World War II was a demanding time for the railway line, as the track was in heavy use for both civilian and military transportation, and much of the equipment and maintenance was lacking.
On 28 February 1944 a descending eastbound freight train loaded with oil and petrol lost its braking power and became a runaway train, finally ploughing into a westbound passenger train at Breifoss, just east of Geilo.
The crash and subsequent fire killed 25 civilians and an unknown number of German soldiers.
Poor lubrication oil combined with the cold weather is believed to have caused the accident.
World War II was a demanding time for the railway line, as the track was in heavy use for both civilian and military transportation, and much of the equipment and maintenance was lacking. On 28 February 1944 a descending eastbound freight train loaded with oil and petrol lost its braking power and became a runaway train, finally ploughing into a westbound passenger train at Breifoss, just east of Geilo. The crash and subsequent fire killed 25 civilians and an unknown number of German soldiers. Poor lubrication oil combined with the cold weather is believed to have caused the accident.
Bergen Line