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87-656: KES was established as the second tram operator in Oslo (then known as Kristiania). When it commenced services it was the first electric tramway in Scandinavia. It originally opened the Briskeby Line and the Skøyen Line to Skillebekk using a fleet of Class A trams. Later the company also ordered Class U and Class SS trams, for a total 78 motor cars and 66 trailers. Skøyen was reached in 1903. The first part of

174-492: A horsecar network in 1875 by Kristiania Sporveisselskab. In 1887 it rejected a proposal for L. Samson, a real estate developer, to build a line to Majorstuen to serve his projects. He therefore contacted engineers H. E. Heyerdal and A. Fenger-Krog, the latter who had studied tramways abroad. They sent an application that year to the municipality, at a time when there were no other electric tramways in operation in Europe. However,

261-475: A subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc ) in the 1991–2020 base period. and Weather Atlas Oslo has many parks and green areas within the city core, as well as outside it. Oslo (with neighbouring Sandvika-Asker) is built in a horseshoe shape on the shores of the Oslofjord and limited in most directions by hills and forests. As a result, any point within the city is relatively close to

348-411: A Danish king ( Christian IV of Denmark ) was inappropriate as the name of the capital of their country. The municipality developed new areas such as Ullevål garden city (1918–1926) and Torshov (1917–1925). City Hall was constructed in the former slum area of Vika from 1931 to 1950. In 1948, Oslo merged with Aker , a municipality which surrounded the capital and was 27 times larger, thus creating

435-573: A combined effect of 12 kilowatts (16 hp). The exception was three units, no. 118 through 120, which had more powerful VBN120 motors, with a combined 36 kilowatts (48 hp). They had seating for sixteen and standing room for twelve. The company also had thirty-two similar trailer units built by Herbrand. One of the trams, no. 117, was a prototype built by Skabo with motors from Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri . Twenty-four Class U trams were delivered between 1899 and 1906. The electrical components were built by Union-Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft and

522-811: A connecting line in Hegdehaugsveien, which allowed trams to run from Stortorvet via the Ullevål Hageby Line to Majorstuen. At Skillebekk a connection was built through Munkedamsveien, allowing the Vestbanen Line access to the Skøyen Line. In conjunction with the 1914 Jubilee Exhibition at Frogner, the Frogner Line was extended along Kirkeveien to Majorstuen on 15 May 1914. In September a new depot opened at Majorstuen, with place for 75 vehicles—the largest in Scandinavia. The third connection opened in 1915, linking Jernbanetorget to

609-464: A correspondence between the Skøyen Line and the Briskeby Line at Parkveien did not work, as trams from Majorstuen were full and most passengers forced to walk into town. Thus from April KES introduced direct services from Skillebekk on the Skøyen Line to Jernbanetorget. It quickly turned out the company had too few trams and four more were delivered by the end of the year. The Skøyen Line was extended to Frognergaden on 31 December. The original network

696-673: A few were kept until 1 July, when the Lilleaker Line was extended to Bekkestua . One the same day it took into use twelve Class A suburban trams. KES operated a network consisting of a common line through the city center, three branches, a suburban line and three connections to KSS's network. The street tram network consisted of the Briskeby Line , the Skøyen Line and the Frogner Line . The Skøyen Line continued as

783-474: A few years, new large scale housing areas and infrastructure projects are being built and planned across the city, notably in Hasle , Helsfyr , Bjørvika , Nydalen and Sinsen , this is increasing the density in and around Ring 2 and Ring 3 . The Fornebu line on the metro is under construction as of 2024, and further subway lines crossing the inner city are being planned. Oslo occupies an arc of land at

870-401: A fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV , a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in honour of the king. It became a municipality ( formannskapsdistrikt ) on 1 January 1838. The city functioned as the capital of Norway during the 1814–1905 union between Sweden and Norway . From 1877, the city's name was spelled Kristiania in government usage,

957-455: A fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV , a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in the king's honour. The old site east of the Aker river was not abandoned, however, and the village of Oslo remained as a suburb outside the city gates. The suburb called Oslo was eventually included in the city proper. In 1925 the name of the suburb was transferred to

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1044-646: A formal coat of arms , but which uses a city seal instead. The seal of Oslo shows the city's patron saint , St. Hallvard , with his attributes, the millstone and arrows , with a naked woman at his feet. He is seated on a throne with lion decorations, which at the time was also commonly used by the Norwegian kings . Oslo has various nicknames and names in other languages. The city is sometimes known as "The Tiger City" ( Norwegian : Tigerstaden ), probably inspired by an 1870 poem by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson which referenced then-Christiania in central Oslo. The nickname

1131-420: A merger and that KSS received a prolonged concession, while the minority recommended that the tramways be bought by the city. A third option, a jointly public and privately owned company, was also proposed, where the municipality would own fifty-one percent. The issue was considered by the council's executive board, which supported the joint public–private proposal with eleven against nine votes. The argumentation

1218-416: A month. A/S Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei was incorporated on 16 December 1892. Heyerdal was appointed chair of the board, a position he held until his death in 1917. Fenger-Krog was hired as managing director. Six companies bid to deliver trams and electrical equipment; Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft (AEG) won and delivered seven Class A motor trams and five trailers. In June 1893 the contract to lay

1305-542: A municipal take-over. The new company, Kristiania Sporveier, was incorporated in May 1924 and took over all street tram operations. The city changed its name to Oslo on 1 January 1925, as did the tram company. With the municipalization, most of the assets were transferred to Oslo Sporveier. The exception was the Lilleaker Line, which was kept by the private company. That part was changed into a new tram company, Bærumsbanen. The street trams were transferred to Oslo Sporveier, although

1392-553: A new financial district and a cultural city. In 2008, an exhibition was held in London presenting the award-winning Oslo Opera House , the urban regeneration scheme of Oslo's seafront, Munch/Stenersen and the new Deichman Library. Most of the buildings in the city and in neighbouring communities are low in height with only the Plaza , Posthuset and the highrises at Bjørvika considerably taller. Skillebekk (station) Skillebekk

1479-408: A population of 717,710 as of 1 January 2024. The urban area extends far beyond the boundaries of the municipality into the surrounding county of Akershus (municipalities of Asker , Bærum , Lillestrøm , Enebakk , Rælingen , Lørenskog , Nittedal , Gjerdrum , Nordre Follo ); being, to a great degree suburbs of Oslo making up approximately 500,000 of the population of the greater Oslo region .

1566-444: A preceding urban settlement. This called for the celebration of Oslo's millennium in 2000 rather than 2049. Under the reign of Olaf III of Norway (1067-1093), Oslo became a cultural centre for Eastern Norway . Hallvard Vebjørnsson became the city's patron saint and is depicted on the city's seal. In 1174, Hovedøya Abbey was built. The churches and abbeys became major owners of large tracts of land, which proved important for

1653-452: A price which would remain unaltered for the rest of its history. To ease management of such an odd amount, token coins were popular. They were sold with a quantity discount and were commonly used in Oslo as a conventional coin worth 15 øre. During this period the country was experiencing inflation. KES and the labor union could not reach an agreement for wage increases and the company was hit by

1740-535: A river "Lo" predating the work where Peder Claussøn Friis first proposed this etymology, but the very name is ungrammatical in Norwegian: the correct form would have been Loaros (cf. Nidaros ). The name Lo is now believed to be a back-formation arrived at by Friis in support of his [idea about] etymology for Oslo . Oslo is one of very few cities in Norway, besides Bergen and Tønsberg , that does not have

1827-441: A spelling that was adopted by the municipal authorities in 1897, although 'Christiania' was also used. In 1925, the city, after incorporating the village retaining its former name, was renamed 'Oslo'. In 1948, Oslo merged with Aker , a municipality which surrounded the capital and which was 27 times larger, thus creating the modern, much larger Oslo municipality. Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city

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1914-494: A strike from 11 January to 22 March 1920. It was resolved through the municipality offering to reduce its charges. As part of the agreement, the 5 øre commuter prices in the morning and afternoon were abolished. The company started looking into a further extension of the Skøyen Line in 1912, intending to reach Bestum and Øraker . They applied for a permit in 1913, which was issued in July 1915. KES immediately started construction of

2001-461: Is Marka (1,610 residents, 301.1 km ), that is administered by several boroughs; and Sentrum (1,471 residents, 1.8 km ) that is partially administered by St. Hanshaugen, and in part directly by the city council. As of 27 February 2020, there were 2,386 residents who were not allocated to a borough. The 9 municipalities directly included in the Urban area of Oslo. After being destroyed by

2088-399: Is July 1901 with mean 22.7 °C (72.9 °F), and the all-time high 35 °C (95 °F) was also recorded in July 1901. The warmest month in more recent years is July 2018 with mean 22.2 °C (72.0 °F) and average daily high 29 °C (84.2 °F). The record summer of 2018 also recorded the warmest May and May all-time high with 31.1 °C (88.0 °F) on 30th, and 2018

2175-488: Is a light rail tram stop on the Oslo Tramway . Located at Skillebekk , it was opened by Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei on 2 March 1894 as a part of the first stretch of what would become the Skøyen Line . It is served by line 13. The station is named after the brook Skillebekken . The first element is skille n 'division, border', the last element is the finite form of bekk m 'beck, brook'. The brook marked

2262-417: Is a historic timber framing house located on the north side of Christiania Torv; it was built in 1640. The transformation of Christiania went slowly for the first hundred years. However, outside of the city at Vaterland , Grønland , and the old town of Oslo , a new, unmanaged part of the city arose populated by citizens of lower class status. The last Black Death outbreak in Oslo occurred in 1654. In

2349-520: Is agricultural. The open areas within the built-up zone amount to 22 km (8.5 sq mi). The city of Oslo was established as a municipality on 3 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt ). It was separated from the county of Akershus to become a county of its own in 1842. The rural municipality of Aker was merged with Oslo on 1 January 1948 (and simultaneously transferred from Akershus county to Oslo county). Furthermore, Oslo shares several important functions with Akershus county. In addition

2436-559: Is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are among the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities programme. Oslo

2523-523: Is also a main source of drinking water for large parts of Oslo. Although Eastern Norway has a number of rivers, none of these flow into the ocean at Oslo. Instead Oslo has two smaller rivers: Akerselva (draining Maridalsvannet, which flows into the fjord in Bjørvika ), and Alna . The waterfalls in Akerselva gave power to some of the first modern industry of Norway in the 1840s. Later in the century,

2610-587: Is considered a global city and was ranked "Beta World City" in studies carried out by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network in 2008. It was ranked number one in terms of quality of life among European large cities in the European Cities of the Future 2012 report by fDi magazine. A survey conducted by ECA International in 2011 placed Oslo as the second most expensive city in

2697-430: Is great for barbecues, swimming, beach volleyball and other activities. The municipality operates eight public swimming pools. Tøyenbadet is the largest indoor swimming facility in Oslo and one of the few pools in Norway offering a 50-metre main pool. Another in that size is the outdoor pool Frognerbadet . Oslo's cityscape is being redeveloped as a modern city with various access-points, an extensive metro-system with

Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-783: Is mostly used by Norwegians from out of town, and rarely by people from the Oslo region. During the Viking Age , the area that includes modern Oslo was located in Viken , the northernmost province of Denmark . Control over the area shifted between Danish and Norwegian kings in the Middle Ages, and Denmark continued to claim the area until 1241. According to the Norse sagas , Oslo was founded around 1049 by Harald Hardrada . Recent archaeological research, however, uncovered Christian burials which could be dated to prior to AD 1000, evidence of

2871-567: Is used by the Oslo Tramway Museum . The company bought a total 78 motor cars and 66 trailers; 20 of the motorized vehicles were later converted to trailers. The deliveries were from various manufacturers, most of which were German. The sole Norwegian body manufacturer was Skabo . The trams were of three generations, each with their own class designation. Many of the trams were of the same class as those delivered to KSS. KES's trams were painted blue, hence giving rise to their nickname,

2958-578: Is used, an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) bordering on a humid continental climate in the 1991–2020 base period. Oslo has some of the warmest summers of Norway and fairly cold winters. Oslo receives a fair amount of precipitation during the year. The driest seasons are winter and spring, and the wettest are summer and autumn. Because of the city's northern latitude, daylight varies greatly, from more than 18 hours in midsummer, when it never gets completely dark at night (no darker than nautical twilight ), to around 6 hours in midwinter. The warmest month on record

3045-560: Is −29.6 °C (−21.3 °F), on 21 January 1841, while the coldest recorded at Blindern is −26 °C (−14.8 °F) in January 1941. The coldest temperature more recently was on 6 January 2024, where the temperature reached -23.1 °C (-17 °F) at Oslo-Blindern, which is the coldest measured temperature since January 1987. The coldest month on record is January 1941 and also January 1947 with mean −12.9 °C (8.8 °F) and average daily low −16.7 °C (1.9 °F). The average date for

3132-637: The 2011 Norway attacks , Oslo was hit by a bomb blast that ripped through the Government Quarter , damaging several buildings including the building that houses the Office of the Prime Minister . Eight people died in the bomb attack. On 25 June 2022, two people were killed and 21 others injured in a mass shooting . An Iranian-born Norwegian citizen was subsequently charged with "aggravated terrorism". The city has continued to expand. For

3219-521: The Kampen Line and the Vålerenga Line through a connection along Vognmannsgata, Brugata and Vaterland Bridge. By 1915 the street tram network consisted of thirteen services, of which two were operated by KES and six were joint operations. All services via Homansbyen and Frogner to Majorstuen were joint services. The joint services were operated the relative number of trams in proportion of

3306-415: The Oslo Tramway Museum . Oslo Oslo ( Norwegian: [ˈʊ̂ʂlʊ] or [ˈʊ̂slʊ, ˈʊ̀ʂlʊ] ; Southern Sami : Oslove ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway . It constitutes both a county and a municipality . The municipality of Oslo had a population of 709,037 in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022, and

3393-598: The metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,546,706 in 2021. During the Viking Age , the area was part of Viken . Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo , and established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada . The city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V of Norway around the year 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by

3480-525: The "Blue Tramway". The first class of trams, Class A , were manufactured by Allgemeine Elektrizitäts Gesellschaft (AEG) and P. Herbrand & Cie. , both of Germany. The undercarriages were built by Bergische Stahlindustri . They featured open platform bays and a cabin. Twenty units were built, with nearly the same specifications. The trams were 6.5 meters (21 ft) long and 2.0 meters (6 ft 7 in) wide. They weighed 6 tonnes (5.9 long tons; 6.6 short tons) and were equipped with two NB80 motors with

3567-546: The 18th century, after the Great Northern War , the city's economy boomed with shipbuilding and trade. The strong economy transformed Christiania into a trading port. The Royal Frederick University (now the University of Oslo ) was founded in 1811; the fact that it was founded this late reportedly had an adverse effect on the development of the nation. In 1814 the former provincial town of Christiania became

Kristiania Elektriske Sporvei - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-908: The 19th century, including the Royal Palace (1825-1848), the Stock Exchange (1826-1828), the Bank of Norway (1828), the Storting (1861-1866), the National Theatre (1899), and several University buildings. Among the world-famous artists who lived here during this period were Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun (the latter was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature). Large areas of the surrounding Aker municipality were incorporated in 1839, 1859, and 1878. The 1859 expansion included Grünerløkka , Grønland , and Oslo . At that time

3741-403: The Frogner Line opened in 1902, and it was completed in 1914. The Lilleaker Line was built to Lilleaker in 1919. KES and its competitor, Kristiania Sporveisselskab (KSS) were both taken over by Oslo Municipality in May 1924 and became Oslo Sporveier . The take-over did not include the Lilleaker Line and this part of the operation continued as Bærumsbanen . The Oslo Tramway was established as

3828-404: The Lilleaker Line continued to Jar. The Lilleaker Line is a suburban light rail and runs in its own right-of-way along St. Edmunds vei, Bestumveien and Jonas Dahls vei. The Frogner Line branched from the Skøyen Line at the intersection of Drammensveien and Frognerveiien at Solli plass , just after the Skøyen Line and the Briskeby Line split. The Frogner Line runs along Frognerveien to Frogner plass,

3915-435: The Lilleaker Line. Trial runs were carried out on 8 May 1919 and the line officially opened to Lilleaker the following day. Unlike the rest of the network, the Lilleaker Line was built as a suburban light rail , running on an exclusive line rather than in the streets. KES started planning further extensions in 1917 and received permission in 1921 to extend the line to Avløs . KES and KSS both had concessions which expired on

4002-582: The Skøyen Line. The latter was combined with an extension to Thune . The company gradually expanded its fleet and by 1898 it had taken delivery of twenty-one Class A trams and twelve trailers. A year later a further six trailers were delivered. Jørgen Barth took over as managing director in 1898. The same year the Holmenkollen Line opened and at Majorstuen there was a transfer between the trams of KES and Holmenkolbanen . The company took delivery of its first nine larger Class U trams in 1899. This

4089-437: The application did not explicitly state that the company would use electric traction. KSS retained it priority in laying new lines. The group received permission for two lines, one from Jernbanetorget , the square outside Oslo East Station , to Majorstuen. It would receive a branch from Inkognitogaten and Drammensveien to Skøyen , a total distance of 6 kilometers (3.7 mi). User of overhead wires had been discouraged by

4176-417: The area called Oslo (now Gamlebyen or Old Town) was a village or suburb outside the city borders east of Aker river. The population increased from approximately 10.000 in 1814 to 230.000 in 1900. In 1850, Christiania overtook Bergen and became the most populous city in the country. Christiania expanded its industry from 1840, most importantly around Akerselva . There was a spectacular building boom during

4263-485: The bodies by Falkenried and Skabo. The trams had two GE52 motors with a combined power output of 36 kilowatts (48 hp) and had a total weight of 10.2 tonnes (10.0 long tons; 11.2 short tons). They were 7.8 meters (26 ft) long and were built with open platform bays. Each unit had capacity for twenty seated and fourteen standing passengers. Two units were in 1924 rebuilt to create an articulated tram . However, it proved prone to derailment in poorly banked S-curves and

4350-570: The body. The first eleven were 9.69 meters (31.8 ft) long, while the rest were 11.47 meters (37.6 ft) long. The first eight units had two D72v motors, giving a combined power output of 72 kilowatts (97 hp). Later units had a power output of 84 kilowatts (113 hp). The second delivered unit, no. 102, has been preserved by the Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology . Two SS motor units, no. 307 from 1913 and no. 322 from 1918, and one trailer, no. 347, have been preserved by

4437-428: The capital of the independent Kingdom of Norway, when the union with Denmark was dissolved and replaced by a personal union with Sweden . Several state institutions were established and the city's role as a capital initiated a period of rapidly increasing population. The government of this new state needed buildings for its expanding administration and institutions. Several important buildings and landmarks were erected in

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4524-461: The city engineer, but he later changed his mind after a trip to Germany. The issue was decided upon by the municipal council on 19 May 1892. The concession had a duration of thirty years, of which the municipality retained the right to municipalize the company after fifteen years and at the end of the duration. Shares worth 800,000 Norwegian krone (NOK) issued in October 1892, which sold out in

4611-521: The city's economic development, especially before the Black Death. At the end of the 12th century, Hanseatic League traders from Rostock moved into the city and gained major influence in the city. On 25 July 1197, Sverre of Norway and his soldiers attacked Oslo from Hovedøya . During the Middle Ages , Oslo reached new heights during the reign of Haakon V of Norway (1299–1319). He

4698-543: The city's foreign trade in the 15th century. In 1380, Norway was the weaker part in a personal union with Denmark, and Oslo's role was reduced to that of provincial administrative centre, with the monarchs residing in Copenhagen . Over the years, fires destroyed significant parts of the city multiple times, as many of the city's buildings were built entirely of wood. After the fourteenth calamity, in 1624, which lasted for three days, Christian IV of Denmark decided that

4785-428: The city's population is small compared to most European capitals, it occupies an unusually large land area, of which two-thirds are protected areas of forests, hills and lakes. Its boundaries encompass many parks and open areas , giving it an airy and green appearance. Oslo has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification : Dfb ) or, if the original Köppen winter threshold −3 °C (27 °F)

4872-487: The company built double track to Frogner and to Thune. By 1907 the company had an annual revenue of NOK 700,000. Leading up to the 1909 right of the municipality to buy the tramway, KES was evaluated at NOK 3 million in 1908. The issue was debated in light of the 1899 establishment of the municipal-owned Kristiania Kommunale Sporveie and the 1905 sale of it to KSS. There was no similar high-profile debate about munisipalization in 1908 as there had been in 1905. This

4959-463: The fastest growing major city in Europe at the time. This growth stems for the most part from international immigration and related high birth rates, but also from intra-national migration. By 2010 the immigrant population in the city was growing somewhat faster than the Norwegian population, and in the city proper this had become more than 25% of the total population if the children of immigrant parents were included. The municipality of Oslo has

5046-446: The first Nordic electric tramway took place on 2 March 1894 and ordinary operation commenced the following day. It was the seventh electric tramway to open in Europe. Amongst the concerns in the public debate was that horses, such as those from the competing KSS, would not be able to cope with seeing a tram running without being pulled by a horse. The competitor's labor union proposed that KES used stuffed horses in front of their trams, but

5133-399: The forest. There are two major forests bordering the city: Østmarka (literally "Eastern Forest", on the eastern perimeter of the city), and the very large Nordmarka (literally "Northern Forest", stretching from the northern perimeter of the city deep into the hinterland). The lake's altitude above sea level is 183 metres. The water is in a popular hiking area. Near the water itself, it

5220-409: The horses soon learned to cope with the autonomous vehicle. At first the trams ran every six minutes, but this proved difficult to operate and it was reduced to an eight-minute headway . Initially the motormen were to both drive and sell tickets, but this was found to be too much work for one person to do efficiently. Conductors were therefore introduced almost immediately. It turned out that operating

5307-498: The invasion, most notably the sinking of the Blücher , delayed the occupation of Oslo for several hours which allowed King Haakon to escape the city. Oslo remained occupied throughout the war until Germany capitulated in 1945. During this time, the occupying troops were harried by saboteurs in acts of resistance. On 31 December 1944, allied bombers missed their intended target and hit a tram, resulting in 79 civilian deaths. During

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5394-412: The last decades of the 19th century, with many new apartment buildings and renewal of the city center, but the boom collapsed in 1899. In 1877 the city was renamed Kristiania . The city and municipality used the name Kristiania until 1 January 1925 when the original name of Oslo was restored . This was because Norway became fully independent in 1905, and Norwegians argued that a name memorializing

5481-434: The last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C, 32.0 °F) in spring is 23 April and average date for first freeze in autumn is 17 October giving a frost-free season of 176 days (1981–2010 average for Blindern). Oslo sits right on the border between hardiness zones 7a and 7b. Oslo Gardermoen airport is located 35 km northeast of Oslo and has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb ) bordering on

5568-410: The modern, vastly enlarged Oslo municipality. At the time, Aker was a mostly affluent, green suburban community, and the merger was unpopular in Aker. Other suburbs, such as Lambertseter , began to be developed in the 1950s. Aker Brygge was constructed on the site of the former shipyard , Akers Mekaniske Verksted , from 1982 to 1998. Norway was invaded by Germany on 9 April 1940. Efforts to stop

5655-470: The municipality instead offered the permit to KES. The company started construction and the first part of the Frogner Line, from Parkveien to Frogner plass, opened in October 1902. That years KES was paying eight percent dividend. The Skøyen Line, which was at the time named the Bygdøy Line, was extended to Skøyen on 21 June 1903. There was little investment the following years, although in 1907 and 1908

5742-543: The name of a large farm at Bjørvika , while the meaning of that name is disputed. Modern linguists generally interpret the original Óslo , Áslo or Ánslo as either "meadow at the foot of a hill" or "meadow consecrated to the Gods ", with both considered equally likely. Erroneously, it was once assumed that Oslo meant "the mouth of the Lo river", a supposed previous name for the river Alna . Not only has no evidence been found of

5829-429: The north and east, wide forested hills ( Marka ) rise above the city giving the location the shape of a giant amphitheatre . The urban municipality ( bykommune ) of Oslo and county ( fylke ) of Oslo are two parts of the same entity, making Oslo the only city in Norway where two administrative levels are integrated. Of Oslo's total area, 130 km (50 sq mi) is built-up and 9.6 km (3.7 sq mi)

5916-577: The northernmost end of the Oslofjord . The fjord , which is nearly bisected by the Nesodden peninsula opposite Oslo, lies to the south; in all other directions Oslo is surrounded by green hills and mountains. There are 40 islands within the city limits, the largest being Malmøya (0.56 km or 0.22 sq mi), and scores more around the Oslofjord. Oslo has 343 lakes, the largest being Maridalsvannet (3.91 km or 1.51 sq mi). This

6003-510: The old city should not be rebuilt again. His men built a network of roads on the other side of the bay in Akershagen near Akershus Castle . He demanded that all citizens move their shops and workplaces to the newly built city of "Christiania", named in his honor. The part of the city built starting in 1624 is now often called Kvadraturen  [ Wikidata ] because of its orthogonal layout in regular, square blocks. Anatomigården

6090-499: The original terminus. Since 1914 the line has continued along Kirkeveien to Majorstuen. The company operated one depot— Majorstuen Depot . It consisted of three buildings, the largest of which had room for 75 vehicles. It also featured the coal-fired thermal power station used to generate the electricity for the tramway. Majorstuen was the site of the company's administration, as well as the depot for Holmenkolbanen . Most of KES facilities have been demolished, but one hall remains and

6177-410: The ownership of trackage along the line and where each company simply kept the revenue it created on their services. The first women conductors were hired in 1916. Ten older Class A trams were rebuilt with larger wheelbase and bodies in 1918 and 1919, supplemented by 37 new motor trams and 56 new trailers. From the company's opening it had charged 10 øre for a ride, but this was raised to 15 øre in 1918,

6264-414: The river became the symbol of the stable and consistent economic and social divide of the city into an East End and a West End ; the labourers' neighbourhoods lie on both sides of the river, and the divide in reality follows Uelands street a bit further west. River Alna flows through Groruddalen, Oslo's major suburb and industrial area. The highest point is Kirkeberget, at 629 m (2,064 ft). Although

6351-480: The same date, in March 1924. At this point the municipality was free to purchase the companies at par value. A municipal committee was appointed in 1922 to look into the matter. KES was valuated at NOK 9 million, while KSS was worth NOK 12.5 million. Oslo Municipality was not interested in taking over the Lilleaker Line, as it was situated in the neighboring municipality of Aker . The committees majority proposed

6438-534: The same year. Deliveries resumed in 1912 and in the following two years a further twenty-six Class SS units were delivered. Numbered services were introduced in 1909. KES was the first of the two tramways to introduce numbered lines and secured the lowest digits. The Briskeby Line was numbered 1, the Frogner Line 2 and the Skøyen Line 3. The increased rolling stock allowed most services to run every five minutes from 1910. KES and KSS reached an agreement in 1912 to coordinate their services better. This first materialized in

6525-652: The suburban Lilleaker Line . All of KES's lines remain in use. The company's common section of track originated at Jernbanetorget, the square outside Oslo East Station . The line started in Strandgata and continued along Tollbugata to Akersgata . From there it cut across Stortingsgata and continued along Drammensveien . The Briskeby Line branches from the common section to Parkveien, where it took off onto Riddervolds gate and continued along Briskebyveien, Holtegata and Bogstadveien before reaching Majorstuen . The Skøyen Line runs along Drammensveien to Skøyen . From Skøyen

6612-412: The total population of this agglomeration was 1,546,706 in 2023. The city centre is situated at the end of the Oslofjord , from which point the city sprawls out in three distinct "corridors"—inland north-eastwards, and southwards along both sides of the fjord—which gives the urbanized area a shape reminiscent of an upside-down reclining "Y" (on maps, satellite pictures, or from high above the city). To

6699-407: The tracks was issued to H. W. Wessel. The company applied the municipality to buy power from its Oslo Lysverker , but was rejected. It therefore decided to build a power station at Majorstuen. On the same lot it built the first depot, a prefabricated corrugated galvanized iron structure from Germany. Investments totaled NOK 817,572. Test runs started on 10 January 1894. The official opening of

6786-443: The tram's open platform bays. This was in part sorted out through the purchase of new rolling stock. The final five Class U trains were delivered in 1909, bringing the total to twent-four. Trams were at the time limited by the belief that they could not have a wheelbase exceeding a tenth of the minimum curve radius. This was proven wrong, allowing the tramway to order new and larger trams. The first eight Class SS trams were delivered

6873-480: The whole city, while the suburb was renamed "Gamlebyen" , literally "the Old town", to avoid confusion. The Old Town is an area within the administrative district Gamle Oslo . The previous names are reflected in street names like Oslo gate (Oslo street) and Oslo hospital. The origin of the name Oslo has been the subject of much debate. It is nigh-certainly derived from Old Norse and was—in all probability—originally

6960-546: The world for living expenses after Tokyo . In 2013, Oslo tied with the Australian city of Melbourne as the fourth most expensive city in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Worldwide Cost of Living study. Oslo was ranked as the 24th most liveable city in the world by Monocle magazine. Oslo's population was increasing at record rates during the early 2000s, making it

7047-540: Was entirely single track with passing loops . The direct trams led to increased traffic and in 1896 KES therefore applied for permission to lay double track from Parkveien to Jernbanetorget. As part of the permit, the municipality bought newly issued shares for NOK 200,000 to become shareholder of a fifth of the company. Work commenced in 1898, which also included moving the tracks from Parkveien to Inkognitogaten and from Bogstadveien to Valkyriegaten. The double track opened in 1898 to Majorstuen, and three years later on

7134-425: Was even the sunniest year on record with 2133 sunhours. On 27 July 2018 , the temperature in Oslo rose to 34.6 °C (94.3 °F), the hottest recorded since 1937, when weather recordings started at Blindern. In January, on average three out of four days are below freezing (0 °C [32 °F]) and one out of four days is colder than −10 °C (14 °F) (1961–1990). The coldest temperature recorded

7221-425: Was followed by a further five in 1902 and another five in 1905 and 1906. From 1901 KES introduced regular stops instead of stopping on signal. The company's next task was extending the Skøyen Line and building a route via Frogner plass to Majorstuen. KSS had originally been given a permit to extend its Vestbanen Line to Frogener, but they were required to start construction within 1901. When they failed to do this,

7308-510: Was in part because there was by then a strong Conservative majority in the city council—a party who were opposed to municipal a tramway. Instead the municipality negotiated an agreement, whereby it secured itself four percent of the company's gross revenue, increasing to five percent from 1914. The power station was upgraded in 1909, cutting the coal usage from 4.0 to 1.3 kilograms (8.8 to 2.9 lb) per kilowatt hour. The company decided, mostly of concern for its employee's wellbeing, to cover up

7395-610: Was largely ideological: the left side accused the right for bringing economical advantages for private investors, while the right accused the left of insufficient financial investigations of municipal operations. The issue was voted on in the municipal council in December, with 43 against 41 councillors supporting the joint model. The latter were members of the Communist Party and the Labor Party , who both were in favor of

7482-404: Was never put into revenue service. KES took delivery of thirty-four Class SS motorized trams and twenty-two trailers between 1909 and 1914. They had electrical components from Siemens-Schukertwerke and were variously built by Herbrand, Falkenried and Skabo. Their main innovation was that the wheelbase was increased from 180 to 360 centimeters (71 to 142 in), allowing for a lengthening of

7569-594: Was the first king to reside permanently in the city, and it has been regarded as the capital city of Norway since his reign. He also started the construction of the Akershus Fortress and the Oslo Kongsgård . The Black Death came to Norway in 1349 and, like other cities in Europe, the city suffered greatly. The churches' earnings from their land dropped so much that the Hanseatic traders dominated

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