Unprecedented investment set for Norway’s railways

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Ski station. Photo: Trond Strandsberg.
Ski station. Photo: Trond Strandsberg.
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Bane NOR, the government agency responsible for maintaining and developing Norway’s railways, has announced it intends to award contracts worth NOK 60 billion (∼€6.3 billion) to develop the country’s intercity routes over the next three years.

In a statement released online, Bane NOR said it has “never… been allocated so much money to build railways in Norway”.

These projects, some of which are complete, under construction or still in the planning stages, will be focused in Eastern Norway and form part of Bane NOR’s action plan from 2018-2029.


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A train on the Østfold Line passes construction work on the Follow Line. Photo: Anne Mette Storvik / Bane NOR.
A train on the Østfold Line passes construction work on the Follow Line. Photo: Anne Mette Storvik / Bane NOR.

Construction of the high-speed Follo Line is one such project. The 22.5km capacity-unlocking railway between Oslo and Ski will feature a 20km railway tunnel with two separate tubes when it opens in 2021, halving travel time to 11 minutes.

In addition, travel time will be shortened on the Vestfold, Østfold, Dovre and the Ringerike lines as a result of further projects.

Bane NOR marketing and contract director Henning Scheel said (Translated from Norwegian): “With us there are exciting times and great activity.”

Work on the concrete tunnel of the Follo Line from Ski to Oslo. Photo: Terje Skåre.
Work on the concrete tunnel of the Follo Line from Ski to Oslo. Photo: Terje Skåre.

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