📋 Tender Overview
The Norwegian Railways Directorate has been working on improving operational stability on the railway. On 27 October, they submitted a report to the Ministry of Transport and Communications with an overview of around 50 measures that are already underway or will be implemented to help reduce delays and cancellations on the railway.
– Our goal is to make the railways work better for both passengers and those who transport goods. This is work that takes a long time before it works properly. It is therefore important to identify measures that can provide better operational stability also in the short term. This report is a key tool for the further work in a program for better operational stability with the train companies and other actors on the railway, which is led by the Norwegian Railway Directorate. In the further work, it will be important to focus on how the effects of measures can be followed up, says Minister of Transport and Communications Jon-Ivar Nygård.
Several of the measures that the Norwegian Railway Directorate points to in the report are large, well-known measures that will have a long-term effect, such as a new signaling system and increased maintenance. Other measures are smaller, but could have a faster effect.
In the plan, the measures are sorted by cause, which organization is responsible for implementing the measure, and whether the measures will have an effect in the immediate, short, medium, or long term.
Good cooperation in the sector
– The Norwegian Railway Directorate is working well together with the players in the sector to improve the situation. Everyone here is working together to turn over every stone to strengthen operational stability and is moving in the same direction, says the Minister of Transport.
He particularly highlights simple local measures that Bane NOR is implementing after dialogue with train operators. Other important measures include increasing capacity at workshops.
Better winter preparedness in Eastern Norway
– Last winter created major challenges for train traffic, and meant that we came out of the jump with punctuality crooked for this year. The entire sector is collaborating on plans for better preparedness and joint winter exercises, says Nygård.
An "action card" for extreme snowfall is being worked on, which will also prioritize which lines should be kept open. This also means that Bane NOR will reduce traffic on certain lines during extreme winter weather. Bane NOR has updated its winter preparedness plan with more operational resources and new machines. The capacity for troubleshooting and maintenance on work machines has also been increased.
