Fornebubanen is becoming so expensive that politicians have to think completely new. That is the main message of a letter that Ruter has now sent to its owners. – There are alternatives, says chairman of the board Sigurd Grytten to NRK. In a letter to Oslo Municipality and Viken County Municipality yesterday, Ruter points to two possibilities in particular: Frequent departures with superbuses partly underground. A superbus is longer than a regular bus, preferably with two links and on its own route. Self-propelled minibuses in the tunnel. In the letter that NRK has been given access to, Ruter writes that they will be able to carry out professional studies of the bus alternatives in 6-12 months. Cheaper solutions “You can probably find solutions that cost significantly less than Fornebubanen”, the letter states. THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES: Sigurd Grytten is chairman of the board of Ruter. Photo: Ruter Grytten emphasizes that the bus solutions are in no way recommendations. – These are examples. We have no opinion on which solution is chosen. Our main concern is that we as a professional body have an overview of the fact that today there are a number of different technological solutions on how we can solve public transport. Fate Day Monday The input from Ruter comes only days before Fornebubanen’s fate can be sealed. On Monday, Oslo Ap and Oslo SV will decide whether they want to scrap the track and stop construction. The billion crack is scary. The new price tag is NOK 26.4 billion. For that amount, you get eight kilometers of subway between Majorstua and Fornebu. The fear is that the use of money in the west means that there is very little left for other important public transport projects in the Oslo area. Doubts about profitability Grytten says that the letter has two main messages. One is that it is highly uncertain whether the current project is socio-economically profitable. It is not known for sure until next winter. The second is that there are other possibilities if the owners are willing to look at it. Bybane? NRK is aware that both in the political environment and in the professional community there is talk that if they had known what they know today, they would have chosen the light rail to Fornebu. An urban railway is a tram in its own route, as you have to Flesland Airport in Bergen. Bybane also to Fornebu was actually adopted by Akershus County Municipality in 2007, but scrapped in favor of the subway in 2011. – Can it be relevant to study a tram solution again? – It is a political question which alternatives one wants to study, says the Ruter board chairman. BYBANEN I BERGEN: Something similar to Fornebu has previously been adopted and rejected. Photo: Atle Markeng – Should the construction be put on hold until any studies have been completed? – There is nothing Ruter has any opinion about. NRK has asked Oslo’s Environment and Transport Agency Councilor Sirin Stav (MDG) whether it is relevant to put the course on hold and consider alternatives. The city council department has promised an answer as soon as possible. 4-5 billion lost Bærum municipality has warned Oslo that thousands of homes in Fornebu will smoke if Oslo politicians scrap the track. Whether it is possible to build all the planned homes without Fornebubanen is something that may need to be investigated, according to Sigurd Grytten. In the letter, Ruter also writes that a new calculation of profitability must take into account that an estimated NOK 4-5 billion has been lost if the project is stopped. 4-5 BILLIONS LOST: That is the estimate for Ruter if Fornebubanen is stopped. At Fornebu, there is already a giant construction pit. Photo: Olav Juven / NRK
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