Lieråsen Tunnel
59°48′N 010°22′E / 59.800°N 10.367°E
The tunnel entrance seen from Lier Station | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Line | Drammen Line |
| Location | Asker and Lier, Norway |
| System | Norwegian Railways |
| Start | Asker Station |
| End | Lier Station |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 3 June 1973 |
| Owner | Norwegian National Rail Administration |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 10,723 m (6.663 mi) |
| No. of tracks | Double |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| Electrified | 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC |
| Operating speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) |
Lieråsen Tunnel is a single-tubed railway tunnel of the Drammen Line situated in Asker and Lier in Norway. At a length of 10.723 kilometers (6.663 mi), the double track tunnel is located immediately between Asker Station and Lier Station. It is used for a mix of short- and long-haul passenger trains and freight trains.
Construction of the tunnel commenced in 1962, along with a new section of track between the tunnel and Brakerøya Station. Inadequate geological surveys ahead of construction resulted in the tunnel being built in the middle of an altered and crushed zone, delaying construction and eventually shifting the route 300 meters (980 ft) to the southwest. The tunnel opened on 3 June 1973. In addition to providing double track, it shortened the Drammen Line by 12.4 kilometers (7.7 mi). Part of the old section of the Drammen Line became the Spikkestad Line, while the rest of line was closed. Lieråsen was the longest railway tunnel in the country until the Romerike Tunnel opened in 1999.