As is well known, the new government will study the Northern Norway line. If they actually want to build it, they will only respond in 2025, emphasizes Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygård (Labor).
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It is now the Labor Party that has taken over the offices in the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Oslo. The new government, with the Center Party, has promised to study the Northern Norway line, with the aim of realizing it.
But there will be no shovel in the ground in the direction of Tromsø right away. Both the investigation and the answer as to whether it will actually be carried out will take time.
– What the government recommends does not come until the National Transport Plan is presented, says the Minister of Transport to VG.
This will happen in 2025. The first item on the program now will be to decide whether the North Norway Line will receive its own report, or whether it will agree with one that is already in progress.
First: How to investigate
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has been given responsibility for a concept selection study of transport solutions throughout northern Norway, which will be completed in the summer of 2023.
– We have said that we will have a separate concept selection study (KVU) for the Northern Norway line. Then work has been started with KVU for transport throughout northern Norway. What we must ensure is that there may be a good enough basis for being able to say that we have a KVU on the Northern Norway line. We may have to look a little at the mandate there, Nygård points out.
– What you are considering is to incorporate or extend the mandate there a bit, so you beat two birds with one stone?
– Yes, or if it is sufficient as it is. We know that processes are underway, so we must make sure that there is a sufficient basis to be able to take a position on the North Norway Line project, the Minister of Transport answers.
–– So people in northern Norway who are wondering how this will be will not really get an answer until 2025?
– They will not get an answer to that until the National Transport Plan is presented. Then they get to know what the government wants, and then you get to know what the Storting wants when it comes to June (in 2025 journ.anm.), Nygård answers.
– When is it realistic that the Northern Norway Line is in place?
– Time will tell, when we have carried out these reports, the Minister of Transport and Communications answers.
– You have not promised people in northern Norway a path, you have promised that you will investigate. What if the conclusion is that it will be terribly expensive and not socio-economically profitable?
– Yes, then it is part of the assessment basis we must look at, but I do not want to conclude in advance. I do not know what the report looks like when we get to the play, the Labor Party answers.
– It has been concluded with it in previous report?
– Yes, but the world is dynamic, not static, so it may be that things change, the Minister of Transport answers.
Emphasizes: – Not saying that we are in a position to build
– The Østfold line is an eternity project that will never be completed. When Norway is struggling to get a double track to Tønsberg, with constant quick clay and cost cracks, how realistic is it then to promise people in northern Norway a path?
– Now we have said that we must concept selection study it. We have said that we have a goal to implement it, but we have not said that we are in a position to build it. We will investigate it first, then the investigation will show what can actually be carried out, says Nygård.
– For your voters in Northern Norway, do you think it is good enough?
– The voters themselves must answer for what they have perceived, but we have been very clear on what we are going to do. We will have a concept selection study and we have a goal of building the Northern Norway Line, but we have not said that there is a “fast track” for it to be built. It must go through a process like any other project, emphasizes the Minister of Transport.
– Previous studies has pointed out that it will be expensive and that it is not socio-economically profitable. Even if a new study comes to the same conclusion, can you still be willing to build it?
– Then there will be a political discussion in the government about what kind of priorities we should have. There are many transport projects in Norway that have not come out well from that profitability fraction. But there may still be other reasons why you want to bring about a societal development in a region, which makes you choose to invest. But I will not conclude on that until we have completed that process, Nygård answers.
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