A fresh report compiled by Deutsche Bahn on behalf of the private Norsk Bane recommends high-speed trains in Norway. Although the recently released National Transport Plan (NTP) has not taking funding for this in to account, at least the new trains will help Norway reduce its carbon footprint; something the present government is committed to.

A start

Although the report has only focused on Oslo – Trondheim, and Oslo – Bergen, Haugesund, and Stavanger routes so far, several more are expected to be planned. The report shows that speeds of between 270 and 300 kph are possible technically on almost every route with the journey time between Stavanger and Oslo, for example, expected to be 2 ½ hours.

Environmental, economic, and safety benefits

The report, released yesterday, shows that the trains will reduce the number of goods-lorry journeys by 1,800 daily, thus decreasing both the number of harmful emissions – calculated at 1.4 million tonnes annually – and the number of potential accidents. Added benefits will be effective, faster and cheaper transport solutions for businesses, improved accessibility, and increased reliability for both goods and passenger traffic.

The fly in the ointment

To achieve these goals is dependent on the development of an effective, high-quality rail network, and that a substantial amount of goods and passengers use it.

The cost of building the network is expected to be 180-220 million kroner per kilometre. To complete one of these long-distance routes by 2020 will cost between 80 and 130 billion. This is double the investment figure suggested by the government in the NTP.

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