Meråker Line

The Meråker Line (Norwegian: Meråkerbanen) is a railway line which runs from Hell, outside Stjørdal, through the municipalities of Stjørdal and Meråker in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway, to the village of Storlien in Sweden. On the Swedish side, it continues as the Central Line to the city of Sundsvall. The line originally went from Trondheim Central Station to Storlien, but the owner, the Norwegian National Rail Administration, has since re-categorized the line from Trondheim to Hell as part of the Nordland Line, thus cutting the Meråker Line's distance from 106 to 70 kilometres (66 to 43 mi).

Planning of the line started in 1870, and the route was preferred over a railway via Verdal and via Røros. The first section was finished in 1879, when the first train ran. The line was officially opened by King Oscar II on 22 July 1882. Construction cost NOK 8.9 million, and the line gave an economic boost to the communities along the valley. The line has been upgraded several times to increase the axle load. During World War II, the line was the scene of both the Hommelvik train disaster and the Meråker train disaster. Steam trains were in use until 1971, following the introduction of diesel locomotives in 1961. The Meråker Line is not electrified (except in Storlien station area), though proposals for electrification have existed since the 1940s. The Central Line, the continuation into Sweden is electrified.