One of the well-known scenic stretches of track, the Flåmsbana between Myrdal and Flåm provides a quick descent from 867m to sea level over 20km in about an hour.
Myrdal s a non-descript stop (above left) on the Oslo-Bergen track, a bit after the highest point of that stretch (which is at 1200m above sea level). The train of the Flåmsbana (above right) requires two modern high-powered engines to clear the steep ascent and descent. If the train is not your thing, apparently the serpentine path (below left) is very popular among cyclists. And there is even a zipline for the adventurous, although the lines in the photo below right are for electricity…
But tourists from all over come here for the rail trip. As Flåm is at the end of Songefjord (above left), it is accessible by huge cruise ships (above right), bringing their human cargo here. And the Norwegians (and others) use Flåm as a starting or ending point of their hike or bike trip (below two images of Flåm).
The scenery along the train route is dramatic, with waterfalls (like Kjosfossen (above left), and deep valleys (above right). Colourful small houses are scattered overall (below left). The track was in planning for decades, and the construction took from 1924 to 1940. It was electrified in 1944 (first electric engine below right).
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