On the Dovrebanen, three trains have been standing still overnight until Saturday. This has led to hours of waiting for many passengers.
We are talking about one evening train that broke down, as well as two night trains that were left standing after a catenary was pulled down.
24 minus degrees
The train stop happened between Dovre and Dombås. Here the passengers were evacuated.
Passengers tell VG that they sat on the train for four hours without light or heat.
It took several hours before they were evacuated.
Several froze, were hungry, and it was not possible to drain the toilets, passenger Anne Granheim tells the newspaper.
It must have been around minus 24 degrees in the area.
Took with contact wire
For the night trains, the problems are due to one train taking some of the contact wire with it at Otta station. Press officer Olav Nordli at Bane Nor tells NRK.
The fact that the passengers have been sitting and waiting for so long is due to professionals having to ground the facility.
– It is regrettable that such a thing happens. Otherwise, it seems to be resolved relatively quickly, Nordli told NRK just after 8 o’clock.
The error affects the trains between Oslo and Trondheim.
Marie Bang Forsmo (19), among others, is sitting on the southbound train. She attends the sports program at Mosjøen Vgs and was initially on a trip to a training camp in Lanzarote.
Then the train stopped.
– There has been a standstill for over six hours. It isr very fast. Now we can’t catch the plane, she says to NRK.
Marie Bang Forsmo waited for the train for over six hours before it started running again on Saturday morning.
Photo: Private
Still hoping
On Saturday morning, the students sit inside the train and call around to try to get their tickets rebooked.
– The heads are now hanging. This is not the most festive group I have seen, says the 19-year-old.
She hasn’t completely given up on getting her way.
– Although the mood is bad, I think there is some hope. We have jobba for three years to try to get us on this trip.
Opened again
The train stoppages do not cause problems for the day trains from Oslo and Trondheim.
There were trains at 8 o’clock from both sides.
– The track is open to train traffic. We continue to correct errors, said Nordli at 9.15am.
The passengers on the southbound train, like the gang from the sports line, stayed on board.
It was warm here, in contrast to the northbound route where people have been evacuated and placed in hotels.
Information manager Hilde Lyng at SJ tells NRK.
– Our main problem is that we cannot get hold of buses.
– But the catenary is now in place, so the trains can start running. The travelers can join – but they can also choose to wait and travel by day train, where they came from or where they were going.
She adds that the problem now is that the trains are in the wrong place. This means that the trains run with different train material than they were actually supposed to run with.
