The matter in summary: There is no need for the culvert because the plans for a new railway on the section between Hamar and Lillehammer. This leads to a culvert with a price tag of NOK 150 million being left unused. Construction was started before the project was approved in the hope of saving money. Ole Roger Strandbakke in Ringsaker municipality and Ingunn Skaufel in Bane Nor defend the decision. The planned Mjøs hospital and a general need for a new railway give hope that the culvert can be useful in the future. – It is terribly sad that the situation has become like this. So says community planner in Ringsaker municipality, Ole Roger Strandbakke. Bane Nor has spent 150 million to build a culvert that will not be used for a long time. The reason has been plans for a new railway on the section between Hamar and Lillehammer. The project has now been put on hold. This leaves the culvert unused. It was Hamar Arbeiderblad that first mentioned the sum. When news visited the culvert, it was used for storage. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news Wanted to save money In connection with the construction of the new four-lane E6 in 2019, it was decided to build the underpass at the same time. The reason is because it would have become much more expensive to build the culvert after E6 was finished. That’s why Bane Nor chose, together with Ringsaker municipality, and take the chance that the new double-track train line through Ringsaker and to Lillehammer was adopted. Now the Norwegian Railway Directorate has decided that Bane Nor will only be allowed to develop the railway for freight traffic on the route. There will be no double track now. There will be no double track. Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news For the culvert is not part of that project. Community planner in Ringsaker municipality, Ole Roger Strandbakke, justifies the decision with financial considerations. – If we had waited to build the culvert until the new E6 was in place, it would have cost far more than NOK 150 million. It is difficult to estimate the exact sum, but possibly more than 400 million, explains Strandbakke. Community planner in Ringsaker municipality, Ole Roger Strandbakke, believes that the culvert will be used in the future. Photo: Ringsaker municipality Stopped further planning Both the municipality and Bane Nor considered it so likely that the railway would be approved, that they believed it was right to build the culvert in order to save several million kroner. – At that time there were plans to build double tracks also north of Hamar, says project manager in Bane Nor, Ingunn Skaufel to news. It was after the culvert had been built that there were instructions that double tracks north of Hamar should not be continued. – Therefore, further planning on this work has been stopped. manager of the development at Bane Nor, Ingunn Skaufel was not involved in making the decision that the culvert should be built in 2019. Photo: Bane Nor Uncertain future Now it is uncertain when, or if the envelope will come into use at all. Ole Roger Strandbakke believes that it was right to build the culvert before it was decided that the railway should be built. – In my eyes, there is no basis for saying that a mistake has been made in this situation, considering how much more expensive it would have been to build after the development of the new E6. Strandbakke receives support from Ingunn Skaufel in Bane Nor, who was not involved in the decision himself. – I support the decision that was taken at the time. It was the result of a thorough assessment, she says. Skaufel strongly believes that the culvert will come in handy at some point, although it is uncertain when that will be. – We still see the possibility of the culvert being used for a future double track north of Hamar, she says. May be put into use later Division Director Erik Lund in the Norwegian Railway Directorate writes in an e-mail to news that it is Bane Nor that decides exactly where routes for new tracks and sections are to be laid. – To get the best possible effect from crossing tracks, it is crucial that they are approximately the same distance apart. This is how the crossing tracks provide increased capacity, and you therefore do not get crossing tracks at Tjernli in the first instance. He emphasizes that even if the culvert is not put into use at first, it will be put into use when a double track is likely to be built on the site later. The conditions for railway development in Eastern Norway have changed due to increased costs. Now there is more focus on maintenance and renewal. Therefore, crossing tracks are prioritized first, while double tracks between Hamar and Lillehammer are considered later, he says. – This does not mean that a future double track has been shelved, but that it will come later than initially estimated, says Lund. Hoping for assistance from the new hospital Strandbakke hopes the new Mjøs hospital can provide assistance for the railway project. – The new mjøs hospital in Moelv will contribute to increased traffic on the route, and hopefully this will lead to the new railway being adopted in the next national transport plan. He thinks it is a shame that the construction of the railway has not already been approved. – It would clearly be best if the new railway line came at the same time as the hospital, but unfortunately that will not be the case now, he says. Published 02.07.2024, at 08.50
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Bane Nor spent 150 million on culverts – may remain unused – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
