Editing Jæren Line (section)

===Commuter rail and double track===
[[File:Hellvik stasjon.jpg|thumb|[[Hellvik Station]]]]
The commuter rail system was introduced from 1 January 1992, after an agreement between NSB, [[Rogaland County Municipality]] and the six municipalities along the line. NSB introduced new [[NSB Class 69|Class 69]] multiple units, while the county municipality introduced a fare coordination with the corresponding bus services.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bedre togtilbud i Rogaland |work=[[Aftenposten]] |date=31 August 1990 |page=11 |language=no}}</ref> The increase in service involved 15 departures per direction per day, and the travel time from Stavanger to Egersund was reduced from 80 to 55 minutes.<ref name=nye>{{cite news |title=Nye Jærbanen |agency=[[Norwegian News Agency]] |date=27 January 1992 |language=no}}</ref> In addition, NSB introduced a half-hour [[headway]] between Stavanger and Sandnes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nytt opplegg for NSBs lokaltrafikk på Jæren |agency=[[Norwegian News Agency]] |date=2 January 1992 |language=no}}</ref> The stations were upgraded, including new sheds.<ref name=byggpris>{{cite news |title=Byggeskikkprisen til NSB: Reise i god form |last=Stafne |first=Anne Lise |work=[[Aftenposten]] |date=17 November 1993 |page=11 |language=no}}</ref> A new station, Sandnes Sentrum, was opened in the city center of Sandnes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forsk.njk.no/stdb/index.php?mod=st&aut=&detaljert=1&baneID=166&Stnr=5108,02&sid=1897 |title=Sandnes sentrum |publisher=[[Norwegian Railway Club]] |access-date=7 November 2010 |language=no}}</ref> At the same time, the stations with the least patronage, Hognestad and Lyngnes, were closed.<ref name=b201 /> NSB stated that the goal was to increase the daily ridership from 2,900 to 5,000 passengers by 1994.<ref name=nye />

The commuter service was a success, with NSB experiencing a 112 percent increase in ridership the first year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trønderbanen skal gi NSB stor trafikkøkning  |agency=[[Norwegian News Agency]] |date=1 September 1993 |language=no}}</ref> In 1993, NSB won [[Statens Byggeskikkpris]], among other things for the new sheds on the Jæren Line.<ref name=byggpris /> By 1995, ridership was up 150 percent from before the commuter rail started.<ref>{{cite news |title=Toget går fra statsbanene |last=Width |first=Henrik |work=[[Aftenposten]] |date=6 October 1995 |page=23 |language=no}}</ref> In 1997, NSB announced that they would order 36 new electric multiple units, which would among other things replace the aging trains on the Jæren Line.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bortkasted opprusting  |last=Thompson |first=Svein |work=[[Dagens Næringsliv]] |date=9 January 1997 |page=8 |language=no}}</ref> The new [[NSB Class 72|Class 72]] trains were put into service on 8 August 2002, several years after schedule.<ref>{{cite news |title=To års ventetid over – nye pendlertog på vei til Oslo |last=Bø |first=Trond |work=[[Aftenposten]] |date=9 August 2002 |page=3 |language=no}}</ref> In April 2004, the rail administration opened [[Jåttå Station]], which was located close to [[Viking Stadion]], the new home ground of the [[Norwegian Premier League]] side [[Viking FK]].<ref name=jatta /> The train transported generated a market share of one sixth of the spectators.<ref>{{cite news |title=1 av 6 tar toget til stadion  |work=[[Stavanger Aftenblad]] |last=Lode |first=Asgeir |date=4 June 2004 |language=no}}</ref> On 2 January 2007, the Scanet train radio system was replaced with [[GSM-R]].<ref name=gsmr />

To further increase capacity and regularity, the Norwegian National Rail Administration decided to rebuild the section from Stavanger to Sandnes to double track. The upgrade involved closing Hillevåg Station, and building three new stations: Paradis, Jåttåvågen and Gausel. Construction was estimated to cost 2.2 billion [[Norwegian krone]].<ref name=tospor>{{cite web|url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/PageFiles/1679/To_spor_Sandnes_-__1619932a.pdf |title=To spor Sandnes – Stavanger |publisher=[[Norwegian National Rail Administration]] |date=October 2006 |language=no |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806034955/http://www.jernbaneverket.no/PageFiles/1679/To_spor_Sandnes_-__1619932a.pdf |archive-date= 6 August 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The primary goal of the project was to increase capacity and build stations in areas with [[transit-oriented development]]. Travel time between Stavanger and Sandnes was only reduced with four minutes. Construction was done by adding another tack adjacent to the existing one, rather than building a new right-of-way. The upgrades included the construction of {{convert|6.3|km|sp=us}} of low [[noise barrier]]s and {{convert|3.5|km|sp=us|adj=on}} of conventional high noise barriers. The upgrades were made in such a way that a future [[tram-train]] can run on the route. All intermediate stations were built in such a way that they later could be adapted to also serve the [[light rail]] service. The route is built to allow the light rail service to enter and leave the Jæren Line at Lura, Gausel, Hinna and Stavager.<ref name=fourmin />

[[File:Jåttåvågen holdeplass.JPG|thumb|left|[[Jåttåvågen Station]] opened in 2008]]
Construction of the {{convert|14.5|km|sp=us|adj=on}} long section was split into four contracts: Stavanger–Hinna, Jåttåvågen, Jåttåvågen–Lurahammaren and Lurahammaren–Sandnes. The section past Jåttåvågen was the first to commence, in October 2006.<ref name=fourmin /> The original plans called for this section to be built last, but [[Stavanger Municipality]] wanted to prioritize transit-oriented development in conjunction with new major building projects, and therefore the municipality advanced NOK&nbsp;90 million for the station.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/nyheter/lokalt/Farlig-flaskehals-p-Jtt-forsvinner-i-hst-2618258.html#.TzzvUfItFmI |title=Farlig flaskehals på Jåttå forsvinner i høst |last=Fremo |first=Anja Wendelborg |date=9 December 2005 |work=[[Stavanger Aftenblad]] |language=no |archive-date=7 March 2016 |access-date=16 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307041625/http://www.aftenbladet.no/nyheter/lokalt/Farlig-flaskehals-p-Jtt-forsvinner-i-hst-2618258.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to Jåttåvågen Station, a number of bridges were built. The area is a growth area for Stavanger, with the station being located next to Viking Stadion, [[Jåttå Upper Secondary School]] and several large workplaces. Jåttåvågen Station opened on 6 January 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/article573940.ece |title=Jåttåvågen holdeplass åpnet |last=Veland |first=Bernhard |work=[[Stavanger Aftenblad]] |date=6 January 2008 |language=no |access-date=12 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311195205/http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/article573940.ece |archive-date=11 March 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Construction of the section from Jåttåvågen to Lurahammaren started in March 2007, while the section from Lurahammaren to Sandnes started in September 2007. The latter is the narrowest part of the line and required the construction of several new bridges. Lurahammaren Tunnel was widened to allow double track, a new bridge was built over the intersection og Langgaten–Strandgaten, a new bridge was built over [[Norwegian County Road 44|County Road 44]] at Lura, the technical facilities at Sandnes Station were upgraded, and the tracks to the port in Sandnes were removed. Construction on the section between Stavanger and Hinna started in April 2008. As there was already a double track between Kvaleberg and Stavanger Station, only the southern part of the route received new track. However, the existing part was subject to technical upgrades and a new station was built at Paradis to serve the southern part the downtown area.<ref name=fourmin /> From April to November 2009, the section from Ganddal to Stavanger was closed while the last part of the upgrade was completed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/PageFiles/1679/To_spor_Sandnes_-__1619932a.pdf |title=Offisiell åpning Sandnes-Stavanger 14. desember |publisher=[[Norwegian National Rail Administration]] |date=October 2006 |language=no |access-date=7 November 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525020629/https://www.webcitation.org/5u4FiUBIt?url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/no/Prosjekter/Prosjekter/Ferdige-prosjekter/Sandnes---Stavanger/Prosjektartikler/Offisiell-apning-Sandnes-Stavanger-14-desember/ |archive-date= 25 May 2024 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The new line was opened on 16 November 2009 and from 14 December, the 15-minute headway was introduced between Stavanger and Sandnes.<ref name="helskap"/>

Construction of a new freight terminal at Ganddal started in 2005. The terminal cost NOK&nbsp;500 million and replaced the terminal at Stavanger Station. Construction 0was completed in 2007 and the terminal opened on 21 January 2008<ref name=ganddalopen /> Both the terminal and the double track were to use the newly developed signaling system [[Merkur (interlocking)|Merkur]], but the [[Norwegian Railway Inspectorate]] would not give permission for the system to be installed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sjt.no/Nyhetsarkiv/Avslag-Merkur/ |title=Avslag på søknad om godkjenning av Merkur signalanlegg |publisher=[[Norwegian Railway Inspectorate]] |date=24 November 2008 |language=no |access-date=12 November 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525022115/https://www.webcitation.org/5uBJIKYzR?url=http://www.sjt.no/Nyhetsarkiv/Avslag-Merkur/ |archive-date=25 May 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/article582098.ece |title=Skaper uro for dobbeltsporet |last=Birkevold |first=Harald |work=[[Stavanger Aftenblad]] |date=21 January 2008 |language=no |access-date=12 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080122084621/http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/article582098.ece |archive-date=22 January 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> Because of this, the signaling system at the terminal is operated manually and therefore cannot be used with full capacity.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/article582098.ece |title=Hypermoderne anlegg må vrakes |last=Birkevold |first=Harald |work=[[Stavanger Aftenblad]] |date=26 November 2008 |language=no |access-date=12 November 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525022154/https://www.webcitation.org/5uBJbykQW?url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/lokalt/951994/Hypermoderne_anlegg_maa_vrakes.html |archive-date=25 May 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>