Holmestrand–Vittingfoss Line

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The Holmestrand–Hvittingfoss Line, known in Norwegian as Holmestrand–Hvittingfossbanen (HVB), was a private railway in Vestfold, Norway. It ran from Holmestrand on the Vestfold Line to Hvittingfoss, mainly to carry wood pulp from Hvittingfoss Bruk. The line consisted of two sections—Holmestrand to Hillestad and Hof to Hvittingfoss—connected by a six-kilometre stretch that ran with the Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line. At Holmestrand the HVB connected with the Vestfold Line. The railway opened on 30 September 1902 and closed on 1 June 1938.

Route and gauge
The total length was about 30 kilometres. The route climbed steeply from Holmestrand to Hvittingfoss, with a maximum gradient of 2.5 percent and tight curves near Holmestrand. Trains climbed in a zig-zag pattern in the early part of the line, and there was a tunnel on Innlofjellet that faced landslides during construction. To simplify operations with other lines, the HVB used a gauge of 1,067 millimetres (3 ft 6 in), matching the neighboring Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line (and the Vestfold Line). The line’s main purpose was freight, especially transporting pulp, but it also carried passengers for a time.

History and operation
The line connected to Holmestrand’s station area and, initially, shared a section with the Tønsberg–Eidsfoss Line. The early years saw growth in both passenger and freight traffic, with pulp shipments expanding significantly. Passenger services ran until 1931, after which the service became mainly freight-focused. The HVB also operated a spur to Nordisk Aluminium in Holmestrand, which remained in use as part of the Vestfold Line until 1984.

By the 1910s and 1920s, road competition began to erode traffic. In 1923 the government took over the route, and NSB began handling passenger operations. In 1934 HVB merged with TEB to form Vestfold Privatbaner (VPB), but financial difficulties persisted. A gradual decline followed: parts of the line were cut back, and operation became increasingly irregular. The line finally closed in 1938.

Afterlife and heritage attempts
Some remnants survive: the Holmestrand locomotive shed remained in use for a time, and parts of the right-of-way were repurposed as a suburban road or a forestry path. The spur to Nordisk Aluminium remained in use for several decades. In 1967 a private group sought to create a heritage railway, but efforts faltered, and restoration work slowed, ending without a lasting heritage operation.