Norwegian railway contractors furlough over 150 staff amid train chaos

A paradoxical situation is unfolding in Norway's railway sector, where over 150 employees of various railway contractors have been furloughed due to a shortage of work from Bane Nor, the national railway company. This comes at a time when train services, particularly in the Oslo area, are plagued by significant disruptions and poor punctuality.

According to the Federation of Contractors for Construction and Civil Engineering (EBA), the furloughs represent "more than 10 percent of their employees" in the current year. "The trains in Norway are standing still at the same time as Norwegian railway contractors have furloughed over 10 percent of their employees because there is a lack of assignments," said CEO Audun Blegen.

The punctuality rate for rush hour traffic in the Oslo region has been particularly low, standing at 67.4% in August, meaning one in three trains during peak hours has been delayed. Vibeke Røise Warholm, executive director at Bane Nor, acknowledged the concern over the furloughs. She stated that the total value of contracts Bane Nor procures from the market remains relatively stable but expressed worry about the impact on contractors.

"This is something we have invited the industry to discuss further," Warholm said. "We are concerned about ensuring the market is there to help us." The situation highlights a disconnect between the need for railway infrastructure maintenance and development and the operational capacity and project allocation for the contractors involved.

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Togene i Norge står samtidig som norske jernbaneentreprenører nå i vår har permittert over 10 prosent av sine ansatte fordi det mangler oppdrag