The Rauma Railway
The Rauma Railway (Raumabanen) runs 114.2 kilometers from Dombås to Åndalsnes in about 1 hour and 40 minutes, past the steep Trollveggen mountain wall and Kylling Bridge.
The stretch is one of Norway's wildest and most photographed train journeys, and is known far beyond Norway's borders, thanks to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was also on this track that 50 tons of Norwegian gold were transported to avoid it falling into wrong hands during World War II.
In this guide, we will tell you all about the route, the most famous destinations, and how to travel, including the Golden Train as a separate optional experience.
Written by
The Fjord Tours team
5 min readUpdated: Sep 10, 2026
Quick facts
Rauma Railway at a glance
- Name: Rauma Railway (Raumabanen in Norwegian)
- Route: Dombås to Åndalsnes
- Distance: 114.2 km
- Journey time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Crosses: Kylling Bridge
- Change here: Dombås, for the Dovre Railway
- Operator: SJ Norway
- Opened: 1924
- Recognition: Named the world's most beautiful train journey in 2023 by Lonely Planet
Source: Bane NOR / SJ Norway.
The Rauma Railway is one of the most photographed stretches on the entire Norwegian railway network, precisely because the landscape changes so quickly: farming villages give way to dense forest, then to vertical rock walls and sharp peaks in a matter of minutes.
Lonely Planet named it the world's most beautiful train journey in 2023, a ranking that has only added to its reputation among international rail enthusiasts. The line has also carried its share of history.
Is the line open now?
The Rauma Railway runs through steep and landslide-prone terrain where avalanches and landslides can happen. Because of this, the railway can be temporarily closed. Such incidents are very rare but can close the stretch for a short or long period while Bane NOR repairs the track.
If you are traveling in fall or early spring, when rain and snowmelt increase the risk of landslides, it's a good thing to keep in mind.
Check Bane NOR or train operator SJ Norway's websites for the most up-to-date information on the railway.
Highlights of the route
From Dombås, the train goes southwest, into the Romsdalen valley. One of the first famous stops along the way is Bjorli, known as a wonderful ski resort. In the fall, it’s often one of the first places in the area with enough snow to open for the season.
A little further down the valley, the train crosses the Kylling Bridge. In the sharp bend here, you can see the train you’re riding from your window. Read more about the history of the Kylling Bridge.
Right after the bridge, you can see the powerful Vermafossen waterfall. Further down the valley, you pass Trollveggen, Europe's highest vertical rock wall, which rises straight up from the valley floor and remains parallel to the track for a long time.
In the final kilometers towards Åndalsnes, the valley gradually opens up, and the mountains around the Romsdalsfjord come into view.
Between Bjorli and Verma, the train also passes several smaller stations and stops that are used for freight transport and maintenance. It’s a reminder that the Rauma Railway is still part of the railway network, not just a tourist attraction.
A popular location for Harry Potter and more
The Rauma Railway has become the directors' go-to choice when a movie or series calls for a visually striking train route.
The snow-covered train scene on the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was shot on the Rauma Railway, with the help of an antique train owned by the Norwegian Railway Club. The reason was simply the weather: the script required snow, and there wasn't enough snow in the UK in time for filming, so the director moved the crew to Norway instead.
The bridge and the Rauma Railway have since been joined by several other major productions drawn to the same dramatic landscape, including scenes with Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible franchise, episodes of the hit HBO series Succession, and the Norwegian movies Troll and The Gold Transport.
How to travel on the Rauma Railway
The passenger service (the normal railway) follows a fixed timetable and runs between Dombås and Åndalsnes.
You can also ride a part of the Rauma Railway on the Golden Train, which is a separate return-journey service between Åndalsnes and Bjorli. You can find detailed information on departures and tickets on our Golden Train page.
The Golden Train focuses more on the stories behind the landscapes, including the story of the gold transport. In April 1940, when the Nazis invaded Norway, around 50 tons of gold were transported over this route, from Oslo to Åndalsnes, to keep it from falling into the hands of the occupying forces.
Both the Rauma Railway and the Golden Trains pass the same highlights. But if you want a more experience-oriented journey, with guided narration and more time to see Trollveggen and Kylling Bridge, the Golden Train is a better fit.
You can travel by train between Dombås and Åndalsnes, as part of a longer journey from Oslo or Trondheim via the Dovre Line.
Tours including the Rauma Railway
Combine the Rauma Railway with other scenic train and boat journeys in Norway.
With Norway in a Nutshell®
2027 bookings open
Cultural cities & scenic trains
Cities and Coastal Cruise
-
Trondheim, Oslo and Bergen round trip
-
From 4 days
-
Available year-round
-
Start from Oslo or Bergen
From 11931 NOK
With Norway in a Nutshell®
Explore beyond the highlights
Geirangerfjord and Norway in a Nutshell®
-
See Norway's coast, famous fjords and scenic mountains
-
From 3 days
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Available June – September
-
Start from Oslo or Bergen
From 8459 NOK
Explore coast, fjords and alpine views
Geirangerfjord in a Nutshell™
-
Journey through coastal nature, spectacular fjords and alpine mountains
-
From 2 days
-
Available June – September
-
Start from Oslo, Bergen or Ålesund
From 3337 NOK
With Norway in a Nutshell®
2027 bookings open
Cultural cities & scenic trains
Cities and Coastal Cruise
-
Trondheim, Oslo and Bergen round trip
-
From 4 days
-
Available year-round
-
Start from Oslo or Bergen
From 11931 NOK
With Norway in a Nutshell®
Explore beyond the highlights
Geirangerfjord and Norway in a Nutshell®
-
See Norway's coast, famous fjords and scenic mountains
-
From 3 days
-
Available June – September
-
Start from Oslo or Bergen
From 8459 NOK
Explore coast, fjords and alpine views
Geirangerfjord in a Nutshell™
-
Journey through coastal nature, spectacular fjords and alpine mountains
-
From 2 days
-
Available June – September
-
Start from Oslo, Bergen or Ålesund
From 3337 NOK
How to get to Dombås and Åndalsnes
You can get to Dombås by the Dovre Railway, either from Oslo or from Trondheim. The Rauma Railway branches off at Dombås, so it’s easy to get to by other trains.
If you prefer to start your journey from the coast, many cruise passengers arrive in Åndalsnes by ship and take the Rauma Railway up to Dombås as a day trip before continuing on or returning to the ship the same day. This direction is also a popular choice if you want to see Trollveggen and Kylling Bridge on the way up and then head back to the fjord on the Golden Train.
If you want to plan your entire trip to Dombås in detail, see our guide to the Dovre Railway.
Questions about the Rauma Railway
Get answers to commonly asked questions about the journey between Dombås and Åndalsnes.
Discover all of Norway’s railways
The Flåm Railway
The Flåm Railway takes you from a bare mountain station at Myrdal, 867 meters up, down to the fjord village of Flåm in under 1 hour. In between: 20 tunnels, a waterfall, and farms clinging to slopes. It’s one of the steepest railways in the world with normal passenger service, and it opened in 1940.
In this guide, we cover the route, stops, the best side to sit on, how to get there, and when the trip is at its best.
The Rauma Railway
The Rauma Railway (Raumabanen) runs 114.2 kilometers from Dombås to Åndalsnes in about 1 hour and 40 minutes, past the steep Trollveggen mountain wall and Kylling Bridge.
The stretch is one of Norway's wildest and most photographed train journeys, and is known far beyond Norway's borders, thanks to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was also on this track that 50 tons of Norwegian gold were transported to avoid it falling into wrong hands during World War II.
In this guide, we will tell you all about the route, the most famous destinations, and how to travel, including the Golden Train as a separate optional experience.
The Bergen Railway: Oslo to Bergen by train
The Bergen Railway (Bergensbanen) runs between Norway’s 2 largest cities, and for many people it’s the Norwegian train journey. In 7 hours, you go from the forests around Oslo up to the Hardangervidda mountain plateau and on to the West Coast and Bergen.
The Dovre Railway
The Dovre Railway runs 548 kilometers from Oslo to Trondheim, over the Dovrefjell mountains and through the Gudbrandsdalen valley. The trip takes about 6.5 to 7 hours.
Take a seat in Oslo and get off in Trondheim, with the whole of southern Norway behind you. See a diverse range of landscapes. From Lake Mjøsa's shimmering water, the Gudbrandsdalen valley's traditional farms, and the mighty Dovrefjell mountains with musk oxen and reindeer.
The Røros Railway
The Røros Railway runs between Hamar and Trondheim, through Østerdalen and past Røros, a journey of about 431 kilometers that takes around 6 hours. The line opened in 1877 and is Norway's oldest inter-regional railway line, and it takes you where no other train does: through the wilderness of Østerdalen to the mining town of Røros, with its beautiful wooden buildings.
The Flåm Railway
The Flåm Railway takes you from a bare mountain station at Myrdal, 867 meters up, down to the fjord village of Flåm in under 1 hour. In between: 20 tunnels, a waterfall, and farms clinging to slopes. It’s one of the steepest railways in the world with normal passenger service, and it opened in 1940.
In this guide, we cover the route, stops, the best side to sit on, how to get there, and when the trip is at its best.
The Rauma Railway
The Rauma Railway (Raumabanen) runs 114.2 kilometers from Dombås to Åndalsnes in about 1 hour and 40 minutes, past the steep Trollveggen mountain wall and Kylling Bridge.
The stretch is one of Norway's wildest and most photographed train journeys, and is known far beyond Norway's borders, thanks to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It was also on this track that 50 tons of Norwegian gold were transported to avoid it falling into wrong hands during World War II.
In this guide, we will tell you all about the route, the most famous destinations, and how to travel, including the Golden Train as a separate optional experience.
The Bergen Railway: Oslo to Bergen by train
The Bergen Railway (Bergensbanen) runs between Norway’s 2 largest cities, and for many people it’s the Norwegian train journey. In 7 hours, you go from the forests around Oslo up to the Hardangervidda mountain plateau and on to the West Coast and Bergen.
The Dovre Railway
The Dovre Railway runs 548 kilometers from Oslo to Trondheim, over the Dovrefjell mountains and through the Gudbrandsdalen valley. The trip takes about 6.5 to 7 hours.
Take a seat in Oslo and get off in Trondheim, with the whole of southern Norway behind you. See a diverse range of landscapes. From Lake Mjøsa's shimmering water, the Gudbrandsdalen valley's traditional farms, and the mighty Dovrefjell mountains with musk oxen and reindeer.
The Røros Railway
The Røros Railway runs between Hamar and Trondheim, through Østerdalen and past Røros, a journey of about 431 kilometers that takes around 6 hours. The line opened in 1877 and is Norway's oldest inter-regional railway line, and it takes you where no other train does: through the wilderness of Østerdalen to the mining town of Røros, with its beautiful wooden buildings.