Overcrowded Trains Lead to Fainting Incidents on Norway's Vestfold Line

Commuters on Norway's Vestfoldbanen train line, connecting Oslo to towns south of the capital, are facing severe discomfort due to chronically overcrowded trains and insufficient oxygen levels.

The regional governor of Vestfold, Anne Strømøy, has taken the issue into her own hands, harshly criticizing Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård and the train operator Vy (formerly NSB). Strømøy has proposed offering fare discounts to passengers enduring these significant inconveniences.

The situation is particularly dire on the morning trains between Tønsberg and Oslo, which are used by many residents commuting to the capital for work. A passenger, Eivind Hjelle from Nøtterøy, recounted a difficult Tuesday morning commute. The train, which usually consists of ten carriages, was running with only five, despite typically being full even with the full complement.

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The situation became very heavy when we left Tønsberg for Skoppum and Holmestrand.

"The situation became very heavy when we left Tønsberg for Skoppum and Holmestrand," Hjelle told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. He described the carriages as "packed like sardines." Even with seated passengers offering their seats to the elderly and pregnant women, the conditions were extremely cramped. After the train departed Drammen, a young man standing near Hjelle fainted, hitting his head hard as he fell. A doctor and nurse on board assisted him after navigating through the dense crowd, and the train stopped in Asker to await an ambulance.

Vy's communications manager, Åge Christoffer Lundeby, apologized, citing difficulties in obtaining enough carriages from the maintenance workshop in Skien. The company is working to increase workshop capacity and source additional carriages from other routes. However, Governor Strømøy stated she had written to the transport minister about the situation in March without a response, calling the lack of action "unbelievable arrogance."

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It is unbelievable arrogance, this is not acceptable.