A turning point for Norwegian railways

2011 will be an exciting year for Norwegian railways. The past year was unfortunately marred by widespread service disruption and much criticism from passengers, the media and politicians. Our goal at Jernbaneverket, the Norwegian National Rail Administration, is that 2011 should be the turning point where we begin to see results from all the improvement initiatives under way.

If 2011 is to be a turning point, delays must be reduced and punctuality improved. We need to increase customer satisfaction and to perform better in public opinion surveys.

Fewer problems

The year to date has generally been much better than last year. For one thing, Norway’s railways made it through the winter with far fewer problems. There have been fewer infrastructure faults, and punctuality has improved significantly. Following the difficult winter of 2009/2010, Jernbaneverket has acquired a lot of new snow-clearing equipment and is now much better prepared for snow clearing and troubleshooting. So we were ready for this winter, and being well prepared clearly paid off. We have set ourselves the ambitious target of reducing delays from 11,971 hours in 2010 to 9,000 hours in 2011.

Extensive renewal

Meanwhile, we are starting to see the first results of the extensive renewal programme for lifeexpired infrastructure in the Oslo region. Better infrastructure means fewer faults and hence fewer delays. A total of NOK 1.5 billion is to be spent by 2013 on renewing the infrastructure in the Oslo region, including Oslo central station and the city centre tunnel. This summer, most of the central station will be closed to traffic for six weeks so that we can carry out comprehensive renewal work on the rail infrastructure of the station and the tunnel. This will be Jernbaneverket’s longest and most extensive shutdown ever in the Oslo region.

Maintenance and renewal activities were stepped up significantly across the entire Norwegian network in 2010 and will continue at this high level in 2011.

Important studies

The anticipation in 2011 is not confined to improvements in operational reliability. Jernbaneverket is also working on a number of important studies concerning future development of Norway’s rail network. Also in 2011, several major new-build projects will open to traffic, and we plan to pursue some important initiatives designed to improve people’s daily commute.

Key role

In partnership with other government agencies in the Norwegian transport sector, Jernbaneverket has produced a study intended to form the basis of the next National Transport Plan, covering the period from 2014 to 2023. The report makes it clear that rail needs to play a key role, not least in tackling the transport challenges faced by Norway’s major cities. Population growth in the east of the country especially will require a well-developed intercity network. Rail freight too has considerable growth potential, with international freight traffic in particular expected to increase.

Long-term strategy

In April 2011, Jernbaneverket presented a new core network study, intended to chart a course for rail development through to 2040. What’s more, work on Norway’s high-speed rail study is progressing well and is being followed with great interest by policymakers and the media. Meanwhile, Jernbaneverket is working on a new strategy for expanding the intercity network, which covers various options and proposes a completion date for the entire programme. Several other important studies are in the pipeline, on topics such as future maintenance and renewal requirements, a rail strategy for the north of Norway, and a new freight terminal for the Trondheim area.

New construction

Three major new-build projects will open to traffic during 2011. In early September, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg will inaugurate the new double-track line between Lysaker and Sandvika. This marks the end of 10 years of construction work west of Oslo, resolving the chronic capacity problems on the line between Oslo central station and Asker. The improvements on Oslo’s west side will allow many more trains to use the line, so that passengers can enjoy a more frequent service.

In August, the new Gevingåsen tunnel north of Trondheim will open. The tunnel provides a shorter route from Trondheim to Værnes airport, replacing a section of line that hugged the fjord and was sharply curved, prone to landslides and maintenance-intensive. Towards the end of 2011, the new double-track section of the Vestfold line between Barkåker and Tønsberg will also open.

Better information

One of Jernbaneverket’s biggest challenges is improving the traffic information available to travellers at stations. In 2010, a large-scale public information project costing NOK 100 million got under way. This will see 80 stations in eastern Norway equipped with new public address systems and new display screens that can be easily read in bright sunlight. As a result, passengers will have better audiovisual information on train services, which is particularly important when there are delays. The public response so far has been encouraging.

New signalling system

The aging signalling systems on Norway’s rail network will soon be due for replacement. Jernbaneverket has decided in principle to adopt ERTMS as the technological basis for a new nationwide signalling system. We hope to begin installing ERTMS in 2015, prior to which the system will be installed on a test section of the eastern Østfold line so that Norway can gain experience of ERTMS.

Political expectations

Jernbaneverket faces clear political expectations, both from the Transport Minister and from other parts of the political spectrum. After several years in which rail’s maintenance and capital budgets have gone up, the politicians are impatient for results. In 2010, rail failed to deliver, especially during the winter. We also failed to spend all the funds allocated to capital expenditure. So 2011 has to be the turning point if there is to be no doubt that continuing to invest in the Norwegian rail system is the prudent and correct way forward.

About the Author

Elisabeth Enger has been Director General of Jernbaneverket since August 2008. Ms. Enger has vast experience of the public sector in Norway. She was an administrative officer in Akershus County Municipality from 1980 to 1982, and then a consultant and later Chief Administrative Officer in the municipality Skodje from 1983 to 1989. She then worked as a Director in the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities. She returned as Chief Administrative Officer in Lier from 1994 to 2001 and Bærum from 2001 to 2008. Elisabeth Enger has a bachelor’s degree in Law and Public Administration.