Storo (station)

Storo
Location	Storo, Oslo Norway
Coordinates	59°56′39″N 10°46′43″E / 59.944071°N 10.778703°ECoordinates: 59°56′39″N 10°46′43″E / 59.944071°N 10.778703°E
Owned by	Sporveien
Operated by	Sporveien T-banen
Line(s)	Ring Line
Connections	Tram:     Bus service: 23 Lysaker–Simensbråten 24 Brynseng–Fornebu 55 Nydalen–Lillo Terrasse 56 Solemskogen–Torshov 58 Nydalen–Helsfyr
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
History
Opened	22 August 2003

Storo is a rapid transit station on the Ring Line of the Oslo Metro, and a tram station on the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line of the Oslo Tramway. It is located at Storo in the Nordre Aker borough of Oslo, Norway. The tram station opened on 28 November 1902, and the rapid transit station on 20 August 2003. Metro lines 4, 5 and 6 run to the station, with line 5 terminating there. The tram station serves lines 11, 12 and 13. The station is within walking distance of Grefsen Station on the Gjøvik Line. The station also functions as a bus hub, being located along Ring 3. Storo is a mixed commercial and residential area, and a shopping center is located just north of the subway station.

History

Storo opened as a tram station as the terminus of the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line on 28 November 1902. The line was extended northwards as the Kjelsås Line to Kjelsås on 25 September 1934, and south-eastwards as an extension of the Sinsen Line in 1939.^[1]

The process of establishing a Ring Line to serve the northern parts of Oslo started in the late 1980s.^[2] The plans were passed by the city council in 1997,^[3] and financing was secured in 2000 through Oslo Package 2.^[4] Construction started in June 2000, and the station building and platforms were completed in December 2002. Until the opening, work continued on amenities and the tracks. Storo Station was opened on 20 August 2003, at the same time as Nydalen.^[5][6]

Facilities

The platform

The rapid transit station was designed by architects Jensen & Skodvin Architects, and is visually and structurally very similar to the Sinsen Station, also one of their projects.^[7] It features a center platform with a roof, and uses wood, steel and concrete. The station is located just outside the tunnel that runs all the way to the connection with the Sognsvann Line. South of Storo, the metro tracks run parallel with the Gjøvik Line. The station is owned by Kollektivtransportproduksjon.^[8]

On the other side of the tracks, about 200 metres (660 ft) away is Grefsen Station on the Gjøvik Line. It is served every 40 minutes by NSB Gjøvikbanen services of the Oslo Commuter Rail towards Nittedal, Hadeland and Gjøvik. The Norwegian National Rail Administration is planning to move the station platform to allow direct transfer.^[9][10]

Grefsen Station
Legend Ring Line from Nydalen From Christiania Spigerverk Gjøvik Line from Nydalen     Storo → Kjelsås Line   Storo Station Grünerløkka–Torshov Line = Grefsen Depot    Grefsen stasjon Grefsen Station Sinsen Line (tram) Hans Nielsen Hauges gate   Sinsenkrysset Muselunden Loop Sinsen Station 4 Trondheimsveien Gjøvik Line to Tøyen Alna Line to Alnabru Ring Line to Carl Berners plass

Storo is a mixed residential and commercial area. It has traditionally been easily accessible by car due to being located along Ring 3, a major highway. The shopping center Storo Storsenter is located just beside the station.^[11] Following the opening of the rapid transit station, a new housing complex was built on the west side of the station, on a former freight yard owned by the Norwegian State Railways. The first stage with 260 apartments was finished in 2006; when finished, it will feature 900 apartments. The area, named Stasjonsbyen ("the Station City") was developed by ROM Eiendom.^[12] Ridership at Storo increased from 2,060 per day to 3,630 per day from 2003 to 2007.^[13]

Service

Lines 4, 5 and 6 of the Oslo Metro operate to Storo, each with a 15-minute headway. Lines 4 and 5 operate counterclockwise through the ring via the western part of town into the Common Tunnel, while line 6 operates clockwise via the eastern part into the Common Tunnel. Line 5 terminates at Storo. Lines 4 and 6 swap numbers between Nydalen and Storo. Travel time from Storo to Stortinget is 11 minutes clockwise and 14 minutes counterclockwise. Therefore, any traveler heading for the city center can get on the first train, independent of its direction and it is ensured to be the fastest connection to the downtown area. The metro is operated by Oslo T-banedrift on contract with Ruter.^[14]

The tram station is served by lines 11, 12 and 13 of the Oslo Tramway. Southbound, all three follow the Grünerløkka–Torshov Line to the city center. Travel time to Kirkeristen is 15 minutes. Northwards, line 11 and 12 continue on the Kjelsås Line. Both run to Kjelsås outside rush hour, but during peak services, line 12 terminates at the next station, Disen. Line 13 branches off and heads one stop to Grefsen. The tram service is provided by Oslo Sporvognsdrift on contract with Ruter.^[15][16] Storo is one of eight transfer points between the tramway and rapid transit systems.^[17]

The station serves several bus routes. Feeder line 55 to Lillo Terrasse to Nydalen passes by Storo. Lines 23 and 24 along Ring 3 from Lysaker to Simensbråten, and Brynseng to Fornebu stops at Storo. So does line 56 from Torshov to Solemskogen, and line 58 from Helsfyr to Nydalen. Most of the buses stop at a stop located on the motorway Ring 3.^[18]

TERMINUS	NEXT STATION ← WEST	Storo			NEXT STATION EAST→	TERMINUS
Bergkrystallen	Nydalen		Line 4		Sinsen	Vestli
Vestli			Line 5			Sognsvann
Majorstuen	Grefsenveien		Line 11		Diesen	Kjelsås
Majorstuen			Line 12			Kjelsås
Jar			Line 13		Grefsen	Grefsen

References

1. Aspenberg, Nils Carl (1994). Trikker og forstadsbaner i Oslo. Oslo: Baneforlaget. pp. 9–10. ISBN 82-91448-03-5.
2. Berg, Reidar (14 April 1989). "Tbanering rundt hele sentrum!". Aftenposten Aften. p. 5.
3. Lundgaard, Hilde (26 June 1997). "T-banering vedtatt". Aftenposten Aften (in Norwegian). p. 14.
4. Haakaas, Einar (14 March 2000). "Oslo kommune og staten er blitt enige T-baneringen på vei". Aftenposten Aften (in Norwegian). p. 12.
5. Ruter (2008). "Tidslinje" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
6. Municipality of Oslo. "Storo stasjon" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 25 March 2009.
7. Jensen & Skodvin Arkitektkontor. "Prosjekter" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 March 2009.
8. Oslo Package 2. "T-baneringen" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
9. Haga, Kristin Tufte (17 March 2008). "– Ikke nødvendig med undergang". Nordre Aker Budstikke (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 March 2008.
10. NSB Gjøvikbanen (2009). "Skøyen-Oslo S-Nittedal-Jaren-Gjøvik" (PDF). Retrieved 25 January 2009.
11. Storo Storsenter (2009). "Kollektivtrafikk". Retrieved 25 January 2009.
12. Hegge, Liss (13 October 2005). "Ny stasjonsby på Storo". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Retrieved 25 March 2008.
13. Municipality of Oslo (3 January 2008). "T-baneringen en miljøsuksess" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 March 2009.
14. Ruter (18 August 2008). "Rutetider T-banen" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 March 2009.
15. Engh, Christine M. (25 May 1999). "Italia-trikken ferdigtestet På skinner til Rikshospitalet". Aftenposten Aften (in Norwegian). p. 12.
16. Ruter (April 2009). "Trikk" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Archived from the original (pdf) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
17. Ruter (2007). "Linjekart" (pdf) (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 March 2009.
18. Ruter (2007). "Busslinjer i Oslo nord" (PDF) (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 March 2009.

External links

Media related to Storo stasjon at Wikimedia Commons