Newsletters

Rail freight in Norway has been constantly growing over the past few years, as reported by Bane NOR, the Norwegian infrastructure manager, with the first half of 2022 demonstrating an 8% increase year-on-year. In addition, many Norwegian companies have already applied to rise their rail freight traffic by 30% compared to 2022. However, these applications need to be reviewed by Bane NOR to check whether the current capacity allows for such a leap.

Norway is facing additional challenges in relation to rail freight, as passenger and freight trains run on the same railway, with large parts of Norway’s railways consisting of single tracks. To solve this issue, Bane NOR is building double tracks in South-Eastern Norway. “With long crossing tracks and double tracks, we can put in more freight trains without bursting the capacity,” said Oskar Stenstrom, Director of freight at Bane NOR. The project will connect Drammen with Tonsberg and Moss. At the same time, the company is also collaborating with other actors to create sidings running directly from factories to the railway network.

Are Kjensli, Managing Director at NHO Logistikk og Transport (CLECAT member) suggested that freight trains being prioritised over passenger trains at specific times of the day could be an effective solution for the increasing demand for rail freight in the country.

Source: Railfreight