Bane NOR, the governmental agency responsible for maintenance and development of the railway network in Norway, has announced that it will award NOK 60 billion (about EUR 6.3 billion) to develop intercity routes over the next three years.
The agency said it was the first time that much money was spent on developing the intercity transport.
Some of these projects, carried out in the eastern part of Norway, are already in progress and others are still in the planning stage. Investments are part of the Bane NOR Action Plan for 2018-2029 (National Transport Plan).
One of these significant projects is the Follo high speed line. It will have a total length of 22.5 kilometers, of which 20 kilometers will consist of a new railway tunnel that is built with two separate tubes. The line will be inaugurated in 2021 and will link the capital of Oslo to the city of Ski in just 11 minutes, compared to 22 minutes today.
In addition, due to other significant projects, the travel times along lines such as Vestfold, Østfold, Dovre and Ringerike will be shortened.
The Vestfold line project will be completed in September 2018, the Østfold line will be ready for use in 2021, the Dovre line, which will be connected to the future Gardermoen line, will be completed in 2023, while the Ringerike line will enter commercial operation in 2029. It will link Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, to Hønefoss in just 30 minutes, compared to one hour, the current travel time between the two cities.
„These investments are important for passengers, because they will be able to enjoy faster journeys between different cities on all intercity lines,” Henning Scheel, Director of Marketing and Contracts at Bane NOR, said.
The agency has recently signed an important contract in the project linking the Gardermoen Line to another new double-track line in Mjøsa, inaugurated in 2016. In addition, the contractor for the future Moss and Drammen double-track railway lines will soon be selected.
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