As i trawled numinous forums and sites learning about the London Underground in 2009, i also spent a short time looking into the abandoned sections of the Barcelona Metro, the Kiev Metro and the Oslo T-Bane.
The info was filed away for the hell of it...
Only to come back out after Curly discovered a bunch of raaad drains in the Norwegian capital! With my monthly four day weekend looming i booked tix to (what proved to be) the worlds most expensive city in the world and headed over to take a look at some crazy arse, fast flowing drains and try my luck at two more abandoned underground rapid transit stations (AURTS).
After cracking tube stations, the Oslo T-Bane was quite easy...
The two stations, Valkyrie Plass and Volvat, were built in 1928 and 1939 respectively, but were both closed in 1985 as they stood too close to other major stations and could only accommodate two carriages. Valkyrie Plass was also never intended as a station, but the substrate around the area collapsed while a tunnel was being dug, and left with a huge cavity, they built a station.
In my research, even using multiple translators, i could find little about the stations other than their locations... no photos, except a few from archives. Upon pinpointing them on Google Earth it was a pleasant surprise to see both were accessible via live tunnels from outside. Fucking. Cakewalk.
After a quick reccie, followed by a 3 hour sleep (bloody nightshift) i headed out in time to follow the last train into Valkyrie Plass... Tyyyypically, the moment the platform cleared... a goddamn cleaner appeared. So i loitered... 1am on a Thursday night... no bothers... just wait till he's finished n fucks off.
Wait... what's this? A drunken woman is slouched on as bench... He approaches and manages to rouse her. Helps her up. Supports her as they slowly head for the exit... along the platform... annnnd down some stairs!
Straight up, as fast as my bus driving arse can go, im over the fence, onto the platform, doing fucking Superman leaps onto the trackbed, blue metal spraying in my wake as i pissbolt my 16 stone bulk down the live tunnel.
Success!
Straight in, 200m down the tunnel, we have Abandoned Station!
And in good state too... still has its signs, and the remains of an experimental scrolling advertisement system that was seemingly scrapped in 2007.
Very similar in design to Parisian metro stations, except with a unified exit provided by two stairs leading to a shared balcony... scary thing was, when the station opened the trains were power by overhead lines!
Not wanting to dally too long, i wandered down the tunnels towards the next station, before heading back.
My exit was a simple case of heading out fire escape doors, and lol, thru a hamburger shop that the topside structure is now inhabited by.
Volvat was a simpler affair. The station sits in a lone underground stretch, that's in the middle of nowhere and is sadly devoid of lights. The station is entirely tripped and very small. I went that night n had a look, then on my third night having found every hostel in Oslo booked out, bunked down on the platform after following the last train in.
It was a bit draughty but i got about 4 hours, awakening as the first trains went through at 7am (late cos it was a Sunday).
Its been almost 2 years since i GOT OUT OF BED at 7am, such explains my expression in this pic outside the old Street level entrance. Fucking sunny skies n chirping birds can suck my sweaty nuts.
The info was filed away for the hell of it...
Only to come back out after Curly discovered a bunch of raaad drains in the Norwegian capital! With my monthly four day weekend looming i booked tix to (what proved to be) the worlds most expensive city in the world and headed over to take a look at some crazy arse, fast flowing drains and try my luck at two more abandoned underground rapid transit stations (AURTS).
After cracking tube stations, the Oslo T-Bane was quite easy...
The two stations, Valkyrie Plass and Volvat, were built in 1928 and 1939 respectively, but were both closed in 1985 as they stood too close to other major stations and could only accommodate two carriages. Valkyrie Plass was also never intended as a station, but the substrate around the area collapsed while a tunnel was being dug, and left with a huge cavity, they built a station.
In my research, even using multiple translators, i could find little about the stations other than their locations... no photos, except a few from archives. Upon pinpointing them on Google Earth it was a pleasant surprise to see both were accessible via live tunnels from outside. Fucking. Cakewalk.
After a quick reccie, followed by a 3 hour sleep (bloody nightshift) i headed out in time to follow the last train into Valkyrie Plass... Tyyyypically, the moment the platform cleared... a goddamn cleaner appeared. So i loitered... 1am on a Thursday night... no bothers... just wait till he's finished n fucks off.
Wait... what's this? A drunken woman is slouched on as bench... He approaches and manages to rouse her. Helps her up. Supports her as they slowly head for the exit... along the platform... annnnd down some stairs!
Straight up, as fast as my bus driving arse can go, im over the fence, onto the platform, doing fucking Superman leaps onto the trackbed, blue metal spraying in my wake as i pissbolt my 16 stone bulk down the live tunnel.
Success!
Straight in, 200m down the tunnel, we have Abandoned Station!
And in good state too... still has its signs, and the remains of an experimental scrolling advertisement system that was seemingly scrapped in 2007.
Very similar in design to Parisian metro stations, except with a unified exit provided by two stairs leading to a shared balcony... scary thing was, when the station opened the trains were power by overhead lines!
Not wanting to dally too long, i wandered down the tunnels towards the next station, before heading back.
My exit was a simple case of heading out fire escape doors, and lol, thru a hamburger shop that the topside structure is now inhabited by.
Volvat was a simpler affair. The station sits in a lone underground stretch, that's in the middle of nowhere and is sadly devoid of lights. The station is entirely tripped and very small. I went that night n had a look, then on my third night having found every hostel in Oslo booked out, bunked down on the platform after following the last train in.
It was a bit draughty but i got about 4 hours, awakening as the first trains went through at 7am (late cos it was a Sunday).
Its been almost 2 years since i GOT OUT OF BED at 7am, such explains my expression in this pic outside the old Street level entrance. Fucking sunny skies n chirping birds can suck my sweaty nuts.