With a price tag of almost 37 billion, Kongen Follobanen opened on 12 December.
Trains ran on the line for one week, before it was closed on 19 December.
Then it was to reopen on 27 December.
Then January 2.
Then 1 February.
Then on February 12.
Then came the message this week: Closed indefinitely.
FIX: Here they are preparing to replace the 2.4 km power cable. Photo: Tom Rune Orset / TV 2
After 38 days of trying to fix the pitch again, they discovered something new.
During the test period, Bane Nor found yet another error. This is in addition to previously known errors, TV 2 is confirmed by Bane Nor.
Two months before the opening, Bane Nor had to have an interpreter for critical documents
– After new tests of the cables, it turns out that the cables are no longer of satisfactory quality, says Anne Kirkhusmo, press manager at Bane Nor.
Bane Nor says the cables have been damaged as a result of the previous failures, which occurred with an undersized power system.
Now they have to lay 2.4 kilometers of new cables. Then there will be new testing.
Outside the Blix tunnel, they have to lay new cables to provide power to the trains. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
Within five days, they hope to provide Follobanen with new power cables. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
Within five days, they hope to provide Follobanen with new power cables. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
These are the new cables, which will hopefully contribute to the Follobanen being able to open one day. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
The power cables that are now being replaced lie in the ground next to the train tracks. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
This is how the cables look from the inside. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
There are many meters of older cables that have been taken out of the tunnel. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Photo: Terje Pedersen
On Thursday, TV 2 was allowed to join the work along the tracks. Hopefully, the work will ensure that the trains can carry tens of thousands of commuters from Østfold to Oslo.
Time-consuming testing
The work, which is now underway, will take an estimated five days. At the same time, measurements and assessments are being made on another 600 meter long cable stretch inside the Blixtunnel.
Here, TV 2 was told that the answer could be
The assumption is that the cables maintain a sufficiently high quality, but if it turns out that this cable section also needs to be replaced, it will require another two weeks of work.
Once the improvements to the electrical system have been approved, Bane Nor can switch on the electricity. From that point on, at least 24 hours must pass before the system can be put under the load that test driving entails.
In the original plan, there was to be a test run on the Follobanen for at least a week and a half before a decision on whether it is justifiable to open for normal operation. From the time the decision is made until the traffic is underway, it takes another nine days, according to the plan Bane Nor and Vy presented on Monday.
If obstacles arise during the test programme, additional time will have to be added.
