Norway announces details of Traffic Package 4 tender

NORWAY’s Railway Directorate has announced details of the tender for Traffic Package 4, which encompasses the operation of all passenger services on the Østfold Line and Gjøvik Line as well as part of the Oslo suburban network.

Photo Credit: Vy

Under regulations on the liberalisation of the Norwegian railway sector, the directorate must announce details of forthcoming operating contracts a year before the start of tendering.

Traffic Package 4 is due to be awarded by autumn 2021, with the successful bidder taking over operation in December 2022. This coincides with the opening of the Follo Line between Oslo and Ski, which will be accompanied by major changes to the timetable on the Østfold Line.

The directorate says the winners of Traffic Packages 1 and 2 (Go-Ahead and SJ) have stated that new operators should be given more than a year after contract signing to prepare for the start of operations.

Traffic Package 4 encompasses the following lines: