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Metro in Norway’s capital crowned ‘best’ in Europe according to new study

The metro in Oslo has been named the 'best' in Europe according to a study compiled by American experts Excel Pest Services.

Published: 26 May 2022 15:36 CEST

A woman waiting for the metro in Oslo, Norway.

A woman waiting for the metro in Oslo, Norway. Photo: Boris K. Pexels

The study looked at a range of data across metro systems in Europe and North America; from accessibility, cleanliness, air quality to traveller satisfaction.

Boston’s subway came out on top overall, while Oslo’s metro came first across Europe, followed by London’s tube and Berlin’s U-Bahn.

Oslo’s air cleanliness whilst travelling was ranked highest overall, with an air quality index of 4, compared to the study’s average of 41.

The air quality report was collected from IQAir, and looked at the average air quality, including airborne particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10).

Cleanliness whilst travelling was also stand out point for Oslo’s metro system with the third best rate across Europe and North America.

Customer satisfaction was also high in Oslo, with 52 percent of online reviews for the metro being five star.

At the end of May, p arts of Oslo’s metro will close for around two weeks, with bus replacement services scheduled.

Between May 26th and June 6th, parts of the number two, three and four T-bane lines will close and be replaced with a bus replacement service.

The closures are due to Sporveien wishing to carry out work on tunnels and bridges on the sections of the t-bane, which will be closed.

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Potential bankruptcy threatens bus services in Oslo

Unibuss, which is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality, is in danger of going bust due to large losses, unpaid bills, and fines from public transport firm Ruter for issues with its electric bus fleet this winter.

Oslo City Council will hold an emergency meeting headed up by transport councilor Marit Vea on Wednesday, where she will be grilled on how the council will avert a collapse in the city’s public transport network should Unibuss go bankrupt.

Unibuss is comprised of four smaller companies that operate bus routes in Oslo on behalf of Ruter. The company has just over 370 buses in operation and covers around 60 to 70 percent of the routes in Oslo and the neighboring municipality of Bærum.

Oslo’s fleet of electric busses struggled especially with snow and cold temperatures this winter, which caused frequent chaos across the capital’s public transport network.

Snow, ice, range and charging issues for the busses lead to vehicle shortages which caused mass delays and cancellations several times over the winter.

Ruter, which is also part owned by Oslo municipality, believes that the financial problems facing Unibuss mean the company could be forced to file for bankruptcy or undergo a major restructuring, according to a memo obtained by publication Teknisk Ukeblad.

It has previously told public broadcaster that it was working on a plan in case Unibuss goes bankrupt.

“There is no doubt that the first days of such a scenario will be very demanding for the residents of Oslo and parts of Akershus,” Ruter’s communications director Elisabeth Skarsbø Moen told public broadcaster NRK.

“First and foremost, we are working to find a solution together with Unibuss that does not affect Ruter’s customers,” she said.

“But as those responsible for public transport, we have both a plan and an emergency organization ready to also handle a bankruptcy,” Skarsbø Moen added.

Should Unibuss go bankrupt, its buses would become part of the bankruptcy estate and if such an event were to occur while passengers were in transit, all passengers would need to disembark at the next stop so the buses can be transported to the depot.

Ruter said it had an eye on the market to try and see what could be available in terms of extra buses and equipment.

It said that its priority would be to ensure that school transport, and that healthcare workers could get to work, in the event of a sudden lack of buses.

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