24
CONSTRUCTION EUROPE
SEPTEMBER 2014
NORDIC REGION
southern tip is as far from its
northern point as it is from
Rome – and while there are
some barren areas, there is
a spread of population up
the spine of the country. That
suggests a need to connect
the population by road and
rail.
This begs the question of
whether Norway can afford
to build, upgrade and repair
roads and rail on a large scale,
and the simple answer to
that is one of the other major
differences between Norway
and Sweden – the Norwegian
economy is bolstered by oil,
which was found in the late
1960s.
Tonning said, “Norway
was the poor partner in the
Nordic countries until they found oil. That
changed everything.”
Even a change of government in Norway
last year from Labour to a more right-wing
coalition has not shaken infrastructure plans.
“It is still stable,” said Tonning, “not much
change. You know what you can expect
even if you change the government. For
big investments in infrastructure, we are
convinced they will continue doing what the
last government did.
“The financial resources are there, even
increased demand for rail capacity in Oslo. It
is currently Norway’s largest transport project
and forms the core part of the InterCity
development south from Oslo.
It will comprise around 64km of new railway
tracks, with a 20km tunnel – Norway`s longest
railway tunnel to date and the longest rail
tunnel in the Nordic countries.
It includes extensive work at Oslo Central
Station and the construction of a new station
at Ski, as well as the necessary realignment
of tracks for the existing Østfold line on
though the oil fund can only spend a limited
part of its revenue on that. As long as the
government has a policy saying that they are
going to connect all the small villages, then
we will have a lot to do because it is a huge
country.”
LARGEST TRANSPORT PROJECT
There are more plans in the pipeline, too.
Jernbaneverket,
the
Norwegian
Rail
Administration, is working on the Follo Line
project, which is being designed to meet the
The planned route of the Follo Line from Oslo Central Station
Illustration courtesy of ViaNova and Norwegian Railway Administration
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