Train Academy Day 2025

First of all, I would like to thank Norske tog — and you Øystein — for the opportunity to be here today. And it is clear to me that we have a varied and exciting program ahead of us.

The future of train services, and the importance of ensuring access to enough rolling stock of sufficient quality, are topics that I care deeply about, and I believe I speak on behalf of many others in this room.

I believe that the railways are part of the solution when it comes to how we ensure society’s need for transport and movement.

And the numbers indicate that we are right. In 2024 we saw an all-time-high of travels made by train here in Norway. Over 80 million trips in 2024 –an increase by 30 percent over the last decade.

The Government wants to enhance the positive trend. Our ambitions for the railways are high. And we do all we can to make the railways attractive.

We buy new rolling stock, we maintain and renew the infrastructure at record levels and we take action to make the time table and infrastructure capacity use as efficient as possible.  

At the same time, we face severe challenges that form the way in which we plan and operate the transport system.

• We face a new security policy situation.

• We need to reach strict targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

• We are already experiencing how the weather is becoming increasingly unpredictable. The Norwegian railways have learned the hard way over the last couple of years how extreme whether may impact on the ability to provide train services.

• Estimates state that the population of Norway will grow by one million people by 2060. And the population growth is strongest in the urban areas of Eastern Norway. These people need transport services, while at the same time we uphold our ‘zero growth objective’ for car transport in urban areas.

Within these framework conditions and the high levels of insecurity regarding how exactly the demands and expectations to the future transport services will map out, I think it is safe to say that we need to join forces and learn from each other, so we can make sure that the railways are as prepared for meeting the future demands for transportation as possible.

Therefore, to have days like these, where we can listen in and learn more about different actor’s expectations and experiences, is very important.

And this leads me to the second session of the day: How do we ensure that we have sufficient reliable and safe trains to sustain the increased demand and expectations from the travellers.

As I am aware, the Norwegian railways are not the only European railways that are now experiencing how old rolling stock contributes to cancellations and service-disrupting faults.

Here in Norway, 150 new train sets were put into service over a decade-long period starting in 2012. These new trains are more comfortable, and cause fewer delays and cancellations compared to the old trains. The new trains were well received by passengers. 

However, we need more new trains because we still have a lot of old and worn-out rolling stock that needs to be replaced. Moreover, we need more new trains if we’re to offer more departures or have more passengers per train departure – in other words, more capacity.

New trains will be entering into service on a rolling basis over the coming years. Here in Oslo, the old local trains will be replaced with new rolling stock.

The new trains can accommodate around 40 percent more passengers than today’s trains. With the new trains, there will also be fewer delays and cancellations in train services.

In addition to new local trains, there’s a need for several new regional trains, especially in Eastern Norway. This is vital if we’re to enjoy all the benefits of our expansion projects.

In total, some 55 new trains are scheduled to enter service in Oslo and Eastern Norway. Of course, this will provide travellers with a better service.

There’s also a need for new rolling stock on Norway’s long-distance routes. The initial plan is to purchase 17 new trains.

These are intended to replace the old and worn-out trains currently in service between Oslo and Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim, and between Trondheim and Bodø. The plan is to put the first trains into service on the Bergen Line in 2028.

In the longer term, even more new trains with greater capacity may be ordered to provide a better train service to more passengers without having to invest in major railway projects.

I'll wrap up what I have to say for today. I hope this day will be interesting for you.

Thank you!