Embarrassed officials at Norwegian state railway Bane NOR no longer dare to set a date for the opening of the new high-speed Follobanen commuter line between Oslo and Ski. Bane NOR’s shamed chief executive, Gorm Frimannslund, admitted he’s been “too optimistic” about how long it will take to finally make the line operable.
Fixing problems with faulty electrical systems are taking time, and now the agency responsible for railroad infrastructure in Norway has decided to replace 2.4 kilometers of cable in addition to testing the entire system on what already was Norway’s most expensive transport project ever.
Bane NOR has also been hit with even more problems on other lines suffering signal failure and power cuts. Bane NOR had to take much of the blame for excessive delays and cancellations totalling around 40,000 hours last year because of outdated infrastructure and poor maintenance.
January has also been branded a “crisis month,” with train punctuality worse than that in war-torn Ukraine, reports newspaper Aftenposten. Only 82.8 percent of the trains in Norway departed and arrived on time.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
