Randers–Aalborg line


The Randers–Aalborg line or the Randers–Aalborg railway is a long standard gauge double track railway line in Jutland, Denmark which runs through the historical region of Himmerland between Randers and Aalborg. It constitutes a section of Den Østjyske Længdebane, the through railway line through the Jutland Peninsula from Padborg to Frederikshavn.
The railway opened in 1869. From 1940 to 1953, the original single track railway line was converted to double track. The line is owned and maintained by Rail Net Denmark and served with passenger trains operated by the Danish State Railways. The northernmost section from Skørping to Aalborg is also served by the Aalborg Commuter Rail operated by Nordjyske Jernbaner.

History

The British civil engineering consortium Peto, Brassey and Betts was granted concession to build the Randers–Aalborg line on 18 March 1861. Work on the railway line started in October 1865, and was completed in the late summer of 1869. It was opened on 18 September 1869 in the presence of King Christian IX.
Operations on the line commenced the following day with three trains daily in each direction. The line was operated by the state-owned railway company De jysk-fyenske Jernbaner, which merged with De sjællandske Statsbaner in 1885 to form one national railway company, De danske Statsbaner.
During World War I traffic on the line became busy enough to be beyond the capacity of a single track. As a consequence, it was decided already in 1918 to expand the single track to a double track. However, the duplication work was only completed in different sections between 1940 and 1956, with the section from Skørping to Støvring being the last to be completed on 1 June 1956.
In 2003, the Aalborg Commuter Rail, a commuter rail service in and near Aalborg, started operating on the northernmost section of the railway line from Skørping to Aalborg.

Stations