Talk:Oslo Metro

Move article

This should move to it's English name —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bgagaga (talk • contribs) 00:57, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

Everyone who knows me on Wikipedia, knows I am a vile defender of a broad application of WP:UE. However, I have spent the last two years writing about this article, and never come across any other English name than T-bane. Various sources alternate between subway, metro, underground, suburban rail and even light rail. Neither the owner nor the operator refer to it as anything else than T-bane. Find and define its unambiguous English name, and I will be in favor of a move. Arsenikk ^(talk) 10:31, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

I have tried to find if there is an official term keyed by either the city (who owns the system), Oslo T-banedrift (who operates the system) or Ruter (who funds the system). Interestingly enough, neither of the two latter have an English section on their web sites. However, route maps of their system use the term 'metro' as a translation of T-bane (just as they translate it into 'U-bahn' in German). I would claim that the term T-bane is rather uncomprehendable for most non-Norwegian speakers, and that most people would not have a clue what it meant, while a minority might be onto the right track. The system in Stockholm, which is called T-bana in Swedish, is located at Stockholm Metro. Personally I would have preferred this article to be located at a less amibiguous name. However, I have also found some semi-official uses of subway and underground. For instance, Visit Oslo uses underground, and I am sure I saw a sign at Oslo S that translates T-bane into underground (those signs that tell you were to go). Semi-reliable sources such as Railway Technology use metro, while UrbanRail uses both metro and T-bane. Anyone have any opinions on the matter? Arsenikk ^(talk) 16:02, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

If "underground" is not an official name, we should probably avoid it, seeing as most of the network is actually not located under the ground. Samt with "subway". "Metro" might fit better, especially now as the Kolsås Line is upgraded to the so-called metro standard. Punkmorten (talk) 20:28, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Oslo Metro is fine for me! Metro is the most common name for rapi... eehh metro systems, and if it is used on maps in Oslo, I think it is a good choice. --Kildor (talk) 20:41, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

'Stockholm Metro' is the system's official English name. It's used on the SL web site, and even in the bilingual announcements used in some areas of the network. Oslo's official web site doesn't seem to have an English version, so I can't find out whether there is an equivalent there.

If there's an English name for Oslo's system that is official (i.e. used by the public transport authorities), consistent, and recognisable, then I would support a move, but we shouldn't invent a neologism.

WP:UE says that if 'no established usage exists' in English, we should 'follow the conventions of the language in which the entity is most often talked about', which in this case would be Norwegian. I don't think we need worry about readers being confused, since (as in all articles) the first sentence explains what it is, and any properly formatted link should make it reasonably clear by its context. David Arthur (talk) 21:44, 31 March 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunately there is no English section of the Ruter web site. However, they do publish some trilingual material (Norwegian, English and German), and the term 'Metro' is used consequently throughout the English sections. The 'underground' sign I was referring to was put up by the Norwegian National Rail Administration (which has no connection with the metro/T-bane system). I do not think that readers are confused after they have arrived at this article, but articles linking to it may be confusing. At current, to make sure readers understand what is means, the term Oslo T-bane needs to be explained in related articles. For instance, I often find myself writing ...the rapid transit system Oslo T-bane... or ...Oslo T-bane, the metro serving Oslo,... etc., where clearly Oslo Metro would make everything a lot easier. I like to be consequent, and would like the English Wikipedia to refer to the system uniformly, independent of what name is agreed upon. Therefore, if the article remains at Oslo T-bane it should always be referred to as Oslo T-bane. Arsenikk ^(talk) 18:05, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

• For an English name I am much more comfortable with the term "Metro" than "Underground" or "Subway", because it's a more accurate description. Almost none of the track west of Majorstuen is underground, and much of the track to the east of Tøyen is also above ground. "Metro" simply means a rapid transit railway, which doesn't say much about being overground or underground. I realize that "T-Bane", an abbreviation for "tunnelbane" literally translates to "tunnel (rail)way", and for that matter, that the London Underground has large sections running over the ground, but if the company brochures from Ruter use the term "metro" in English translations as Arsenikk says, I think we are better off using a descriptive translation than a literal one. Also, I heard some years ago about a branding called "MetrOslo". What happened to that? Sjakkalle (Check!) 05:57, 15 April 2009 (UTC)

I have been bold and moved the article to Oslo Metro, based on the above feedback. I will however wait a few days before moving sub-articles and the like, in case someone disagrees a lot. Arsenikk ^(talk) 20:08, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

Editing difficulties

I've tried to edit the sections describing Lines 4 and 6, as there was text bleeding off to the right side of the page, but now everything below them seems to be centered. If the original issues can be fixed, as well as the centering problem, it would be appreciated. 69.42.7.98 (talk) 03:48, 5 August 2009 (UTC)

Strange statement

"However, since the metro operates solely into town, instead of across it, "

I am having trouble to understand what is meant by this statement. On the diagram of the six metro routes, it seems that most of them pass from the suburbs on one side through the city centre to the suburbs on the other side. Does it not do this ? Eregli bob (talk) 04:25, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

Change of lines from 9 December 2012

Several of the Oslo metro lines were changed on 9 December 2012. The pairing of western and eastern branches was changed, and there was a major revision of time schedules. This was done to improve the cooperation between metro, buses, trams, and trains. Of the metro lines, only lines 1 and 4 are unchanged. The revised lines are:

• Line 1 (purple): Frognerseteren - city centre - Helsfyr/Ellingsrudåsen(*) (i.e. Holmenkollen Line + Furuset Line)
• Line 2 (light blue): Gjønnes/Kolsås(**) - city centre - Ellingsrudåsen (i.e. Kolsås Line + Furuset Line)
• Line 3 (yellow): Storo - Majorstuen - city centre - Mortensrud (i.e. Ring Line + Østensjø Line)
• Line 4 (dark blue): Storo - Majorstuen - city centre - Bergkrystallen (i.e. Ring Line + Lambertseter Line)
• Line 5 (orange): Østerås - city centre - Vestli (i.e. Røa Line + Grorud Line)
• Line 6 (green): Storo - Tøyen - city centre - Sognsvann (i.e. Ring Line + Sognsvann Line)

(*) to/from Ellingsrudåsen Monday-Friday 6 a.m - 7 p.m. (approximately), otherwise to/from Helsfyr
(**) the Kolsås Line is currently being reconstructed/upgraded, operating to/from Gjønnes as of December 2012

See http://ruter.no/en/Trafficstatus/please-note/Schedule-changes/

This will affect the article's maps, tables etc. Eddi (Talk) 14:59, 9 December 2012 (UTC)