In 1871, a decision was made to connect by rail Oslo (Norway’s largest city nearly 200 miles southeast of Flåm) and Bergen (105 miles southwest of Flåm). As part of the Bergen Line, the Myrdal Station opened in 1908. The question then became how to descend from the station’s elevation of 2,844 feet through the Flåmsdalen (valley) and into Flåm? Proposals were written and rejected for fifteen years while estimated costs ballooned. In 1924, the commitment was made to build the Flåm Line (Flåmsbana). At the peak of construction, 280 men were employed. The work was laborious. 18 of the 20 tunnels were drilled by hand. The project was also dangerous. Avalanches and landslides were common. In 1940, limited freight operations began. The first passenger train ran in early 1941.
