– This is terribly annoying, says Christian Braarud.
He commutes daily to Oslo and moved to Ski because of the Follobanen.
Therefore, the disappointment was great, when Bane Nor said that the train section will be closed until January.
– Huge expectations have built up for this project. Both in terms of transport and work commuting, in addition local politics have been so keen on Follobanen. Now everything is falling apart, so there is a lot of despair, says Braarud.
HAPPY: Christian Braarud had been looking forward to a simpler everyday life commuting in January. It didn’t work out that way. Photo: Erik Edland / TV 2
– A game of chance
Braarud has previously been active as a local politician for the Labor Party. As an engineer, he has also worked at Follobanen for a period.
Therefore, the train commuter is a little extra interested in how the project is going forward.
While waiting for the trains to run as planned, Braarud has to calculate approximately 20 minutes extra travel time each day.
– It is also not a given that the trains will run as they should, so it is a game of chance. I bring my laptop home from work every day just to be safe, he says.
TRANSPORT: Travelers must rely on alternative transport until the Folloban works as it should. Photo: Martin Berg Isaksen / TV 2
Mayor of Nordre Follo, Hanne Opdan (Ap), says that she is sorry on behalf of her residents.
– This is very, very sad, and has major consequences for the individual, but also for society. In the region, thousands travel to Oslo by train every single day. The fact that we have an even worse train offer is very noticeable, says Opdan.
Historical project
In 2014, commuters south of Oslo could celebrate one of the biggest transport projects in Norway’s history.
With a cost of 26.3 billion, the Storting decided to build the Follobanen.
The plan was that travelers could benefit from a new and better train offer in 2021. In 2015, the excavators started.
Since then, the problems have come one after the other.
Was convicted
Over 2,100 companies have been involved in the project, but not all delivered as planned.
In 2017, several of the companies stopped work because they did not receive money from the Italian company Condette, which was a major supplier to Follobanen.
In the same year, Bane Nor had to appear in court.
The contractor Skanska believed that Bane Nor had awarded the contract to Condette on the wrong basis. Bane Nor was convicted and had to pay NOK 270 million in compensation to Skanska.
In 2018, Condette was removed from the project, which cost Bane Nor 1.6 billion.
Then there was a budget crack.
JUBILEE: Here the workers could celebrate that the drilling of the tunnel has been completed. Photo: Camilla Island / TV 2
In 2019, it became clear that the project cost NOK 30.7 billion, which was over NOK four billion more expensive than planned. In addition, the opening was postponed by one year.
Now, three years since the last budget crack, the track costs 36.8 billion.
The costs hardly stop there.
Will not answer
Then came the big day. On 12 December, the project was finally to be brought to life.
To shine a light on the prestigious project, the King himself came to give the train the go-ahead.
OPEN: The King opened the Folloban on 12 December. Photo: Ditlev Eidsmo / TV 2
When there finally seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel, it turned dark.
Because after just seven days of driving, it came to a complete stop.
The Folloban was closed after overheating and the development of smoke in a technical facility at Ski station on 19 December. The track is now closed until January.
TV 2 has asked Bane Nor what caused the error and how much this will affect the budget.
STOPPED: The fire brigade had to move out after smoke developed at this technical facility in Ski Photo: Tom Rune Orset / TV 2
They cannot answer that. On Tuesday, the company must meet with the Minister for Transport to answer everything that has gone wrong.
– In the meantime, we will not speculate on why this has happened, what has gone wrong, what it will cost or comment on other unresolved questions, writes Anne Kirkhusmo, press manager at Bane Nor to TV 2.
TRANSPORT: Travelers must rely on alternative transport until the Folloban works as it should. Photo: Espen Eide / TV 2
Requires response
Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) has asked Bane Nor to explain what has gone wrong.
– I want to get to the bottom of what has happened, and not least what is needed to get the Folloban up and running again, so that we can ensure operation and an offer that the passengers deserve, says Nygård to TV 2.
– What do you know about what has happened?
– What Bane Nor says is that it is about the return flow, and that it is not constructed in a way that makes it work as of now. What is the reason beyond this, I have no knowledge of at present, says the Minister of Transport.
– This is a huge scandal – do you agree?
– It will depend on how quickly we get the track back into operation. If this drags on for months, it is a correct term to use. If this is resolved in a short time, I think this will be forgotten quickly. But of course, it is not an optimal opening of the Follobanen.
