The Sørlandet Line

The Sørlandet Line runs 585 kilometres from Oslo to Stavanger by way of Kristiansand, and for most of the way it keeps its distance from the coast it is named after. When the route was chosen, the southern towns were already well served by ships, and the valleys behind them had little. So the railway went inland, with branch lines down to the sea. West of Kristiansand that meant crossing the grain of the land: the valleys run north to south, the line runs west, and it goes straight through the ridges between them.

It took more than seventy years to join up. The first piece, to Kongsberg, opened in 1871; the Jæren Line from Stavanger to Egersund followed in 1878. Until 1913 the whole scheme was called the Vestlandet Line; that year the Storting voted, 83 to 40, to rename it the Sørlandet Line. Before it was finished, the way from Oslo to Stavanger was a train to Brevik, a ship to Flekkefjord and a train again. The last link, through the heaths west of Kristiansand, was completed under the German occupation, and the line opened throughout on 1 May 1944.

Since December 2019 the trains have been run by Go-Ahead as Sørtoget, the South Train: five through trains each way on weekdays, and a night train with sleeping cabins.

The train leaves Oslo S westward under the city, calls at Lysaker and Asker, and reaches Drammen at the head of its fjord in half an hour. From there it turns inland, up the valley to Kongsberg, the old silver town, then loops round past Saggrenda and over the watershed into Telemark. It crosses the Telemark Canal at Lunde, passes Bø and runs south through forest and past lakes by Drangedal and Gjerstad to Nelaug, where the branch leaves for Arendal.

Kristiansand

After Vennesla the line passes Grovane, start of the Setesdalsbanen museum railway, and comes down to Kristiansand. The station is a terminus, so every train reverses here and waits between eight and sixteen minutes: time to step onto the platform.

Across the grain

West of Kristiansand the line turns inland again and begins to cut across the valleys of Agder, partly over the heaths between them and partly through tunnels. Store norske leksikon counts 72 tunnels between Kristiansand and Egersund. The two longest, both opened in 1943, are the Hægebostad Tunnel, 8,474 metres, and the Kvineshei Tunnel, 9,065 metres, which holds the longest straight on the Norwegian railway network. Snartemo station lies between the two; beyond come Storekvina and Gyland, each a glimpse of a valley before the next dark. At Sira the old line to Flekkefjord branches off; after Moi the railway comes down to Egersund.

Jæren

The last hour or so is the oldest part of the line, the Jæren Line of 1878. The hills fall away and the train runs across Jæren, open farmland of stone walls and wind towards the North Sea, through Bryne and Sandnes to Stavanger.

The trains

The day trains are Type 73 electric units or El 18 electric locomotives hauling coaches. Seats are in Standard, in the quieter Ekstra carriage at one end of the train, or in Hvile, where the seats recline. There is a family carriage with a playroom and a café on board; the night train adds sleeping cabins.

Go-Ahead runs the Sørlandet Line as line F5, Sørtoget: five through trains each way from Monday to Friday, four or five at the weekend, and a night train every night except Saturday. Every seat is reserved.

Oslo to Stavanger

Stavanger to Oslo

Kristiansand times are departures; trains arrive eight to sixteen minutes earlier and reverse there. On Sundays train 706 starts at Kristiansand, and an extra train leaves Stavanger at 14:04 for Oslo, arriving 22:45; on Saturdays train 716 runs only as far as Kristiansand. A 17:25 from Oslo runs to Kristiansand every day, and on weekdays short trains link Kristiansand and Stavanger early and late. Every train also calls at Lysaker, Asker, Vennesla, Bryne, Sandnes and each station between Kristiansand and Egersund but Breland; most at Nordagutu, Drangedal, Neslandsvatn, Gjerstad and Vegårshei, and some at Lunde.

On weekdays until 20 November 2026 train 708, the 08:47 from Stavanger, does not run. On some dates in January 2027 the trains leave Oslo two minutes earlier.

Times as of October 2026, from Entur's journey planner, checked for dates from 19 October 2026 to 9 February 2027. Check your date on Entur (opens in a new tab) or with Go-Ahead (opens in a new tab).

Tickets are sold by Go-Ahead on its website and app, through Entur, Norway's national journey planner, at ticket machines at the main stations and on the train, up to 90 days ahead. Every ticket includes a seat reservation and three pieces of luggage. Lavpris is the cheapest and cannot be changed or refunded; Fleks can be changed or refunded free until 24 hours before departure.

There are four ways to travel: Standard; Ekstra, a quieter carriage with free coffee and tea; Hvile, a reclining seat, on the night train and selected day trains; and Sove, a sleeping cabin on the night train. Go-Ahead does not publish fares; Entur quotes them for your date. Checked October 2026.

Interrail and Eurail passes are valid, with a compulsory reservation. Interrail's table of railway companies lists Go-Ahead Nordic's regional trains and night train in both the Global Pass and the One Country Pass for Norway, with reservation mandatory. Go-Ahead lets pass holders reserve Standard, Ekstra, Hvile and Sove on Entur. Interrail lists Go-Ahead's fees as €4.30 for a Standard seat in second class, €22–26.50 to upgrade to its Premium class, €43 for a reclining seat and €86–107 for a sleeping cabin; first-class pass holders reserve Premium free.

A pass pays for this journey if Norway is part of a longer trip. For Oslo to Stavanger alone, compare a travel day of the pass, plus the reservation, with the fare Entur quotes for your date.

Checked October 2026 against Interrail's table of railway companies (opens in a new tab), its reservation fees (opens in a new tab) and night-train fees (opens in a new tab), and Go-Ahead's Interrail page (opens in a new tab).

With five through trains a day each way on weekdays, a stop on the way costs a few hours, not a day. Every place below has a station that all trains call at, except Arendal, a short ride on the local train from Nelaug.

The journey fits in a day, and the night train saves a hotel altogether. At the western end, the old harbour of Stavanger is a short walk from the station, with Gamle Stavanger above it.

Planning this trip and stuck on something, or spotted a time, fare or detail that has changed? Send us a message about The Sørlandet Line. We read every one, and we update this page when something has changed.