Skd 224, which can haul a train weight of , albeit at very low speeds. In 1988, the number of passenger trains on the Arendal Line was reduced from six to five, with trains corresponding with all trains on the Sørland Line to and from Oslo. After upgrades to the track, the maximum speed on the line was increased from . In 1989, NSB decided to close a large number of branch line, but the Arendal Line was one of very few who were not closed. The same year, the stops Blakstad, Blakstad bru and Hurv were merged to a new stop. Electrification On 6 August 1993, the government approved the plans to electrify the Arendal Line south of Nelaug. NOK 20 million of the necessary 45 million was granted for the 1994 budget, with NOK 12 million being advanced from municipalities and the county. As a temporary remedy to replace the aging trains, Class 92 multiple units were put into service from 1994. The line took electric traction into use on 15 June 1995. NSB introduced Class 68 trains on the line, which were at the time the oldest electric multiple units used by the company. Six months later, NSB stated that unless they received addition grants, many smaller services, including the Arendal Line, would have to be terminated. From July 1997, NSB terminated the night train from Arendal because of lack of rolling stock. In 2000, the railway company Timetoget had negotiated an agreement with NSB to take over passenger operations on the Bratsberg Line. The company started negotiating also taking over operations on the Arendal Line. They proposed using Y1 diesel railcars with a capacity for 70 people. With the introduction of the Class 73, NSB also proposed establishing a direct morning express from Arendal to Oslo without transfer at Nelaug. However, neither proposal was realized. From 20 October, the service was terminated on the Arendal Line and the Bratsberg Line. NSB had a large shortage of motormen, and chose to close operations on the lines with least traffic to allocate sufficient personnel to areas with higher ridership. Traffic resumed on 24 June 2001. From 1999 to 2003, the line halved it traffic, to 50,000 passengers per year. In the mid-2000s, Class 69 multiple units were put into service on the line. By 2007, ridership was again rising, with a 16 percent increase that year. In 2008,