– This is a party day – news Vestland

– This is a day of celebration. In Norway, we have some of the world’s most spectacular train journeys. With new long-distance trains from 2027, everything is in place to take the experience, comfort and quality for travelers to a whole new level. This is what Øystein Risan, managing director of Norske tog AS, says in a press release on Friday morning. Norske tog is a state-owned company that offers train hire for passenger traffic operators in Norway. Built in Switzerland The Swiss Stadler will deliver the trains. The company is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of trains, and has recently delivered 150 trains of the Flirt type to Norway. In addition to the 17 trains, there are options to buy up to 100 new trains. Whether there is money to buy so many depends on the allocations to Norske tog from the state budgets in the coming years. Norske tog’s goal is to buy over 250 new trains, for between NOK 30-50 billion, until 2033. The first trains will arrive on the Bergen line, and then on the Sørlandsbanen, Dovrebanen and Nordlandsbanen until 2028. The distribution will be as follows: Bergensbanen – 7 train Sørlandsbanen – 3 trains Dovrebanen – 3 trains Nordlandsbanen – 4 trains TWO GENERATIONS: This is what today’s trains look like. The Flirt train on the right is in traffic on Bergensbanen now. Norway has recently received delivery of 150 of these, which are also produced by Swiss Stadler. Photo: Thomas Hellum / news – Best for price and quality The new long-distance trains will have a top speed of 200 km/h. Each train set will consist of eight carriages with a total capacity of up to 542 seats per train. – We have had dialogue with various suppliers. Four of them were allowed to participate in the competition for the assignment, says senior project manager Sille Svenkerud Førner in Norske tog to news. In total, there have been around 1,400 requirements that relevant suppliers must or should fulfill. – Stadler is absolutely the best in terms of price and quality. They are as close to our requirements as we can hope for, she says. NEW SOLUTIONS: The trains must be more flexible inside, and more comfortable than today’s trains. Photo: Norske tog Better comfort Production of the new trains will start according to plan in 2024. – Then we will start test runs, which often happens at Finse. The aim is for the first train to run regularly on the Bergen line in December 2026, says Sille Svenkerud Førner. Both comfort and flexibility must improve, according to Norske tog. – There will be a wider sleeping offer with both deckchairs, 2-bed cabins and 4-bed cabins. During the day, the sleeping compartments will be able to be converted into closed seating areas for both families and business travelers, and the sunbeds will be usable around the clock, says managing director Øystein Risan.



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