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TRAIN TRAVEL

Could trains in east Norway be set for a major shakeup? 

Train operator Vy could lose its right to operate and run some routes in east Norway with Flytoget the firm the Norwegian Railway Directorate would rather take over. 

Pictured is a train at Oslo Central Station.
A new operator could pick up six trainlines in east Norway. Pictured is a train at Oslo Central Station. Photo by Magnus Engø on Unsplash

Flytoget, the state-owned company best known for the airport train from Oslo to Gardermoen, could soon begin operating on several new lines. 

The firm has been selected to start talks with the Norwegian Railway Directorate to operate the six train lines part of the Østlandet 2 (Eastern Norway 2) region. 

Østlandet 2 covers the Skien-Eidsvoll, Drammen – Lillehammer, Kongsberg-Eidsvoll, Drammen-Dal, and Asker-Kongsvinger lines as well as the Bratsberg line. 

“We at Flytoget are very happy that we now get to sit down with the Norwegian Railway Directorate to develop a better offer for travellers with regional trains in Eastern Norway. This is something we are really looking forward to,” Philipp Engedal, CEO of Flytoget, told public broadcaster NRK

Vy is currently the operator in charge of the Østlandet 2 region. In May, Vy was chosen as the negotiating partner for the Østlandet 1 (Eastern Norway 1) package. 

The lines that Flytoget could pick up the responsibility for service around 30 million passengers per year. Flytoget would call these routes Bytoget to avoid confusion with its airport service if it did get the rights to operate on the Østlandet 2 sector. 

Formal negotiations between Flytoget and the Norwegian Railway Directorate will begin on Monday. 

“Our clear ambition is for customers to notice a difference from day one. We feel confident that many small measures will be able to make a big difference,” Engedal said. 

If the Norwegian Railway Directorate does choose Flytoget, then the firm would have the right to operate on the line from December 2023 for ten years. 

The employees of Vy, who operate the regional trains today, will then be moved to Flytoget, according to the company. Ticket prices and route offers will also remain the same.

However, Vy has been critical that Flytoget could take over the Østlandet 2 sector. 

“The Norwegian Railway Directorate has chosen Flytoget without seeing what offer Vy can provide. The criteria for choosing Vy as negotiating party for the first traffic package in Eastern Norway were price, quality and risk. It is difficult to understand why they arrive at a different conclusion for Østlandet 2,” Erik Røhne, Vy’s executive director for trains, said in a company press release.

If Flytoget and the Norwegian Railway Directorate fail to reach an agreement, Vy said it would be happy to continue operating Østlandet 2

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TRAIN TRAVEL

Why Norway’s railways could be forced to open up for new competition

Norway will be required to open up its rail contracts for other firms to bid on towards the end of the year, something the government has previously said it would halt.

Why Norway’s railways could be forced to open up for new competition

European Commission regulations mean that Norway will need to open up for rail tenders from December 25th 2023, rather than directly award contracts to firms.

This is because of the EU’s fourth railway package. The same regulations entered into force in Norway on June 1st 2022.

However, up until now, the country has been using exception options to directly award passenger train contracts in eastern Norway.

Under the current exemptions, which expire on December 24th, opening for tenders can be avoided when directly allocating contracts to public train companies. Norway’s Vy and Flytoget are two examples. Sweden’s SJ also operates in parts of Norway.

Norway’s government has long wanted a permanent exemption from the EU rules. In 2021, as part of the Hurdal agreement it was formed on, the government pledged to be permanently exempted from the EU’s fourth railway package.

While Norway is not an EU member, it is a member of the EEA (European Economic Area). 

The European Commission has said it has yet to receive letters or any other requests about being exempt from the railway package, Norwegian newswire NTB reports.

Kjell Brataas, a senior advisor in the Norwegian Ministry of Transport, told NTB that Norway had communicated a desire for exemption in February of 2022.

“In this meeting, Norway’s representatives received positive feedback from the commission that they are open to discussing in more detail how the exception rules can be applied with regard to Norwegian circumstances,” Brataas said.

“We are now considering further dialogue about this,” he added.

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