Cool facts about trains
Things you might have wondered about – or never thought about at all, like why trains honk, and what those letters in the line numbers actually mean.
Who owns the trains?
Norske tog AS (owned by the Ministry of Transport) owns all the trains in Norway and leases them to the train operators.
The operators run the trains, while Bane NOR owns and maintains the tracks, stations, and other railway infrastructure.
What do the letters in the train line numbers mean?
You've probably seen letters and numbers on the front of trains or in timetables. These are the line numbers. But what do the letters mean? They give you information about the type of train route that runs on the different sections.
- L stands for ‘lokaltog’ (local train): short routes with many stops. Example: L2 Oslo–Ski.
- R stands for ‘regiontog’ (regional train): short-to-medium-distance routes which runs within a region. Example: R14 Asker–Kongsvinger.
- RE stands for ‘regionekspresstog’ (regional express trains): faster trains on medium-distance routes which runs within a region. Example: RE10 Lillehammer–Drammen.
- F stands for ‘fjerntog’ (long-distance train): trains that run on long routes. Example: F4 Oslo–Bergen.
Why do trains honk their horns?
Trains usually honk to warn that they’re approaching a level crossing. This is to make people aware that the train is coming, and they must wait to cross until the train has passed. But the horn is also used to scare animals, like moose or deer, away from the tracks.
What are single and coupled train sets?
A single train set is made up of several connected carriages. These usually have a driver’s cab at both ends, so the train can run in either direction.
A double train set is two single train sets coupled together, giving twice as many carriages — and twice as many seats.
