved through Norway's Best. Kjosfossen is not accessible for wheelchair users.

Who runs the railway

Flåmsbana AS holds the commercial responsibility for the railway and is owned half by Vygruppen and half by Norway's Best Group. Vy handles passenger transport.