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. The process of establishing a Ring Line to serve the northern parts of Oslo started in the late 1980s. The plans were passed by the city council in 1997, and financing was secured in 2000 through Oslo Package 2. 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.
Facilities
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. 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. On the other side of the tracks, about 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. 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. 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 was developed by ROM Eiendom. Ridership at Storo increased from 2,060 per day to 3,630 per day from 2003 to 2007.
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 byOslo T-banedrift on contract with Ruter. 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. Storo is one of eight transfer points between the tramway and rapid transit systems. 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.
