On Monday 8 June, the new cruise lane at Ler station in Melhus was put into traffic. The northbound freight train received the honour of being the first train through the new station at five in the morning. Two years of intense work is nearing the end.

6 – 7 June was free of trains on the entire Dovre line, while work was done in a number of places. At Ler Station, this train-free weekend meant the last entry to prepare the cruise lane for use.

A lot of time was spent putting the new signal system into operation, and night to Monday it was tested under different scenarios to ensure that it would work as expected. Furthermore, the crews used the weekend to adjust and adjust the facility for the trains’ flow, another element that is important in train performance.

The first freight train came from Oslo and was on its way to the terminal at Heimdal with deliveries. It marked with it a worthy “opening” of the extended crossing track. The next train that passed Ler was the first passenger train from SJ, which today takes over traffic on the Trønderbanen after Vy.

The railway technical work has been completed with this, and the long freight trains can thus intersect with other train traffic on Ler. Capacity has increased, that is, 650 m long freight trains can cross at Ler without unnecessary time loss. This significantly increases the flexibility of this part of the Dovre Line.

Construction work at Ler Station will continue through the summer, but then work on arriving, new parking and clean-up will take place. When Bane NOR finishes at Ler, about NOK 240 million has been invested on the stretch.

Facts about the cruise track

• Extended cruise lane with space for 650m long freight trains
• Two new ruins, one for the public, one for agricultural purposes
• Two new bridges calibrated for 200-year flood
• New and longer platform (125m)
• The track is raised
• New parking lot is being prepared in collaboration with Melhus municipality

The contractor is Baneservice AS. Several local companies have had subcontracting in the project.

(Source: Bane NOR)