| | URBAN TRANSIT NEWS |
Oslo cutbacks:
Due to financial problems, which require savings of NOK 75 million next year and then NOK 300 million each year up to 2006, Oslo Sporveier plans a number of cutbacks to its services staring 1st January 2003.
To achieve this tram lines 15 and 19 will be closed and lines 11, 12 and 17 will be
shortened. This means that the following sections will no longer be served
by trams:
The cutbacks also affect the metro system with some lines being changed to feeder services rather than through operation, with the routes to Frognerseten (Holmenkollen) and Kolsås replaced by tramcars instead of metrocars. The problem in part seems to arise from inadequate funding of a new metro ring line and also technical problems with the latest batch of trams.
The sections involved in the cutback programme are:
Maps of the current system can be found on the Oslo Sporveier site. A local website has also been set up in protest at the cuts.
and reprieve?:
A 9 to 5 vote by the transport authority's 'corporate assembly' which consist of politicians and employees' representatives caused a rethink of the closure program and was followed by city council granting an additional 25 million NOK to the public transport budget, which would secure all the tram lines except the Kjelsas branch at least for the short term. Fares are to be increased but this may further reduce patronage and cause further problems in following years.
It has since been announced that the line from Disen to Kjelsas will be closed from Friday 22 November and replaced by buses. This is reported to be due to the poor state of the track - it will remain closed at least until a final decision as to whether the line will be kept or not is taken in early December.
Further developments:
Yesterday the transport authority board announced that two tramway sections
will be closed after all. What will be closed is:
To return to News Index - click here
To return to the LRTA homepage - click here
Despite the financial problems it is reported that the abandoned tracks will be lifted or paved over.
The changes should as far as possible take place from January 2003. Changes connected to Kolsåsbanen metroline the and the (new) metro Ring should take place in July/Augist 2003. A number of bus routes will also be abandoned. Fares are also expected to rise at a rate greater than the inflation index.
14 October 2002
19 November 2002
It is understood the latest intention is for the new tramway network to be:
9 December 2002
To be well informed about light rail & urban transit developments you need to read Tramways & Urban Transit every month - the world's leading light rail, tramways and urban transit journal
To return to the top of this news page - click here