export both of lumber, farm produce and seafood. In 1877, Grong Municipal Council instead proposed building the Nordland Line from Steinkjer via Snåsa to Grong and instead build a branch from Grong to Namsos. In an 1892 report, a line from Trondheim via Beitstad to Namsos was estimated to be long and would take 6 hours and 40 minutes. In comparison, the steam ships at the time used 16 hours. During the 1890s, public meetings were held throughout the area to rally support for public spending on the railway and for support for the most advantageous route for the local area. The Beitstad Line would run through areas with a population three to four times that of the Snåsa Line. All previous railway lines were built following the route which gave the most people a service, as this gave the best economic impact and would create more revenue for the railway, making it more profitable. Namsos was also the gateway to Nærøy and Vikna. On the other hand, the Snåsa Line would be shorter. It was further argued that Beitstad did not need a railway as it was connected to the Trondheimsfjord and that a branch line to Namsos would be built anyway. All municipalities in Namdalen, except Grong, supported the Beitstad Line, while municipalities from Steinkjer and south supported the Snåsa Line. In 1899, the cost of a line from Sunnan via Namsos to Grong was estimated at NOK 11.68 million and would be long. Conversely, a line from Sunnan via Snåsa to Grong would cost NOK 6.59 million and would be long. In addition, the branch from Grong to Namsos was estimated at 4.28 million and would be long. Thus the Snåsa Line would be shorter and 824,000 Norwegian krone cheaper. Both routes were based on municipal grants of NOK 500,000. In 1899, a county railway committee published its recommendation, with the majority of three members recommending the Snåsa Line, while the minority of two members recommended the Beitstad Line. Nord-Trøndelag County Council voted over the issue on 13 June 1900, with 18 votes for the Snåsa Line and 12 for the Beitstad Line. The same year, Nordland County Council voted in favor of the Snåsa Line. In Nordland there was unanimous support for the Snåsa Line, as they wanted the Nordland Line to be as short as possible. From 1905, the government started work on financing several