Randers–Aalborg line

The Randers–Aalborg line or the Randers–Aalborg railway (Danish: Randers–Aalborg jernbane) is a 80.7 km (50.1 mi)[3] long standard gauge double track railway line in Jutland, Denmark which runs through the historical region of Himmerland between Randers and Aalborg. It constitutes a section of Den Østjyske Længdebane, the through railway line through the Jutland Peninsula from Padborg to Frederikshavn.

Randers–Aalborg line
The track and platforms at Skørping station in 2009
Overview
Native nameRanders–Aalborg Jernbane
OwnerBanedanmark
TerminiRanders station
Aalborg station
Stations8
Service
TypeRailway
SystemDanish railway
Operator(s)DSB
Nordjyske Jernbaner[1]
History
Opened18 September 1869 (1869-09-18)[2]
Technical
Line length80.7 kilometres (50.1 mi)[3]
Number of tracksDouble
CharacterPassenger trains
Freight trains
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed180 km/h (Randers-Hobro)
120 km/h (Hobro-Aalborg)[4]
Route map

The railway opened in 1869.[2] From 1940 to 1953, the original single track railway line was converted to double track.[5] The line is owned and maintained by Rail Net Denmark and served with passenger trains operated by the Danish State Railways (DSB). The northernmost section from Skørping to Aalborg is also served by the Aalborg Commuter Rail operated by Nordjyske Jernbaner.[1]

History
A xylography from 1869 showing the first train departing from Aalborg station on 18 September 1869.

The British civil engineering consortium Peto, Brassey and Betts was granted concession to build the Randers–Aalborg line on 18 March 1861.[2] Work on the railway line started in October 1865, and was completed in the late summer of 1869.[6] It was opened on 18 September 1869 in the presence of King Christian IX.[7]

Operations on the line commenced the following day with three trains daily in each direction.[8] The line was operated by the state-owned railway company De jysk-fyenske Jernbaner (the Funen and Jutland Railways), which merged with De sjællandske Statsbaner (the State Railways of Zealand) in 1885 to form one national railway company, De danske Statsbaner (the Danish State Railways).

During World War I traffic on the line became busy enough to be beyond the capacity of a single track. As a consequence, it was decided already in 1918 to expand the single track to a double track. However, the duplication work was only completed in different sections between 1940 and 1956, with the section from Skørping to Støvring being the last to be completed on 1 June 1956.[5]

In 2003, the Aalborg Commuter Rail, a commuter rail service in and near Aalborg, started operating on the northernmost section of the railway line from Skørping to Aalborg.[9] In 2017, operation of the regional rail services from Aalborg station to Skørping station were transferred from DSB to the local railway company Nordjyske Jernbaner.[10]

Stations
Station Distance from
Randers (km)		 Distance from
Aalborg (km)		 Remarks
Randers 0 80.7
Hobro 31.3 49.4
Arden 46.8 33.9
Skørping 54.4 26.3
Støvring 61.8 18.9 Closed in 1974, reopened in 2003
Svenstrup 71.5 9.2 Closed in 1972, reopened in 2003
Skalborg 76.4 4.3 Closed in 1972, reopened in 2003
Aalborg 80.7 0

References
  1. "Om Nordjyske Jernbaner" (in Danish). Nordjyske Jernbaner. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  2. Jensen (1976), p. 6.
  3. "Line information (TIB)" (PDF) (in Danish). Banedanmark. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
  4. "Hastighed på Banedanmarks jernbanenet" (PDF) (in Danish). Banedanmark, 27 November 2012. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
  5. Jensen (1976), pp. 9–10.
  6. Jensen (1976), pp. 8–9.
  7. Jensen (1976), p. 8.
  8. Jensen (1976), p. 9.
  9. "Aalborg Nærbane" (in Danish). Nordjyllands jernbaner. Retrieved 2019-07-02.
  10. "Historien bag Nordjyske Jernbaner" (in Danish). Nordjyske Jernbaner. Retrieved 23 July 2019.

Bibliography
  • Jensen, Niels (1972). Danske Jernbaner 1847–1892 (in Danish). Copenhagen: J. Fr. Clausens Forlag. ISBN 87-11-01765-1.
  • Jensen, Niels (1976). Nordjyske jernbaner (in Danish). Copenhagen: J. Fr. Clausens Forlag. ISBN 87-11-03756-3.
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