I'VE BEEN to HELL and BACK!

I found myself at Oslo some time ago with a weekend to spare. My Norwegian friends urged me to take a rail trip up north to Norwegian State Railways' (Nordlandsbanen) very last railway station serving the small seaside town named Bodo.

Well, I had a Eurailpass in my pocket - and this is something I'll always recommend for travelers to Europe for two reasons. One, it allows travel by First Class, and that's wonderfully comfortable, specially for overnight trips. Two, a railway station is often located in the heart of town, so you reach the city centre straightaway and do away with a long and expensive ride from the airport.

It was only after I had ensconced myself in a Nordlandsbaden First Class window seat for the day journey and began reading the leaflet I'd picked up at the tourism counter that I realized the bounty I'd let myself in for. The first lap from Oslo to Trondheim was going to be a bit humdrum. But after that, the four-hour journey north from Trondheim to Bodo promised a memorable experience.

I was going to Hell! Literally and incredibly. Halfway on the journey our train was going to stop for 30 minutes at a townlet called, of all things, Hell. Not only I, but all foreigners on board were agog with excitement at the prospect of going to Hell. The great moment came soon enough. The train lumbered to a halt and disgorged a whole load of sinners like me onto the low, modest platform of Hell station.

The station building is cute and picturesque. It is over a hundred years old, having been opened in 1902. The station has only two platforms and doesn't seem to be busy at all but I learnt, to my surprise, that Hell station is a junction serving three regional lines in Stordal district. There was time for a quick walk down the lane for a peek into Hell village. The path was flower-lined and all homes had flower bedecked gardens. I looked hither and thither but there was certainly no sign of the proverbial hell-fires to which sinners are condemned!