The rolling stock of Oslo Metro, Norway, has consisted of three classes: T1000/T1300, T2000 and MX3000. The T1000 was built as 162 single cars from 1964 to 1978. From 1979 to 1985, 33 new T1300 trains were built, followed by the conversion of 16 T1000s. Six two-car T2000 units were delivered in 1994. Since 2005, the first 83 three-car MX3000 units have been replacing the older stock, and the last T1000 was retired in 2007. From 2010, only MX3000-trains are in use. The T1000/T1300 and T2000 were built by Strømmens Værksted, with motors from Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri (NEBB) and AEG, respectively, and the MX3000 were built by Siemens.
All trains receive 750 V DC from a third rail shoe, while the T1300 and T2000 also have pantographs. This allows the latter to also operate on the suburban lines of the Oslo Tramway, which the western part of the current metro was part of until 1995. All trains feature automatic train protection and step-free access from the platforms. Trains can operate up to six cars in length. The T1000/T1300 and MX3000 are capable of , while the T2000 can operate at . The T2000 introduced articulated cars, while the MX3000 introduced regenerative brakes and air conditioning. The T1000/T1300 and MX3000 can be run in multiple with each other, but not with the T2000. The MX3000 replaced the red color scheme with a white livery.
History
In 1954, the Oslo City Council decided to build a four-line metro to the new suburbs to the east of the city center. The plans called for the system to open in 1966, with the conversion of the Østensjø Line and the Lambertseter Line of the Oslo Tramway, and the new Furuset Line and Grorud Line. The system would feature higher and longer platforms, allowing step-free access to six-car trains, automatic train protection and third-rail power supply. This would make the metro incompatible with the existing tramways in Oslo. The first units in the T1000 series were two single-car prototypes designated T. They were test-run on the existing tramways from 1959 to 1960, and were then put into service on the Kolsås Line. Prone to technical faults, they were taken out of regular service in 1982.
Serial production of the T1000 started in 1964 by Strømmens Værksted, NEBB and AEG. Until 1978, 162 cars were delivered to Oslo Sporveier. These were manufactured in four series, designated T1 through T4, with minor changes to specifications. During the late 1970s, the western suburban lines which were part of the tramway needed new rolling stock. Oslo Sporveier was at the time considering connecting the metro with these lines, and between 1978 and 1981, 33 new T1300 cars were built. The only difference from the T1000 was that they had a pantograph that allowed them to operate on the tramways. They also retained the necessary technical appliances to run on the metro. The new T1300 were designated T5 and T6. From 1985 to 1989, 16 T4s were rebuilt to T1300 and designated T7 and T8.
Oslo Sporveier was highly satisfied with the SL79 articulated trams that had been delivered during the 1980s. In 1985, work started on the development of a modified version for the western suburban lines. The stock on the Holmenkollen and Kolsås Lines were the first that needed to be replaced. At the same time, the company wanted to make the trains compatible with the metro so they could operate on both systems. The new stock was considered to be a trial; if it met performance expectations, future orders could be made to replace the T1000 stock, after the latter reached the end of its economical life in about 2000. The required specification for the new train was published in October 1988.
In the late 1980s, it was decided to upgrade the Røa and Sognsvann Lines to metro standard. This would allow them to use T1000 stock. Twelve T2000 were ordered in 1991, and would be sufficient to operate the services on the Holmenkollen and Kolsås Lines, that would retain an overhead wire. The development costs for the T2000 were in part subsidized by the government, as the high-tech product from Strømmens Verksted (by then part of ABB) and AEG was seen as a future export product. The trains were delivered in 1994 and taken into use in 1995. The same year, the metro started operating all services through the city center, connecting the western and eastern networks.