– There is a job to be done to strengthen the waterways and get water away from the railway. It’s learning point number one, says acting CEO of Bane Nor, Henning Bråtebæk. Bane Nor has summarized the consequences of extreme weather “Hans” for train traffic in Norway. Parts of the train lines in Austlandet were completely closed. Now they are gearing up for more rainfall and a wilder and wetter climate in the years to come. Henning Bråtebæk is acting CEO of Bane Nor. Photo: Bane Nor – We have actually been going for quite a few years on some of the sections. We have started in Bergen and trudged across the mountain. Gudbrandsdalen has improved a lot since the last flood in 2013, says Bråtebæk and adds: – But now the water came in so many new places. The amounts were so extreme. So we just have to map that out, be far-sighted and get the necessary dimensions and waterways that take this away from here. The water washed away the masses under the rail corridor in Hallingdal. Photo: Spordrift Didn’t think the rain could cause such a big problem It’s Tuesday 8 August. The extreme weather Hans washed in over Hallingdal. At Ål, Aksel Andre Lågrinn has his first day of work after the summer holidays. – I didn’t think the rain would cause such a big problem, says Lågrinn in an article published by Bane Nor. He works as a multidisciplinary plant manager for Spordrift in Hallingdal. Out of the window, he sees that the water has risen 20 centimeters in just a few hours. Lågrinn keeps in touch with the colleagues who check the condition of the railway, both towards Geilo and towards Flå. Bergensbanen has already been closed for two days. It wasn’t just vegans in Hallingdal who were under water. The railway was also flooded in several places during the extreme weather. Photo: Spordrift Acting operations manager of Spordrift for Western Norway, Oddgeir Stolen, has said that he was surprised that traffic on the Bergen Railway was stopped so early, but that in retrospect he sees that it was a right and important decision. – In the first few days, we knew that everything was in shambles. No matter what we did, things didn’t get better, says Lågrinn. Aksel Andre Lågrinn is multidisciplinary plant manager for Spordrift in Hallingdal. Photo: Simen Slette Sunde / Bane Nor Get a few hours’ sleep While one work train with employees gets stuck at Flå, another gets no chance to return after three rocks break loose behind the train on the way to Geilo. From Ål, a train is sent with gravel to stabilize the rail. When they pass by Bergheim in Nesbyen, the railway disappears behind them. Thus another train “locked in”. Vatn put a couple of stops so that trains could run on the lines in Hallingdal. Photo: Spordrift – Someone was told that the homes were evacuated. Then the internet in Ål and mobile phone coverage disappeared. I had to switch to the GSMR phone to keep in touch with people who worked outside, says Lågrinn. At this point, several colleagues have checked into a hotel to get some rest. But after a few hours of sleep, they have to go out along the lines to work again. For Lågrinn, the whole thing will be extra special. While he is working on organizing the efforts at night, there is a landslide near his house in Ål. The wife is sleeping in the house when the landslide comes down the valley side. Fortunately, no lives were lost. At this railway bridge in Ål in Hallingdal, the water masses dragged roots and stones with them. Photo: Spordrift Need a lot more money for maintenance With the facts in hand, Bane Nor now states that the storm caused damage worth several tens of millions of kroner. But it will cost much more to ensure that the Norwegian rail network is ready to meet similar weather in the future. – We want a fairly large increase in the operation and maintenance budget, precisely to take care of the facilities we have, says Bråtebæk. – Have they made an estimate of how much they will need? – We want an increase of around 3-4 billion per year. It will take away from the work we have to do with our waterways. At Viul, the area has now been rebuilt, and flood-proofed, after the storm. Photo: Simen Slette Sunde / Bane Nor – New facilities are now designed for what we call a 200-year flood, but there are many other places where we do not tolerate more than a 5-year flood. And they come quite often, explains Bråtebæk. Bane Nor says that in Hallingdal, in Ringerike and several other places in Austlandet and in Trøndelag, the autumn is marked by clean-up work after the storm. – There is a lot to be said. We have 15 places that need to be arranged before winter and the frost comes. It is important to avoid more water damage in the spring. We will open culverts and clean ditches, so that all the water can run away from the railway, Lågrinn says. After that, there will still be around 25 places that require similar measures, but which are not as critical in terms of snowmelt and flue.
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– No matter what we did, it didn’t get better – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
