A protected historic railway in Norway is decaying due to lack of maintenance. The Numedalsbanen line, designated as a cultural heritage site in 2013, now has collapsing buildings and unsafe bridges. Local officials are considering legal action against state railway operator Bane Nor.
The mayor of Rollag municipality, Øystein Morten, walked across a rotten railway bridge in Veggli. Several planks were missing. He said he once had to sprint after his grandchild to prevent them from crossing the unsafe structure. The bridge stands near the town's main playground.
Numedalsbanen opened in 1927 and closed in 1988. It was protected as an exceptional example of 1920s railway architecture. The protected section spans 45 kilometers and includes 56 buildings, 25 bridges and 14 tunnels.
Mayor Morten described the decay as embarrassing for tourism. Thousands of visitors use draisines on parts of the line each summer. This is our biggest tourist attraction alongside the stave church, he said. Now we end up showing them this.
Norway has nine protected railway lines. Five are state-owned through Bane Nor. Four are privately owned. The condition varies widely between them.
Tinnosbanen, a UNESCO World Heritage site, also suffers from neglect according to local preservationists. Gamle Vossebanen maintains its track through volunteer work. Flekkefjordbanen receives regular maintenance funding and sees 10,000 draisine tourists annually.
Bane Nor acknowledges the poor condition of Numedalsbanen. Director Morten Stray Floberghagen said they have spent 20 million kroner on buildings along disused lines over five years. He wants local municipalities to agree on a future use for the railway.
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage has proposed delisting five buildings along Numedalsbanen. The decay is so advanced they have lost their cultural value. Cultural Director Hanna Geiran said delisting is extremely rare.
Mayor Morten finds it paradoxical that their main wish is simply for the state to follow its own laws. The municipality is now considering daily fines and legal complaints against Bane Nor for violating heritage protection regulations.
This situation highlights the challenge of preserving cultural heritage without clear usage plans. While Bane Nor maintains active railway lines, disused heritage sites struggle for attention and funding despite their protected status.