Three days before Christmas Eve, the board of Bane Nor held its last regular board meeting. In space Christmas, it became clear that the prestigious project Follobanen has serious problems, if it has to be closed until further notice. At 1pm yesterday, the Bane Nor board was in a crisis meeting with the Follobanen as the only matter on the agenda, confirms chairman Cato Hellesjø. – The board of Bane Nor is of course particularly concerned about the development, and is concerned after Folloban had to close shortly after opening, he says to news. After the board meeting, he informed Transport Minister Jon Ivar Nygård (Ap) about the measures being taken to reopen the track on 1 February. – We will have another board meeting next Tuesday to ensure that the timetable we have for reopening is followed, says Hellesjø. Transport Minister Jon Ivar Nygård (Ap) expects the Follobanen to open quickly. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB Believes the board should have been made aware of a weakness On both 20 December and 23 December, a switch house caught fire in Ski. A fault with the return current and grounding system is the reason why the track has to be closed. Bane Nor wanted an additional assessment of the solution last year, and received a report in October from Norconsult which pointed out weaknesses. Nevertheless, the track was opened on 12 December. The Minister of Transport told Dagsrevyen yesterday that the way Bane Nor approached this risk made him worried. The government will therefore examine the handling. But Bane Nor manager Gorm Frimannslund says no one told him about the risk before the track was opened. Hellesjø believes that information about the risk should not only reach the CEO, but also the board. – It is an important factor in connection with the quality, in order to keep the Folloban up. This, as we now see, is a critical factor for the Follobanen to be opened. Therefore, the board and administration should naturally be aware of this. We want to know all the uncertainty and risk, says Hellesjø. The Folloban opened on 12 December with King Harald and Crown Prince Haakon in attendance. The new 22 km double-track express line between Oslo and Ski provides a journey time of 11 minutes. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB – Absolutely central and important question – Should the track have been opened based on the knowledge Bane Nor had at the start of December? – I can’t really comment on that question now, because we on the board were not aware of that information in connection with the opening of the track. I need to have more clear knowledge of that information. It is a very central and important question, says Hellesjø. – What do you think about the CEO not knowing about the risk? Does Bane Nor have an information flow that works? – The natural picture in Bane Nor, which is my impression after two years as chairman, is that there is a good flow of information, especially for all critical factors. This also applies up to the board. We were not familiar with this situation. Of course we would like to be, he says. NTNU professor Anders Rønnquist believes it was sensible for Bane Nor to obtain an additional assessment from Norconsult before opening. – Such feedback is largely about risk. All design is an assessment of risk, he says to news. NTNU professor Anders Rønnquist. Photo: NTNU The professor’s field is construction design, and he says that weaknesses pointed out by other academic circles must be assessed, but that management cannot go into every single decision in such a large project. – Then you have to be responsible for the decision you make. That’s part of being in charge. Bane Nor has done this by saying that they were able to collect a first and second assessment. Then the decision fell out on the wrong side. They are now looking for solutions to fix it, says Rønnqvist. Have confidence in the CEO – How would you describe the board’s confidence in the CEO, Hellesjø? – The board has full confidence in Frimannslund as CEO of Bane Nor. The board is fully focused on finding a solution so that Follobanen can be opened again. – Is it realistic that the track opens on 1 February with full operation? – Yes, based on the information I have, it is absolutely realistic that it will open with full operation by 1 February. This is at the top of the board’s table, says Hellesjø. Calling in an urgent meeting about the Follobanen
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Crisis meetings in the Bane Nor board – believes the board should know about risks – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
