SV Demands Faster Night Trains to Copenhagen - Denmark Says Yes - NRK Oslo and Viken

– Denmark’s transport minister has given Norway a thumbs-up, says Mona Fageras. He is spokesperson for SV’s transport policy.

Until the year 2000, you could sleep through Sweden and wake up in the Danish capital.

Then-transport minister Knut Arild Haride argued for the return of the night train two years ago.

Positive Danes

Danes are positive. There, money is earmarked for night trains in the state budget.

Therefore, SV asked sister party SF what efforts Denmark’s transport minister would make to secure this opportunity.

Also on hand is Danish Transport Minister Thomas Danielsson (V).

– He writes in his reply that I am in favor of supporting the establishment of an overnight train line between Copenhagen and Oslo.

He plays the ball over Norway.

– However, the Norwegian authorities have not yet announced whether they will act decisively to establish a night train between Copenhagen and Oslo.

– Get the ball into the goal

Now Transport Minister Jan-Iver Nygaard (Apr) SV.

– The Danish government has allocated money. They are ready. They are waiting for the Norwegian minister.

– Now all Nygard has to do is get the ball into the goal, says Mona Fajeras.

No sleeping cars

NRK previously reported that the Norwegian Railway Directorate sees many practical problems with the night train to Copenhagen. One of them is the absence of sleeping cars.

A zero-emissions alternative to the heavily trafficked air route is unstoppable, SV believes.

– I think this is solvable. You have to be willing to see the possibilities. We know that people choose train for fast, on time and reasonable price.

Cheaper than flights?

Passengers with NRK in Oslo S can confirm this.

– It’s good. I want to use it, says John Gunner Madsen.

– What would have been the correct price?

– A thousand, of course. It’s a matter of convenience, says Madsen.

– Good! Ann-Christine Haar says.

– Then I will take the night train to Copenhagen. It has to compete with airline pricing, and it’s much cheaper. But I think people would have gone with the night train anyway, says Haar.

– It’s environmentally friendly, and that’s a good thing. But I think it should be a bit cheaper than flying, says Mie Nesse Hakonsen.

He says he loves Copenhagen and would like to take a night train on a weekend trip if possible.

– She says it would have been nice to take the night train after school.

Government: – Very expensive

The government is not enthusiastic.

The Ministry of Transport has estimated what it would cost the public to purchase night train services.

– These estimates show that each trip should be subsidized somewhere between NOK 280 and 500, State Secretary Cecile Knipe Groglund writes in an email to NRK.

The ministry said the bill for the night train would be between NOK 70 and 100 million per year.

Groglund also writes that the Oslo-Copenhagen night train cannot be considered an effective environmental measure.

– The value of the cuts in greenhouse gas emissions does not exceed the need for subsidies. It is uncertain how big the demand for night trains on this route is compared to the costs of running the service, writes Cecilie Knibe Kroglund.

Despite doubts, he points out that the government has not come to a conclusion. This is happening in the National Transport Plan, which will be presented in March next year.