About Virmaren
A century of connecting Meridia — by metro, tram, funicular, and ferry
Our Story
Virmaren was founded in 1923 as the Meridia Municipal Transit Company, a joint venture between the city council and the harbour merchants' guild. At its inception, the network consisted of a single tram line running from Fiskerkaj to the old market square at Havnemark, carrying workers and fish across the morning fog.
Over the following decades, the network expanded to meet the needs of a growing city. The Aure Line, Meridia's first metro, opened in 1958, tunnelling beneath the harbour to connect the western residential districts with the eastern commercial quarter. The Cerule Line followed in 1972, linking the university hilltop to the waterfront. The Høyde Line funicular, originally built in 1934 to carry supplies to the old fort, was modernised and integrated into the transit network in 1988.
Today, Virmaren operates five lines across four modes of transport, carrying over 180,000 passengers daily. We remain committed to our founding mission: connecting every corner of Meridia reliably, affordably, and sustainably.
Accessibility
Virmaren is committed to making public transport accessible to all passengers. The majority of our stations offer step-free access, and all metro and tram vehicles are low-floor boarding.
Step-free Access
14 of 18 stations have full step-free access via lifts or ramps. Stations marked with the accessibility symbol on the network map are fully accessible. The following stations currently require steps: Stjernevik, Kunstnerbakke, Fortet, and Utsikten.
Boarding Assistance
Platform staff are available at Sentralstasjon, Havnemark, and Havnefront during operating hours to assist with boarding. Audio and visual announcements are provided on all services.
Wheelchair Spaces
All metro and tram vehicles provide dedicated wheelchair spaces. Ferries have accessible seating on the main deck. The funicular has one accessible carriage per service.
Visual & Hearing Impairments
All stations have tactile paving along platform edges. Real-time audio announcements are made on board all services. Large-print timetables are available from the Virmaren information desk at Sentralstasjon.
Network at a Glance
Transit Lines
Metro, tram, funicular, and ferry
Stations
Across three fare zones
Daily Passengers
Relying on Virmaren every day
Years of Service
Serving Meridia since 1923
Careers at Virmaren
Virmaren employs over 2,400 people across operations, engineering, customer service, and administration. We are always looking for dedicated individuals who share our commitment to public transport.
Current openings are posted at the Virmaren recruitment office at Sentralstasjon and on our internal noticeboards. For enquiries, contact karriere@virmaren.mr or call 810 1923 ext. 200.
Sustainability
Virmaren operates one of the greenest transit networks in the region. Our metro lines run on hydroelectric power generated by the Meridia mountain reservoir. The Gold Line tram fleet was fully converted to electric operation in 2019. The Øyferge ferries are transitioning to hybrid diesel-electric propulsion, with completion expected by 2027. We aim to reduce carbon emissions by 60% from our 2015 baseline by 2030.