Life on the Slow Track: Oslo to Bergen, Norway

Life on the Slow Track: Oslo to Bergen, Norway

Weaving through the fjords and mountains of Norway by train gave one photographer a chance to reflect on life in the slow lane



There’s
something about a train journey that gives you time to
think. As the world files past, life in the carriages slows down.
It’s a time to contemplate, to listen, to read, to photograph.

A while ago, a seed had been planted in my mind that impelled me
to visit Norway. When I learned about the Bergensbanen, that seed
grew. Connecting Oslo and Bergen, it’s one of Europe’s highest and
most beautiful lines, stretching almost 500km through winding
fjords and mountains while climbing 1,237m onto the Hardangervidda
plateau. Over the summit, the line branches, giving passengers the
option to ride the Flåmsbana, one of the world’s steepest
standard-gauge tracks, down past waterfalls to the fjord town of
Flåm. After a swim here, you can retrace your steps back up the
mountain to meet the next train heading to Bergen and continue the
journey.

As a photographer, I have always concentrated on people as my
subject matter, but this journey gave me the impetus to stand by
the window for hours – the journey between Oslo
and Bergen
takes around seven – capturing the beautiful vistas as they flashed
past. That sensation of constant movement made me eager to observe
the beauty of Norway.

It was one of the most calming trips I have ever taken, thanks
to the friendliness of people I met and, most of all, because of
the way this awe-inspiring landscape frees the mind. The journey
has changed the way that I see the world, and I hope that you too
can see it through these photographs.

@eddhorder | eddhorder.com

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