Follo Line Facts THE NORWEGIAN NATIONAL RAIL ADMINISTRATION

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1 THE NORWEGIAN NATIONAL RAIL ADMINISTRATION Follo Line Facts The Follo line is a new double track from the capital of Oslo to the suburban town of Ski. Combined with the existing Østfold line, the Follo line will bring a new era for rail travel in southeastern Norway. Four tracks into Oslo will allow more trains to run faster and on time. For more information go to

2 Follo Line Facts The Oslo Ski rail project Oslo Ski is the biggest current infrastructure project in Norway and a high priority project for the Government. The project encompasses the Follo line, a new station at Ski, a passing loop at Ås and a cut-off at Bryn. THE FOLLO LINE is a new 22-kilometre double-track line from Oslo to Ski. It will include Norway s longest rail tunnel, consisting of twin tubes each 19 kilometres in length. The Follo line is likely to open in Construction work at Ski station began in The station is to become a modern transport hub in downtown Ski and will be redeveloped in several stages. The Ås passing loop consists of two 1000-metre tracks on which freight trains can be held, allowing faster passenger services to overtake them. During the remodelling of Ski station, the tracks will also serve as turnbacks for local trains. Construction is scheduled to start in 2012/13. The Bryn cut-off connects the Follo line tunnel with the Alnabru container terminal. The cut-off will be comlpleted after the Follo Line is finished. Planning for the future. A project on such a large scale has the potential to

3 Thorough planning 2010: Plan programming: What should the plan cover? 2010: Impact assessment 2011: Zoning plan, setting out the proposed alignment 2012: Land purchasing and quality assurance 2013: Construction of the Follo line adversely affect people and the natural environment during construction. Therefore it is essential to keep costs, progress and environmental impact under control. Jernbaneverket is the first organization in Norway to produce a green budget governing the choice of materials and solutions. Fast, safe construction. Jernbaneverket aims to build the Follo line as quickly as possible, without harming people or the environment. A safe, watertight tunnel is crucial to the project s progress. With maximum effort and resources, construction is likely to take 5 6 years. We are considering both blasting and tunnel boring machines as options for tunnel construction. Oslo Central Station is the hub of Norway s passenger rail network. The Follo line will run through a densely populated region rich in cultural heritage, so there will be many crucial factors to consider in the planning process. In railway engineering terms, feeding two new tracks into the busiest part of the Norwegian rail system will also be a complex challenge.

4 Follo Line Facts Combined benefits of the Follo and Østfold lines More trains, faster journeys and ontime departures Journey time for the fastest Ski Oslo service will be cut from 22 to 11 minutes. The train service will improve for commuters and other rail users. Express trains will use the Follo line, freeing up capacity for more commuter services on the exsisting Østfold line. Expanded service benefits passengers and the environment Gateway to Europe The Follo line is the gateway to Europe and will be the first stage in a high-speed line linking Norway to the Continent. The Oslo Gothenburg Copenhagen route is included in the Norwegian government s high-speed study. The Follo line will be compatible with a future high-speed line. Twin tubes for maximum tunnel capacity 11,000 more public transport journeys daily. This equates to 5,800 fewer car journeys each workday and a reduction of 5,500 tonnes in annual CO 2- emissions. Moving freight from road to rail The Follo line will enable us to more than triple the volume of rail freight in the area. The result will be 750 fewer transport trucks on the roads each workday, and a potential annual reduction of CO 2 emissions by 30,000 tonnes. The Follo line should have the highest possible uptime. Detailed studies have shown that twin tubes are the safest and most efficient option for maintenance work, and also in cases of evacuation.

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6 Follo Line Facts Like a string of beads communities are dotted along the Østfold line. Traffic is heaviest on the Oslo Ski section. The line opened in 1879 and has since been modernized, but the alignment has remained more or less the same for over 125 years. The Østfold line alone can t handle more trains Capacity on the Østfold line is streched to the limit. Overcrowded trains show that service levels are not keeping pace with demand. The Follo line and the Østfold line together will provide plenty of capacity for the future. A thriving region Oslo and the counties of Akershus and Østfold to the south have a combined population of 1.4 million. Each day almost 150,000 people use public transport to cross Oslo s southern city limits. The number of people and jobs in the region is expected to increase 30 per cent by The Follo line and the Østfold line together can accommodate this growth. Truck traffic increases road congestion The Oslo Gothenburg route is Norway s principal land transport corridor to the Continent. About 80 per cent of land-based import and export traffic passes through Østfold, largely by road at present. The Follo line and the Bryn cut-off will create the capacity for a major expansion of rail freight.

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