Another location change for “Around the World in Trams” as we return to the Norwegian capital city of Oslo.
2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the first tram having run in Oslo with 1875 seeing a short line opening between Homansbyen, Olso West Railway Station and Gronland. This was a horse tram operation with the first electric trams not coming until 1894. The network reached its largest point in 1939 but, as with many other places, the post World War II period saw it start to contract before in 1960 the city council announced their intention to completely replace the trams. This didn’t prove to be final word though as in 1977 the decision was reversed and new trams obtained. Limited extensions came in the 1990s but another threat to its future followed in the early 2000s when another decision to close came, but this too ended up being reversed.
This photo shows 103 which was built in 1982. This was one of the trams which was purchased after the 1977 decision to abandon all operations was reversed and was built by Duewag with it being a SL 79/1. But all things come to an end and it was withdrawn in 2023 with a further upgrade of the tram fleet coming. The tram is pictured here at Aker Brygge. This is on line 12 and was opened in 1994, it also provides interchange with ferry services.
Photograph by Geoff Pickles, 2006