01x06 - Norway's Bergen Railway

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: This is
the Bergensbanen,

considered one of the world's
most beautiful train lines.

It has linked Norway's
second-largest city of Bergen

in the west, with the capital of
Oslo in the east, for more than a century.

Crossing icy plateaus,
steep fjords,

and winding valleys, it
is a triumph of engineering

in a challenging landscape,
working alongside nature,

while respecting the power
of this extreme environment.

Filmed from above, this
series showcases some of

the most incredible
railways on Earth.

We'll gain a unique aerial insight into
these remarkable trains

and the extraordinary
landscapes they pass through,

revealing the
technology that built them,

and the dedicated people
who keep them running.

We'll uncover the culture,
the history, and the engineerin

that makes these the World's Greatest
Train Journeys From Above.

NARRATOR: Ranked as the
world's most developed country,

and one of the top ten wealthiest
countries in the world,

the Scandinavian
nation of Norway also

boasts the world's
second-longest coastline.

And it's along this coast that the
Bergen Railway begins its journey.

Once Norway's capital,

and a hub for
maritime trade, Bergen

is the gateway to Western
Norway's mountainous landscape,

with peaks rising
to over 1,800 meters,

and some of the
longest fjords on the planet.

At Bergen Train Station,
driver Andre Hansen

is preparing to set off.

ANDRE: It's like
a pre-flight check.

Wipers are working,
that's important.

Sometimes visibility
is horrible,

almost next to nothing.

It's just plain
white all the way,

so we have to talk to the traffic
operators to be able to drive.

NARRATOR: Andre's been
driving trains for two years,

and with parts of the
Bergen Line experiencing more

than four meters of snow each year, he
takes nothing for granted.

If you run into
an avalanche or something,

even quite small, it,
it can stop the train,

and when the train
is standing still,

if there is a lot of wind,
it can basically snow in,

so you're stuck.

And then you have to get help.

(beeping)

OPERATOR: Train 80062 departure

Off we go.

NARRATOR: With
clearance from traffic control,

the EL18 locomotive and
its eight passenger carriages

set off, departing
Bergen on the west coast,

on a 496-kilometer
journey south east,

to the country's capital, Oslo.

From above, this picturesque route
has a varied but challenging path ahead.

Often considered the
gateway to the fjords,

as the train departs Bergen,
it heads east, weaving alongsid

Western Norway's
stunning fjord landscape,

before climbing 950 meters
to the scenic Flåm Line.

From here, it endures the icy wilderness
of the Hardanger Plateau,

where temperatures regularly plummet to
12 degrees below zero.

It then descends into the
forested Hallingdal Valley and

turning south for the final
160-kilometer stretch to Oslo.

Bergen is known as the,
"City of Seven Mountains,"

surrounded by a natural barrier that
has challenged generations of engineers.

It presented a particular
problem for the railway,

and the original Bergen Line
was built winding south around

the Ulriken Mountain.

But in 1964, work was finalized
on a tunnel that went through it.

Today, a second
state-of-the-art tunnel has

just been completed through the
Ulriken Mountain, and at Arna,

on the eastern
side of the mountain,

the original tunnel
is getting an upgrade,

with the goal of making
the line a double track.

Engineering geologist and assistant
project manager Helge Tjelmeland

has been working
on the project since 2014.

We have roughly 400 meters of
rock above our heads,

where we're driving now.

It's three kilometers
to the nearest exit.

Tunneling in Norway is not
really that hard compared to

tunneling everywhere
else in the world,

because we have a
very good rock quality.

The rock is
mostly self-supporting.

But the standard have
changed since the 1960s,

so now we have to build, uh,
something completely different,

which is a, a lot stronger
and a lot bigger than

what they did 50 years ago.

NARRATOR: The height and
width of the sections of

the Ulriken Tunnel are
being doubled, to allow for

modern waterproofing and state-of-the-art
frost protection.

A plastic lining will be secure
to bolts on the tunnel walls an

sprayed with a special form
of concrete called shotcrete,

to form a hard shell.

But first, each new section
of tunnel must be enlarged.

To do this, Helge must work closely with
foreman Helge Tillung,

employing an extraordinary piece of
machinery known as a tunnel jumbo.

This is an Atlas Copco
jumbo tunnel machine.

It's a quite impressive machine,
and expensive machinery also.

This one; six, seven,
eight millions.

The jumbo has two arms on the sides
here, with the drill machines.

NARRATOR: The twin drills of
the tunnel jumbo are capable of

boring holes five meters
deep in to the rock-face.

TILLUNG: Now we're
set up to start drilling,

so now the noise will start.

(whirring)

NARRATOR: To ensure they
are positioned accurately,

they are guided by
a system of lasers.

You can see the laser
from far behind in the tunnel.

They're used to
navigate the jumbo,

to get it exactly in the right place to
drill the correct pattern.

There are lots of sensors
to control,

and drill exactly in place where it's
supposed to be.

They use water to reduce
dust when they're drilling,

otherwise there, it would be a very
unhealthy environment in the, uh,

in the tunnel.

NARRATOR: But it's not the
jumbo's brute strength that wil

demolish the granite
of the tunnel walls.

Instead, it's drilling
holes for expl*sive charges.

And while the drilling arms do
their work, demolitions expert

Sigve Brunborg is getting ready.

SIGVE: I'm priming
up the expl*sives.

See, this here is
a detonating cord.

This is the one that makes
the hole, uh, yeah, explode.

It's not the blasting that is
the dangerous part of the job;

it's working
inside the mountain.

You have falling rocks
and dangerous equipment.

So, it's much, uh, much more dangerous
than the blasting part itself.

My favorite part is probably
to ignite the expl*sives.

So, that, uh, that
is my favorite part.

NARRATOR: With
the fuses prepared,

Sigve is hoisted up in
the tunnel jumbo's basket.

He must now pump expl*sive into
the two dozen holes drilled int

the rock-face, before
he can insert his fuses.

It's a quite gooey substance, so it will
not leak out of the holes.

This is the stuff we ignite.

You can also put it
quite diagonally up,

so it goes boom, as you can say.

NARRATOR: With each hole now
filled with liquid expl*sive,

a day's worth of drilling will
be detonated in a single blast.

I'm going to put
on the, the detonating cord.

You just have to tape it on.

It's detonating all the holes
you see around here on the face.

NARRATOR: With charges
set and the fuses tied up,

the team must
retreat to a safe distance.

For Helge Tjelmeland, the
moment of detonation never

loses its power.

It's really, really loud,
and your entire body moves as

the shockwave
passes through you.

Uh, so, you just
have to experience this.

You cannot really describe it.

NARRATOR: But before they can
detonate, there's a hold-up.

Andre's train is still
in the neighboring tunnel.

We're waiting for
the train in the other tunnel

to pass, so we can, um, block
the traffic and then blast.

NARRATOR: With the
train only 30 meters away,

the shockwave from the
blast could cause panic.

The team must wait.

MAN: All right, we've received the
signal you can proceed to blast

He's got his signal.

It's go.

(expl*si*n)

MAN: We can feel
the air pressure

Super, thank you very much

Good job

NARRATOR: The
blast is a success.

But for the team,
there are still risks.

We're going in after the blast to, to
hammer it,

see if there is any loose stuff.

I wouldn't recommend anybody
going in there before it's done.

You can see the size of
the rocks coming down now.

NARRATOR: For the
work to continue safely,

any rock damaged or loosened by the blast
has to be hammered away.

A fleet of front loaders and dump trucks
are brought in to remove the rubble.

HELGE: So, right now we're
roughly halfway finished,

so within one year they will be
running a train in this tunnel again.

NARRATOR: With a new
station also factored in,

this incredible feat of Norwegian
engineering is due for completion in 2023,

with an estimated total cost
of half a billion dollars.

It's only one of the
183 tunnels the Bergen Line

passes through on
its journey to Oslo.

But as the iconic
train route begins to climb,

mountains aren't the only natural obstacle
that lie in its path.

NARRATOR: The first
48 kilometers of its journey

take the Bergen Line east,

following the magnificent
fjord of Veafjorden.

More than 1,000 fjords
lie along Norway's coast,

including several
World Heritage Sites.

Created during the last ice age
this extraordinary landscape of

cliffs and valleys has proved
a challenge for generations of

railway engineers, as well as

a vital source of
renewable energy.

And the breath-taking views
are a major draw for visitors.

As it approaches the
highest point on its journey,

the train comes to the
interchange station at Myrdal.

Here, passengers can change to
a 20-kilometer branch line that

descends nearly 865 meters

to the village of Flåm below.

Known as the Flåmsbana, it
runs from Myrdal to the shores

of Norway's longest
and deepest fjord,

the 204-kilometer Sognefjord.

In the summer months, the steep
descent and breath-taking views

of the Flåmsbana attract more
than half a million visitors,

and have earnt it the title of

the world's most
beautiful railway.

But in early spring, there
is a dedicated team who play

a vital role in
keeping the train on track.

With the spring melt
beginning in the mountains,

enormous volumes of water
are now being released,

eroding valley walls,
and dislodging loose rock.

Railway worker
Åsmund Mikkeldvedt has risen

before dawn to inspect the
line for damage and debris,

in his Robel track
maintenance vehicle.

Along with his usual crew,

he's brought his apprentice
rail welder Morten Teigen.

We are looking for ice.

It's uh, now it's a
bit high temperature,

it's loosened from the terrain,

and it can tip
into the train tracks.

If we came across it,
we need to clear it.

We started today at 4:00,
and the first night is often

never too much sleep.

So, it's good to
have coffee with it.

NARRATOR: Åsmund has
only three hours to make sure

the Flåm Line is ready for
the day's railway traffic.

ÅSMUND: Because of the train
schedule starts so early,

we need the time
from now to 8:00.

That's when the Flåm Railway
will begin its ascent to Myrdal.

NARRATOR: It's not just
the early starts that make

Åsmund's job more challenging.

It took 20 years to carve
the Flåm Railway Line from

the sheer slopes
of the valley walls,

with 18 of its
20 tunnels built by hand.

ÅSMUND: They would
never build this today.

It's too narrow, too, too steep.

It's what they built it with, uh, with
back in the days, pure handcraft.

It's very impressive built.

NARRATOR: This unique
geography means the Flåm Line

is at constant risk
from the elements.

And with the ice on
the mountainsides melting,

the team needs to
clear the tracks.

But it's not just ice
Åsmund has to worry about.

This too is
water damaged though.

In winter, all the
water pours into the cracks of

the mountain, and it
freezes and erosioning out.

And then it falls down.

NARRATOR: This hard-igneous roc
of the valley walls is no match

for the power of water
as it freezes and expands.

But the steep cliffs and
melting ice of the Flåm Valley

aren't always a
destructive force.

Close to the top of the
line lies Reinunga Lake,

fed by meltwater from
the surrounding mountains.

The waters of the lake
plummet some 200 meters into

a narrow gorge, before winding
their way through the valley.

And the energy released by this falling
water does not go to waste.

Completed in 1941, the
Kjosfossen Hydroelectric Plant

draws water all year round
from beneath the frozen lake,

generating 3.5 million
watts of electricity,

and feeding it directly to the
overhead lines of the Flåmsbana

An extraordinary example of
how Norway's landscape has been

harnessed to power the railway.

Back in the valley's
1,000-meter Blomheller Tunnel,

Åsmund has spotted another
sign of the damage caused

by the spring melt.

One bit of water hits the exactly same
place

over and over again.

This rail here has
been here for 20 years,

and after 20 years of
one drip constantly dripping,

it's bending down.

So, when I put this up here,

and I can see here a small bend.

It's about 1.2 millimeters.

This is not critical.

But it, uh, need to be
changed next year or so.

NARRATOR: Åsmund and his team
are already in the process of

replacing a 12-meter length of
track damaged by falling water.

With the weld now cool, the
joins between the new sections

must be made smooth to avoid damaging the
wheels of passing trains.

And Åsmund has given the challenge
of grinding them down to his trainee.

We're setting up some lights,
and then we're gonna grind the, the weld.

It's uneven and we
have to grind it out.

NARRATOR: Apprentice welder
Morten has only two weeks left

before he takes his
final practical exam.

And achieving a smooth
finish takes experience,

as well as a steady hand.

Did it turn out fine?

Yes, it was all right

But you have
to refine the technique

When you're working on the sides you just
need to steady the machine

ÅSMUND: He's getting there, but it's 90%
technique to grinding the rail.

A, a bit more practice and, uh,
is good to his, uh, test.

When I finish the test, I
will be welding alone.

Turn off the lights
Then we'll get moving

NARRATOR: Confident that
the track is now leveled,

Åsmund and his team can reboard
the Robel maintenance truck and

head back up the Flåm Line.

ÅSMUND: Time
is valuable thing for us.

We, we need to get off the
tracks before the trains can

start rolling, and we need
to explain to the services that

the rail tracks
is okay to be run at.

Keeping the trains at
the original schedules,

that's when I get a
bit happy, you see.

NARRATOR: With the line clear,

the first Flåm passenger
line train of the day sets off.

It's the work of people like
Åsmund and his team that keep

the railways of Norway
running throughout the seasons,

and with 90% punctuality.

Back on the Bergen Line, the
train has climbed to a height

of 1,220 meters and is about to
enter the most treacherous leg

of its journey.

NARRATOR: In Western Norway,
the iconic Bergen Line train is

moving east, through
the Hardanger Mountains.

With an average
elevation of 500 meters,

32% of Norway lies
above the treeline,

making it one of Europe's
most mountainous nations.

It is here that the
Hardanger Plateau begins,

an icy wilderness of
some 6,500 square meters,

where the only way in
or out is often by train.

Crossing it makes the Bergen Line the
highest standard-gauge railway

in Northern Europe.

In 1979, drawn by
its bleak landscape,

Hollywood came to
the Hardanger Plateau,

to film George Lucas's epic
science fiction space opera,

The Empire Strikes Back.

And for café manager
Jennie Klingenberg,

the Bergen Line train
can sometimes still

feel like a movie set.

Once a year, a lot of
stormtroopers come all dressed,

and they come to replay, like,
scenes up at Finse.

And they walk through
the whole train in, like,

full stormtrooper outfits.
And it's really, really cool.

NARRATOR: The original cast
and crew stayed at Finse,

a remote mountain settlement
only accessible by rail.

However, they weren't the
first to use this landscape as

a substitute for
somewhere further afield.

Chris Imray is a consultant
surgeon and keen mountaineer,

with a deep connection to Finse.

This is the traditional
place to come and train

for polar expeditions, and it
goes back over 100 years,

so Shackleton and Amundsen and
Scott all came out here to train

and use this as simulation
for going to the Antarctic.

When they built the train line
through here it suddenly gave

people ready access
to these fairly hostile

and extreme environments.

NARRATOR: For Chris, it's the ideal place
to stage an exercise,

teaching his students
how to practice medicine under

the most demanding conditions.

WOMAN: What's hurting you?

-MAN: My leg.
-WOMAN: Okay.

NARRATOR: And for many Norwegians,
it offers something else;

a chance to practice
friluftsliv, or outdoor life,

a Scandinavian philosophy
of connecting with nature,

that inspires thousands of people
to take the Bergen Line

to the wilderness
of the Hardanger Plateau.

But the extreme winter
weather that draws visitors to

the plateau creates many
challenges for the team charged

with keeping the
train line open.

For days, falling snow has been piling up
around the tracks at Finse.

These high banks have now
created a channel that could

trap fresh snowfall and
obstruct the next train.

On the eastern side of
the Hardanger Plateau,

locomotive driver Håkon Eggen
and his colleague

Lars Hammersboen
are getting ready.

The snowbanks need
to be cleared before

the mountain
weather takes a turn.

We drive from Geilo in
nice weather

and sometimes we drive to Finse over the
mountains and it's bad weather

and we can drive through
all four seasons in one trip

NARRATOR: But first
they have to get to Finse,

traveling aboard
their Beilhack snow blower,

known to the crew
as The Old Lady.

If I have a favourite machine in
bad weather, then it's this

You are almost unstoppable

It has been on the
Bergen line since 1975

It's a good machine,
oldie but goodie

NARRATOR: Before
they reach Finse,

the snow blower team have to wait for
an oncoming train to pass.

And with the
weather starting to turn,

they're grateful for
some extra protection.

HÅKON: This is a snow shed,
it's built for avalanches

Here the avalanches
goes over and down here

This view is not so
many people get to see it

because when they're sitting
on the train they just pass

But we can stop

NARRATOR: As the
crew reach Finse,

a caterpillar snowcat has
already started to demolish

the snowbanks and push
the snow onto the track.

This work here is very important
because if the edges are high

and we get wind and snow

the snow blowing over the
edge and fills in the track

NARRATOR: With the
snowbanks demolished,

Håkon and Lars now fire up thei
twin 700-horsepower engines.

It might be 40 years old,
but the Beilhack can still

move 10,000 tons
of snow an hour,

throwing it a distance of over

ten meters, more than
enough to keep the lines clear.

For Håkon, its simplicity
makes it a firm favorite.

HÅKON: This machine has not so much
electric sensors and that stuff

So in bad weather
this machine works

Now it's great here. Now we are ready for
the next bad weather

NARRATOR: With the snow
dispersed and the Bergen Line

train due at any minute,
it's time for Håkon and Lars

to clear the line.

The Bergen Line's connection
to the Hardanger Plateau offers

Norwegians and visitors from
around the world a chance to

experience the wild beauty of
the Scandinavian wilderness.

But as the train
continues its journey,

there is much more to keeping
the line open than clearing

the tracks themselves.

NARRATOR: With the snowbound hills of
Western Norway now behind,

it's time for the Bergen Line train to
descend once again below the treeline.

Here, it joins the
course of the Hallingdal River,

a 258-kilometer river system
fed by the melting snows of

the Hardanger Plateau and running south
all the way to the coast.

For driver Andre, this
160-kilometer stretch of track

is a chance to take his
8,000 horsepower EL18 locomotiv

closer to the line's maximum
speed of 160 kilometers an hour

Everyone drives different, so some a bit
faster, some are new,

but this one is quite fast.

It has to do about
where we're driving as well.

The line is quite wobbly.

NARRATOR: With a length of 18 meters and a
weight of more than 80 tons,

driving the
Bergensbanen locomotive exerts

an enormous force
on the tracks below,

and on the
locomotive's eight wheels.

In the Mantena workshop,
carriages and locomotives arriv

from all over the country,
for maintenance and refitting.

And for railcar
engineer Lars Pedersen,

there is one route that takes its toll on
the trains more than others.

The Bergensbanen
is very steep,

so it has a high friction.

Uh, it's a lot of turns, and that takes
a lot of wheel damage.

In winter time, in Bergen,
it can be five degrees plus,

and when they
come up to the top,

it can be 20 degrees minus,

and snow, so they have a problem with
icing in the brakes and everything.

So, it's, it's a tough route.

NARRATOR: Set across more
than 28,000 square meters,

the Mantena workshop repairs or replaces
4,000 worn out wheels a year.

It is the responsibility
of mechanic Jean Michel to

first separate each
wheel from its axle.

The axles and wheels are
held together by friction,

but an innovation in their
design allows Jean Michel to

remove them with
relatively little force.

JEAN MICHEL: We have to pump the
oil for the wheel to get off,

to expand it from the axle.

Then we have to pull.

NARRATOR: A tiny groove milled into the
inside of each wheel allows

pressurized oil to penetrate
between the wheel and axle.

You can try
to pull off without oil,

but it will not work.

It will just damage the
axle and then that's it.

So, now I'm going
to start pulling.

NARRATOR: It takes a minimum of force for
the wheel to slide off.

Success, yes, that's it.

Then the wheel is going
outside to the garbage.

NARRATOR: Now that
the wheel is removed,

the axle is cleaned
up to be used again,

and sent across
the workshop to Lars.

Lars now has the challenge
of attaching each brand-new

400-kilogram train
wheel to its axle.

It must be tight
enough to stay on,

but easy to remove
when the time comes.

First, he uses an
automated lathing machine,

to trim tiny amounts of steel
from the inside of the wheel.

LARS: The stuff flying out
there is the small chips from

the milling, which are very hot.

So, you have to have protection.

NARRATOR: The accuracy
of this process is crucial.

A fraction of a millimeter
off could jeopardies

the next stage of the process.

Now Lars must make use of the
physical properties of steel.

In this case, how
it reacts to heat.

We put in the oven and
then we heat it up in, like,

six to eight hours,
so it's reached 225 degrees.

Then when the hole in
the wheel has become bigger,

it fits the axle, and it's,
when it cools down,

it's going to get shrinked.

NARRATOR: By heating the metal wheel,
Lars causes it to expand,

just enough to fit
onto the waiting axle.

Timing is everything.

From the moment the
oven door is opened,

the wheel begins to cool,
and as it cools, it shrinks.

To get the wheels onto the axle you
have maybe around 30 seconds

The wheel is coming right out of the oven,
it's extremely hot and it's like

you're going to get burned

NARRATOR: It takes
concentration and a cool head

to get the wheel in place.

LARS: Just like that

You have to be fast.

There we go

We're measuring the
distance between the wheels.

We need to move
them slightly to the side

Both of them?

Like that?

Yes

(banging)

Yes

That's perfect.

You have to practice a lot, so.

I have been doing
it for 12 years now,

so I have proper skills.

NARRATOR: The completed wheel will now
have to cool off entirely.

Here you can
see how hot it is.

NARRATOR: As the metal
of the wheel shrinks,

it locks tightly onto the axle.

To get completely cold,

it's going to
take around six hours.

But now, if you try to,
to move this wheel...

It's not moving anything.

It's just completely stuck, and
it's now less than one minute.

I think it's a good day's work,

and you do a job
and do it right,

and you can go home
with a good feeling,

that the day is good,
then I'm happy.

NARRATOR: The wheels on each of
the Bergen Line's B7 carriages

are checked for faults
every 18,000 kilometers.

But as the Bergen Railway
enters the historic heartland o

Norway's timber industry, not even the
most rigorous safety standards can protect

it from every
danger in its path.

NARRATOR: As the
Bergen Line moves south through

the Hallingdal Valley, it enter
the forests that cover more tha

a third of Norway's land mass.

Today, Norway boasts the fifth-highest
level of forest cover in Europe,

while still managing to export

three quarters of a billion dollars'
worth of timber each year.

For forester Knut Melum,
it's an industry with

a vital connection
to the railway.

KNUT: The railway has always been
important for, for the timber industry.

Most of these volumes on that
railway today goes by train,

either to Sweden or to
Norwegian pulp industry,

so the railway is a, is an important
factor to the industry.

NARRATOR: Norwegians have used
the railway to move timber for

nearly 200 years, with
19th century sawmill owners

investing in stretches of
track, and timber accounting

for 70% of the
cargo on many lines.

And despite a history
of intense harvesting,

today forest cover is expanding

growing by 10%
between 1990 and 2010.

KNUT: By clearing
down the forests,

we are gaining a very,
very high regrowth rate.

After a harvesting like this,
we are planting several trees

for each tree we cut down, so the forest
resource is continuously increasing.

This stand is
approximately ten years old.

You can see the effect of how
fast the plants are growing.

It feels beautiful, because this
is a young forest growing up,

and on its way to becoming bigger.

NARRATOR: This cycle of
felling and replanting trees

also encourages
wildlife to the region.

KNUT: Right here we
can see some moose tracks.

It has been coming off the, off the track
and, and going this direction.

It's a big animal.

It's definitely the
biggest mammal that we have.

Here we can see some, uh,
moose poo, so it's definitely

an attractive area
for the moose to stay.

NARRATOR: With so much
fresh forage available,

Norway's moose
population is growing.

It's the largest of
the 90 species of mammal

that call Norway home.

More than 12% of the
country is now protected,

giving animals like
mountain reindeer, brown bear,

and Eurasian lynx a
chance at recovery,

after centuries of hunting.

Even the wolf,
once extinct in Norway,

has begun to return
from neighboring Sweden.

But many of these species must
still share the landscape with

domestic animals, with people
and with fast-moving trains.

(honking)

Collisions with wildlife now
cost Norway's rail network more

than $150 million a year.

And they're on the rise.

Wildlife biologist
Andreas Seiler is working with

Norway's state
railroad company, Bane NOR,

to find a
solution to the problem.

ANDREAS: I love animals.

Since I was a small boy, I wanted to
become a wildlife biologist,

so there was
never a doubt about that.

NARRATOR: Andreas has
come to Bjørneparken,

an animal park in
the Hallingdal Valley.

To meet with Hanne Sveaass,

a conservationist with
first-hand knowledge of how

local wildlife
interacts with trains.

We had an incident recently, a
moose on the tracks was run over

The mother moose was k*lled when the
babies were only two days old

They were brought
here to the park

and are now being
bottle fed by a caretaker

I don't think they
have the relationship

that a train can be
dangerous.

ANDREAS: No, exactly.

HANNE: Because they,
they don't see that.

ANDREAS: Yeah.

For the animal, the railroad
is just a strip of gravel,

a nice track through the forest.

They hear the train passing,
but the, the vehicles are never

chasing after the animals,
so why should they be afraid?

Because they know
they don't do any harm.

Until they hit the animal,
and then it's too late,

and they cannot
really learn from that.

NARRATOR: Fencing off the
railway would be too expensive.

But Andreas and his team have
been experimenting with a syste

that could warn an
animal of approaching danger.

ANDREAS: It's
practically a dash-cam,

but with the option to set
up a sound signal so we can,

when we detect wildlife
in front of the train,

we can play a sound that would alert
wildlife close to the train.

NARRATOR: No one knows how a
wild animal might respond to a

device like this, so Andreas and his team
are on their way to find out.

If they succeed, it
could change how wildlife and

railway interact forever.

NARRATOR: The Bergen Line
train is now moving south,

alongside the
mighty Hallingdal River.

The level valley floor is the ideal place
to run the railway line,

but it creates a problem
for local animals crossing

the valley or heading
to the river for water.

Wildlife biologist
Andreas Seiler and his team

have come to a spot
on the Bergen Line,

to test the experimental
unit they've built.

They're hoping it will allow
trains and wildlife to share

the landscape safely.

Tracks are now safe

So, shall
we mount it here?

NARRATOR: They've
brought with them a prototype,

a more advanced version
of their dash-cam system.

ANDREAS: This is the speaker,
the motion sensor.

We have the camera,
the, the, um...

Computer that is recording
the responses of the animals.

NARRATOR: Once triggered,
the system broadcasts a

warning sound and records the animal's
reaction for the team to study.

So, if we
activate the unit now,

so we just pass by
and make some movement...

(honking)

Now we hear the train horn.

This is something that
we want to test and see

if animals respond to that.

We can test it again, and the
next will be the human voice.

MAN: You have activated
a wildlife warning system

Please leave the test site
and do not touch the equipment

And the idea with the
human voice is that we actually

can inform people as well,
who activate the unit.

NARRATOR: Andreas and his team
want to know which sound gets

the best response
from the local wildlife,

and they're leaving
no stone unturned.

We've tried the, the human voice,
um, dog barking, the barking of roe deer.

We have tried artificial sounds,
like a grey noise.

We have tried doorbells and
other things and compared these

novel sounds and the more scary
sounds to natural sounds,

as a control sound.

NARRATOR: If the team
can find a sound that works,

units like this could be installed
across the entire rail network.

Analyzing the first batch of
recordings has given Andreas

reason to be optimistic.

And we will
hear the dog barking.

(barking)

He's getting curious, but
he's not leaving the site.

So dog barking would not have the effect
that we want to accomplish.

Here we have the, the human
voice in the middle of the day.

He's curious.

He's curious,
he's looking around.

He has obviously
detected the unit.

MAN: Hey...

And he's running away.

-Yes.
-Yeah.

NARRATOR: It seems that
for Norway's wild animals,

one sound stands out
as the ultimate threat.

In our regions where
wildlife and human coexist in

the same landscape, it's, um,

it's actually the human
who is the top predator.

NARRATOR: And if the
team's work is a success,

then the fear that the human
voice instils in these animals

may one day help
to protect them.

As it moves south on the final few
kilometers of its seven-hour journey,

the Bergensbanen leaves
the forests behind and

enters a more
industrial landscape.

The community of Hønefoss,

once home to Norway's
largest paper mill,

and Drammen, a
historic port town and home to

Norway's longest railway bridge

With the tracks now
filling with commuter trains,

it's only a short
distance to the capital.

Aboard the Bergen Line,
café manager Jennie is

closing up shop.

Starting a
little to clean up now.

Everything has to be
done when we're in Oslo,

so that we can go home.

We're on time,
everything is going great,

so now it's just the
last few minutes into Oslo,

and then we're done.

NARRATOR: Founded by the
Vikings in the 11th century,

and home of the
Nobel Peace Prize,

Norway's capital is
a hub for rail travel,

with trains arriving from as fa
north as the Arctic Circle and

connecting through Sweden
to the rest of the continent.

But for the crew,
there's one line that holds a

special place in their hearts.

It is one of the
most beautiful train trips in

the entire world, definitely,
and you get to see everything

that Norway has
to offer on the way.

Now it's going home
and then straight up,

back again tomorrow,
back to Bergen.

NARRATOR: Norway's Bergensbanen
is a triumph of innovation in a

challenging landscape.

From its
state-of-the-art tunneling,

to its historic
hand-built railway tracks,

it is a monument to the
generations of engineers and

staff who have kept it running.

It has harnessed
Norway's mountains and fjords,

to create renewable energy,

while working to
protect its wildlife,

and provided
a lifeline for industry,

at the same time as connecting
the country's most remote and

beautiful places
to the whole world.

It is this unique Norwegian
culture of working alongside

the forces of nature, while
respecting the power of this

extreme environment, that has
kept it thriving for more than

a century, making
the Bergen Line,

one of the greatest train
journeys in the world.