National Transport Plan 2014-2023

Meld. St. 26 (2012-2013) Report to the Storting (White Paper) Summary

1 Foreword

Figure 1.1

In spring 2013 the Norwegian Government presented the white paper National Transport Plan 2014–2023 (Meld. St. 26 (2012–2013), the content of which has been generally accepted by the Storting (Norwegian parliament).

The Government wants to develop a modern transport system that will make it easier, faster and safer to travel, commute and transport goods in the future. People must be able to get to school and work easily and safely wherever they live in the country. Goods must be transported quickly and efficiently.

The Government will continue the development and upgrading of roads, railways, civil aviation and maritime infrastructure in order to link the different parts of the country together. At the same time, the Government wants to strengthen public transport and facilitate cycling and walking, particularly in urban areas where environmental and capacity challenges are prominent. This is essential for creating a solid foundation for growth and increasing the productivity all over Norway.

Transport is characterized by high expectations and great needs, which is precisely why it is important to have a sound and comprehensive plan. The Government is proud of the new National Transport Plan. We are increasing investments in infrastructure from a historically high level, and the financial allocations have never been higher. The framework of the National Transport Plan will increase by over NOK 150 billion (EUR 18.8 billion), or 50 per cent, and the Government will spend NOK 508 billion (EUR 63.5 billion) on transport over the next ten years. At the same time we will introduce measures to get more out of the resources invested in the sector.

The Government’s policy will enable us to make considerable progress in our efforts to modernize the Norwegian transport system - making it easier, faster and safer.

Marit Arnstad

Minister of Transport and Communications

2 Norway – facts

Population: 5 051 275 inhabitants as of 1 January 2013

Inhabitants per sq. km. land area: 16

Population growth rate (2011): 1.3 per cent

Norway has the lowest population density in Europe after Iceland. However, almost 80 per cent of the population live in urban areas, where the population density is 1 595 per sq. km.

Area (mainland): 323 802 sq. km.

Longest straight-line distance (mainland): 1 752 km

Length of coastline (mainland): 25 148 km

Harsh climatic conditions, poor soil quality and difficult terrain mean that a large part of the country is unsuitable for settlement or agriculture.

2.1 Mainland topography

Built-up area: 1.4 per cent

Agriculture: 3.2 per cent

Marsh/wetland: 5.8 per cent

Freshwater and glaciers: 7.0 per cent

Forest: 38.2 per cent

Mountain and mountain plateau: 44.4 per cent

2.2 Transport infrastructure (2013)

Public roads, total: 93 822 km

National roads: 10 540 km

County roads: 44 312

Local roads: 38 970

Total number of road tunnels: More than 1 000

Railway network, total: 4 237 km

Electrified: 2 844 km

Double track: 245 km

Airports with scheduled flights: 52

Seaports with connection to the national transport grid: 32

Fishing ports: 700

Figure 2.1

3 The National Transport Plan

The National Transport Plan, which is submitted to the Storting (the Parliament) in the form of a white paper, is produced every four years and sets forth the Government’s transport policy goals and strategies for the next ten years.

National Transport Plan 2014–2023 is the fourth plan produced under the current planning system. The preparation of the white paper is backed by an extensive and inclusive process involving input from ministries, agencies, county authorities, urban municipalities, business, industry and organizations. Along with Avinor, the governmental transport agencies (the Norwegian National Rail Administration, the Norwegian Coastal Administration and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration) have been the main contributors in the preparation of the National Transport Plan.

In February 2012, the transport agencies and Avinor presented their joint input for the National Transport Plan 2014–2023. This draft plan was submitted to the county authorities and major urban municipalities for comment. In addition, other authorities, transport users, organizations representing urban transport, environmental protection, transport security etc. commented on the proposed plan. In the work on the white paper, particular emphasis was placed on the submissions from county authorities and major cities.

Figure 3.1

3.1 Easier, faster and safer – a modern transport system

Figure 3.2 Road and railway leading to Oslo (Photo: Olav Heggø)

The Government aims to develop a modern transport system that will make traffic flow easier, faster and safer. This will increase the competitiveness of business and industry, improve urban environments and promotes regional development. A robust infrastructure of high standards will also improve traffic safety and make the transport system accessible to as many as possible. Furthermore, the Government will develop the transport system to limit its environmental impact and help Norway’s transition to a low-carbon society. The Government established guidelines for the development of the transport system in the white paper Norwegian Climate Policy (Meld. St. 21 (2011–2012)). This white paper is the fundament for a broad political agreement on the climate challenge – known as the Climate Agreement.

The Government’s basis is a long-term strategy outlining how the transport system should be developed. This strategy is based on exploiting the advantages of each mode of transport and strengthening the interaction between them to facilitate efficient use of resources. The modes of transport are characterized as follows:

The road system ties the country together and is the basis for most transport of goods.

Rail transport is environmentally friendly and efficient in areas with high transport flows.

Air transport is a safe and efficient mode of transport for long- and medium-haul transport, and Norway’s decentralized airport structure provides good access to air transport throughout the country.

Sea transport is the most favourable method for carrying large volumes of cargo over long distances.

In line with this, the Government has adopted a differentiated transport policy, taking into consideration that the various modes of transport have different characteristics, and that the various parts of the country have different transport needs. The main challenge in sparsely populated areas is to provide good and reliable transport solutions, while the challenge in the major urban areas is related to ensuring sufficient traffic flow and contributing to a better urban environment. The Government’s key strategy is to prioritize measures to improve capacity and provide a more robust road network in rural areas, while in and around urban areas the strongest emphasis is placed on developing an efficient public transport system and increased facilitation for cyclists and pedestrians.

The Government’s ambition is to link Western Norway through an upgraded and ferry-free E39. The Government’s basic assumption is that planning will be aimed at completing the projects within a twenty-year period.

In addition to the investment in E39, Southern Norway will see a major upgrade of several sections of thze main roads, such as E6, E16, E18 and E134. During the period, E18 extending from the Swedish border to Kristiansand, will be converted into a four-lane highway between Oslo and Langangen in Telemark, while significant work will be carried out south of Langangen.

With regard to rail, the Government gives high priority to the development of InterCity (IC) routes. By the end of 2024 there will be contiguous double track lines to Tønsberg, Fredrikstad and Hamar, which will make it possible to establish train services with half-hour frequency throughout the operating day. By the end of 2026, the double track will be extended to Sarpsborg. The Government’s basic assumption is that future planning will be aimed at completion of the entire IC-system in 2030. Construction of the Oslo-Ski Follo line will commence at the beginning of the period.

E6 through Sør- and Nord-Trøndelag will be significantly upgraded. The Government will also give priority to modernization and electrification of the Trønder and Meråker lines during the period.

In Northern Norway, the connecting projects on E6 in Helgeland will provide good road standards south of Saltfjellet. The Government’s commitment to E10 will improve the road connection for both Vesterålen and Lofoten. In Nordland and Troms, ​​improvements will be made on key mountain passes. With the completion of E6 west of Alta, E6 will generally have a good standard in Finnmark. Development of E105 will improve the connection between Kirkenes and Russia. For the railway, funds will be set aside for measures to increase the capacity of the Ofoten line.

An important maritime transport project is the Stad Ship Tunnel, a fairway project that will reduce the risk of accidents and improve navigation along the coast. It will be feasible to start the project at the end of the planning period.

In light of the major transport challenges in the coming decades, especially in urban areas, and the Government’s strong prioritization of the railway in these areas, the plan does not call for the construction of separate high-speed railways in Norway in the coming plan period. The routes for new infrastructure on IC lines will, however, be built to accommodate 250 km/h on the sections that do not entail significant additional costs compared with a speed of 200 km/h, and can therefore be included in any future high-speed networks.

Figure 3.3 Investments in the railway network and development of train services on the IC routes.

4 We have achieved much

Transport policy is aligned with objectives relating to traffic flow and regional development, transport safety, environment and universal design. The strong commitment by the Government in National Transport Plan 2010–2019 has shown considerable results in terms of:

Travel time reductions on the national road network.

Increased punctuality and regularity for trains.

Improved traffic flow for local public transport and better infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

Better traffic safety on the roads.

Better safety at sea and facilitation to enable ports to become intermodal hubs.

A more universally designed and accessible transport system.

Annual greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector have been stable since 2007, although the transport volume has increased. This is partly due to tax policy, various technical modifications and measures, public transport measures and sales requirements for biofuels.

5 Major challenges remain

Globalization, rising incomes and rapid population growth make it necesarry to increase the capacity and quality of the transport system. At the same time, the transport sector, particularly in urban areas, must be developed in a more environmentally friendly way to curb greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful environmental effects.

To address the discrepancy between the rapidly increasing demand for transport in the coming years and the infrastructural standard in the country, the Government will pursue a proactive transport policy. Population growth requires significantly higher capacity in the transport system. Facilitating environmentally friendly transport is necessary in order to fulfill the Climate Agreement, such as the objective that the growth in passenger transport in urban areas must be absorbed by public transport, cycling and walking. Shifting freight transport from road to sea and rail will be facilitated at the same time.

The Government has placed particular emphasis on the following factors:

Norway will have 6 million inhabitants by 2029, according to Statistics Norway’s main alternative.

The population will grow in every county of the country. The most rapid growth is expected in Oslo, Akershus and Rogaland. The population of Oslo is expected to rise from 613 000 in 2012 to 832 000 by 2040.

It will be necesarry to increase railway capacity to enable it to meet the demand for transport around major cities.

There is a need to develop high-standard main corridors.

Good air services are important for settlement patterns, employment and economic development in both rural and central areas.

There is still a great need for resources to catch up with the backlog of maintenance needs on the road network and associated upgrades. The condition of the county road network is poor in many places.

Freight transport is expected to grow by 35–40 per cent, measured in tonne-kilometres, by 2040. The transport system must have adequate capacity to handle this growth, while providing for more transportation of goods by sea and rail.

In the largest urban areas, public transport must be strengthened to the extent necessary to ensure that the growth of passenger transport in urban areas can be absorbed by public transport, cycling and walking.

6 Main priorities

The Government has increased investment in operations, maintenance and development of transport infrastructure significantly over several years. For example, the financial allocations in National Transport Plan 2010–2019, was about NOK 100 billion (EUR 12.5 billion) higher than in National Transport Plan 2006–2015.

Through the new white paper, the Government will further increase investments to improve the transport system. The Government plans for an increase of about NOK 167 billion (EUR 20.9 billion) during the ten-year period from what would be a continuation of the 2013 budget level. This consistutes an amount of NOK 508 billion (EUR 63,5 billion). In addition, collection of approx. NOK 98 billion (EUR 12.3 billion) in road tolls is assumed. In total, this amounts to NOK 606 billion (EUR 75.8 billion) over the ten-year period.

The increased funding will be gradually phased in over the period. The use of resources will be adapted to the fiscal policy and the economic situation in general.

The Governement also purchases transport services to ensure a transport system with higher frequencies, and which is cheaper and better than can be achieved by purely commercial operations. The national budget for 2013 allocated about NOK 4.9 billion (EUR 0.6 billion) to governmental procurement of transport services.

County authorities and municipalities are responsible for local public transport (excluding the railway) and investments, operation and maintenance of county and municipal roads. Significant funds are spent to fulfil this responsibility.

Aviation infrastructure is mainly self-funded and is not covered by the financial allocations in this white paper. The overall responsibility for aviation infrastructure nevertheless lies with the Government through its ownership of Avinor AS.

Table 6.1 Allocation of government funds. Annual average. NOK million (2013).

National Transport Plan 2010–2013

Budget 2013

National Transport Plan 2014–2033

Roads*

19 148 (EUR 2 394)

20 936 (EUR 2 617)

31 155 (EUR 3 894)

Railways

9 872 (EUR 1 234)

11 275 (EUR 1 409)

16 781 (EUR 2 098)

Ports/harbours and navigation

1 108 (EUR 139)

1 251 (EUR 156)

1 940 (EUR 243)

Total

30 128 (EUR 3 766)

33 462 (EUR 4 183)

49 876 (EUR 6 235)

Reward Scheme

673 (EUR 84)

923 (EUR 115)

Total government funds

30 128 (EUR 3 766)

34 135 (EUR 4 267)

50 799 (EUR 6 350)

Other funding (estimate)

7 056 (EUR 882)

9 525 (EUR 1 191)

9 800 (EUR 1 225)

* All figures include compensation for VAT.

1 EUR = 8 NOK

The Government gives priority to:

Increasing the focus on renewal, operation and maintenance to improve reliability and operational safety. The increase in the deterioration of the road network will stop early in the plan period, and the deterioration will be rolled back during the plan period. Increased operational stability for the railways is expected during the plan period.

Significantly strengthening investments in large projects on the national road network in relation to the 2013 revised national budget, and adopting an average annual allocation of approx. NOK 9.6 billion (EUR 1.2 billion) for the period from 2014 to 2023. In addition, the large projects will receive approx. NOK 85 billion (EUR 10.6 billion) in road tolls during the plan period. The Government will put high priority on the roads E6, E10, E16, E18, E39 and E134. This will make a significant contribution to bringing the standard of longer contiguous sections up to a good level.

Increasing the average investment level for railways by more than 50 per cent compared with the 2013 final budget, from NOK 6.1 (EUR 0.8 billion) to NOK 9.2 billion (EUR 1.2 billion) per year. The allocations for investments represent almost a doubling of investment in large projects. This will make it possible to develop and modernize the railway in the central Eastern Norway area, in the Bergen region and in Trøndelag. In addition, measures to increase the capacity of the Ofoten line have high priority during the plan period.

Allocate NOK 26.1 billion (EUR 3.3 billion) over the ten-year period for urban environment agreements and the so-called Reward Scheme. This will help to achieve the objectives of the Climate Agreement.

Strengthening the counties ability to maintain their roads. The counties will receive NOK 10 billion (EUR 1.3 billion) for this purpose for the period 2014–2023.

Setting aside a total of NOK 16.2 billion (EUR 2 billion), for avalanche/landslide prevention on national and county roads in the period 2014–2023.

Ensuring framework conditions for Avinor that enable the company to maintain and further develop a modern and efficient airport network in the country.

Setting aside funds to design and follow-up measures to strengthen maritime transport and short sea shipping. Funding for the operation, maintenance and renewal of navigation infrastructure is also prioritized.

7 Effects and goal attainment

The overall goal of the Government’s transport policy is:

To provide an efficient, accessible, safe and environmentally friendly transport system that meets the society’s transport requirements and promotes regional development.

The structure of the objectives is the basis for the priorities during the plan period:

Figure 7.1 Structure of the objectives

The Government aims to improve traffic flow and reduce distance costs to boost the competitiveness of business and industry and to contribute to maintaining the main features of the settlement pattern. It is estimated that the large road and rail projects will reduce transport costs by nearly NOK 223 billion (EUR 27.9 billion) over the lifetime of the projects. In rural areas, an estimated NOK 47 billion (EUR 5.9 billion) would be saved in road transport costs. It is estimated that road and rail investments will reduce commercial transport costs for businesses by just over NOK 78 billion (EUR 9.8 billion).

Furthermore, it is estimated that the proposed investments will result in the following:

Travel time gains of 15 to 30 minutes will be achieved on the railway routes from Oslo to Skien, Lillehammer and Halden, and on the Trondheim – Steinkjer route.

Travel time on the E6/E136 Oslo – Ålesund and E6 Bodø – Tromsø routes will be reduced by around 30 minutes. The E39 Stavanger – Bergen, E6 Tromsø – Alta and E6 Oslo – Trondheim routes will also see considerable travel time improvements.

1 280 km of national roads will be opened to traffic.

400 km two- and three-lane national roads will be equipped with a median barrier. In addition, new four-lane roads with median barriers will replace two-lane roads.

Widening and increased standard of around 370 km of national roads.

A total of 750 km of walking and cycling paths will be built along the national road network during the plan period. Of this, 240 km will be in cities and towns.

The Government has adopted a vision of zero fatalities or serious injuries, Vision Zero, as the basis of its transport safety goal. The goal during the plan period is to halve the number of serious injuries and fatalities in road traffic. In aviation, shipping and rail transport, the goal is to maintain and strengthen the high level of safety during the plan period.

For the Government, it will also be important to prioritize civil protection measures that help to ensure a high level of traffic flow and reliability, whether by road, rail, air or sea.

During the plan period, the Government will emphasize reducing the transport sector’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, local air and noise pollution, loss of biodiversity and encroachment on farmland. The Government will pursue a restrictive policy for rezoning cropland and take biodiversity into account through all plan phases, the construction phase and the operation and maintenance of the transport network. Existing legislation and planning processes also provide for the use of compensation measures.

One of the Government’s goals is for the transport system to be universally designed. The Government will ensure that all travel chains are universally designed so that the transport system can be used by everyone. Measures during the plan period are expected to bring universal design to over 900 bus stops on the national road network and more than 100 public transport hubs. Furthermore, major upgrades are planned, including measures to increase accessibility and universal design at 40–80 existing railway stations.

Figure 7.2 Vision of zero fatalities or seriously injured in the transport sector. (Photo: Steinar Svensbakken)

8 More targeted agreements in urban areas

The Climate Agreement means that passenger growth in large cities will be absorbed by public transport, cycling and walking. To follow up this objective, a new way of organizing transport policy in urban areas will be introduced. The new urban environment agreements entail a more comprehensive approach in urban policy whereby the government, county authorities and municipalities unite in negotiations and undertake to pursue joint objectives enshrined in the urban environment agreement. Such mutual urban environment agreements are a new way of organizing the collaboriation between central and local authorities. The urban environment agreements will include targets and measures for increasing public transport use, cycling and walking, and measures to reduce the use of cars and land to support environmentally friendly transport. In the long term this will enable most people to use public transport for city travel.

Comprehensive urban environment agreements represent a new form of collaboration that is oriented toward urban areas, defined here as the nine urban areas included in the Cities of the Future. Cities of the Future is a collaboration between the Government and the 13 largest cities in Norway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make the cities better places to live. It will be possible for both the central and local governments to take the initiative to renegotiate existing agreements to establish new urban environment agreements. It may also be relevant to establish urban environment agreements in certain areas that do not currently have agreements. It is emphasized that the current division of funding and tasks is fixed. In urban areas where the railway is an important part of public transport, both public investments and the public purchase of passenger transport can be included in the agreements.

Funds dedicated for urban agreements are additional to funding for major investment measures and operation and maintenance of roads and railways, as well as measures for cyclists and pedestrians. The Reward Scheme is an incentive scheme to foster better traffic flow, a cleaner environment and improved health in urban areas by curbing the growth in vehicle use and increasing the use of public transport at the expense of travel by private car. This scheme rewards urban areas that implement measurable steps to improve the competitiveness of public transport at the expense of private vehicle traffic. All nine urban areas which are also candidates for urban environment agreements can apply for reward funding.

The Government contributes to investments in county authority public transport infrastructure through its initiatives in the comprehensive urban environment agreements. The funds are directed towards large investment measures that are of national importance and are necessary for efficient transport management. These include light rail projects and high-quality bus services. For other areas, more traditional urban packages will be relevant.

Figure 8.1 Bybanen light rail system in Bergen. (Photo: Henriette Erken Busterud)

9 More cyclists and pedestrians

Increased cycling provides better traffic flow, a cleaner environment and other social benefits, particularly in terms of better health. The Government aims to increase the cycling share from the current 4 per cent to 8 per cent by the end of the plan period, and will set aside NOK 8.2 billion (EUR 1 billion) for measures for cyclists and pedestrians.

Twenty-two per cent of all travel is by foot. Walking contributes positively to an individual’s health and quality of life, more activity in the community, more environmentally friendly transport and makes cities and towns more attractive and accessible. The facilitation of pedestrians must be emphasized in designing urban environment agreements.

Figure 9.1 The cycling share will be increased.

Source The joy of cycling/Geir Anders Rybakken Ørslien

10 Shifting more freight from road to sea and rail

The Government will strengthen the competitiveness of freight transport by sea and rail. Due to dispersed settlement and long distances Norwegian industry has higher transport and logistics costs than the countries we compete with. It is therefore important to create an effective transport system that can reduce distance costs and consequently also competitive disadvantages for Norwegian industry. This will also help to reduce the cost of goods and services in Norway.

The Government’s freight strategy is twofold:

Ensuring good efficiency in the various sectors - road, rail, sea and air - through targeted development of infrastructure and by facilitating better management of transport.

Facilitating the shifting of freight transport from road to sea and rail. Hubs will be facilitated to ease the transition.

The main approach in the freight strategy so far has been a focus on the development, operation and maintenance of the transport infrastructure. Possible changes in framework conditions, new organizational and cooperation forms and modernization of regulations will also be considered. ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) and new transport technologies could contribute to more efficient use of transport funding and improve the capacity of the infrastructure. The decision-making basis for the freight strategy will be further developed in coming years and form the basis for a revised freight strategy for the next review of the National Transport Plan.

The Government will:

Strengthen traffic flow for freight transport by road by improving existing transport networks and expanding road capacity so that the expected growth in traffic can be absorbed in a sound manner.

Facilitate increased freight transport by rail by increasing operational stability, and improving punctuality and regularity. Furthermore, the Government will develop the Alnabru terminal in Oslo and build new and extend existing passing loops. With the measures in National Transport Plan 2014–2023, the total freight capacity of the railway will increase by 20 to 50 per cent.

The Government will pursue a proactive maritime transport policy. Within the framework of a short sea shipping strategy, NOK 3 billion (EUR 0.4 billion) will be set aside during the plan period for measures aimed at ports and the design of policy instruments to strengthen short sea shipping. Among other things, the Government will:

Design measures that stimulate increased use of short sea shipping.

Design a grant scheme for governmental support of investments in designated ports.

Design a grant scheme for port cooperation and concentration of cargo.

Strengthen research and studies of freight transport by sea and intermodal transport solutions.

Figure 10.1 “Moving freight from road to sea”, Kristiansand port. (Photo: Norwegian Coastal Administration)

11 More efficient use of resources

The increased level of activity planned by the Government imposes new requirements on efficient use of resources. The Government sees potential for:

More efficient road toll collection.

More efficient agencies.

More efficient planning.

11.1 More efficient road toll collection

For the time beeing there are approx. 70 toll road projects in Norway, organized in 60 toll road companies. The Government will develop and practice principles for road toll collection so that the scheme is more efficient and achieves maximum credibility and legitimacy among road users. By bringing down administration and funding costs, a greater share of the collected funds will go to the purpose of the scheme. Furthermore, a simplification of fare systems and discount schemes will provide motorists with uniform practice in all parts of the country.

Key elements are:

Fewer toll companies: A trend towards fewer and larger companies will be important for streamlining collection through economies of scale and even more professional management of companies, for example with regard to borrowing and asset management. The Public Roads Administration will have a close dialogue with county authorities and other stakeholders to examine the possibility of creating regional toll companies as soon as possible.

Coordination of fare and discount systems: There are currently a number of special adaptations and discount schemes that are practised differently. This means that the system has become too complex and not very user-friendly. A broad review of the current fare and discount system will be carried out. Establishing national guidelines are also planned.

Mandatory payment tags: A system of mandatory toll road tags will ensure that toll companies acquire the necessary information about the owner of the vehicle. The Government has put forward legislative proposals for mandatory tags for heavy vehicles. This will reduce the road toll companies’ administration costs and make it easier to collect payment from the foreign road transport industry. It is also expected that fewer motorists will evade paying road tolls. The Ministry of Transport and Communications consider mandatory tags in all vehicles when privacy protection issues have been assessed.

11.2 More efficient agencies

The Ministry of Transport and Communications plans to establish a special programme for streamlining the work of the Public Roads Administration and National Rail Administration in the plan period.

The efficiency programme shall include specific measures aimed at all the main areas and include all costs on which the agency can have an influence. Great emphasis is placed on the reallocation of resources released through efficiency measures so that the largest possible share of funds allocated to the agencies is used to develop the national transport system.

Concrete measures and expected gains must be described in the programme. The efficiency requirements should be 10 to 15 per cent compared with a reference path for much of the internal activities of the agencies.

The Public Roads Administration and National Rail Administration shall further specify the efficiency programme, with emphasis on the first four years. The Ministry of Transport and Communications will report on the efficiency measures in the annual national budgets.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration will not be covered by the efficiency programme, but will maintain its usual focus on streamlining during the plan period.

To ensure efficient operation of Avinor, the Ministry of Transport and Communications sets a return requirement for capital in the company. In addition, the Ministry has adopted a plan with specific efficiency requirements for air navigation operations, and also conducted an international benchmarking study of airport operations in this matter.

11.3 More efficient planning

For major rail and road projects, it takes on average about 10 years from the start of planning to commencement of construction. The long planning period is a result of many different sub-processes involving multiple sectors, administration levels and authorities.

In the Government’s view, effective planning and plan production are essential for achieving the objectives of the National Transport Plan. The increased funding for investment, operation and maintenance tasks in recent years has further highlighted the need for faster and more effective planning processes.

The Government aims to halve the planning time for major infrastructure projects. To achieve this:

Governmental authorities shall practice clear and early involvement in planning matters.

Indicative deadlines shall be prepared for preparing plans and processing infrastructure projects.

The work with the Concept Evaluation (KVU) and the Quality Assurance (KS1) can clarify the main principles of route/corridor selection and development standards to facilitate planning. In addition, it may be necessary to coordinate the work of KVU/KS1 and planning programme to a greater extent.

Governmental regulations will be used more actively in transport matters.

12 Predictable funding and efficient implementation

The Government will introduce new policy instruments that provide for more efficient implementation of infrastructure projects. Efficient implementation allows projects to be completed faster, provides lower development costs and makes it more attractive for contractors to invest in long-term productivity improvements and organizational development. New instruments will also give the prosjects with highest priority a more predictable and secure funding.

12.1 New scheme for funding and organizing special priority projects

The Government will establish a new system where special priority projects receive a type of project funding within the current budget system. These projects will be managed by a separate project organization.

At the start of the project the budget proposal shall state the annual amount that will be needed for the project, based on efficient progress. Specified amounts will then usually be incorporated into the annual budget proposals during the project period. This will provide predictable funding.

Relevant projects for the new scheme are the InterCity projects, projects on E39, E10/rv85 and electrification of the Trønder line.

12.2 Streamlining through coordination

The Government wants the development of roads to take place on longer contiguous sections to ensure more efficient development. Moreover, it will better coordinate, over longer sections, large investments, dedicated funds and maintenance and anti-decay measures.

This allows for greater competition 2 and thus lower prices – by compiling various measures in larger tenders. Good coordination also reduces the inconvenience to road users.

Figure 12.1 Tunnel work on the railway (Photo: Norwegian National Rail Administration)

13 The High North Strategy

The Government aims to strengthen Norwegian policy for knowledge, activities and presence in the High North.

In the development of the transport system in the High North, the Government is particularly concerned with north-south connections and east-west cross-border connections. For rail and road, this means prioritizing E6, the Nordland line and Ofoten line in addition to the main border-crossing national roads E10, E12, E8 and E105. In addition, a decentralized airport network will be maintained and further developed and support for regional air routes will continue.

The Nordland line, from Trondheim to Bodø, will gain increased capacity through the construction of passing loops and full remote control of the entire route. The measures will also improve the punctuality and efficiency of this line.

There are a number of initiatives for new border-crossing rail connections from Sweden, Finland and Russia to ice-free Norwegian ports. If there is a clear interest from government authorities and industrial players in neighbouring countries to go ahead with a new freight line, the Government in Norway will be open to participate.

Figure 13.1 E6 Sennalandet, Finnmark. (Photo: Norwegian Public Roads Administration)

14 Cross-border transport

Norway’s extensive foreign trade makes it important to have good connections between domestic corridors and connections to and from abroad. In the National Transport Plan 2014–2023, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs have defined seven international transport corridors that reflect the distribution of foreign shipments to and from Norway and the links to the domestic corridors.

Figure 14.1

14.1 National transport corridors

1. Oslo – Svinesund/Kornsjø

2. Oslo – Ørje/Magnor

3. Oslo – Grenland – Kristiansand – Stavanger

4. Stavanger – Bergen – Ålesund – Trondheim

5. Oslo – Bergen/Haugesund with a link via Sogn to Florø

6. Oslo – Trondheim with links to Måløy, Ålesund and Kristiansund

7. Trondheim – Bodø with links to the Swedish border

8. Bodø – Narvik – Tromsø – Kirkenes with a link to Lofoten and links to the border with Sweden, Finland and Russia

14.2 International transport corridors

U1. East Norway – Southern Sweden, Denmark, the Baltic States and Continental Europe

U2. East Norway to/from seaports and airports in West-Europe

U3. South Norway – Denmark and continental Europe

U4. East Norway – Sweden, Finland, the Baltic States and Russia

U5. Mid-Norway – Central Sweden and Finland

U6. North Norway – Northern Sweden, Finland and Russia

U7. International ports in West Norway, Mid-Norway and North Norway

The Government is committed to participate in partnerships to promote the development of cross-border transport. Norway participates in both the EU TEN-T network, the Northern Dimension Partnership for Transport and Logistics (NDPTL) and the Barents Euro-Arctic Transport Area (BEATA).

14.3 TEN-T (Trans-European Transport Network)

Norway’s participation in TEN-T is regulated through the EEA Agreement. The part of the TEN-T network called “The Nordic Triangle” is the most interesting for Norway, as it includes Norwegian infrastructure connections between Norway and abroad. On the Norwegian side, the Nordic Triangle includes the Norwegian rail route from Oslo to Sweden via Kornsjø, the road route E6 from Oslo to Sweden via Svinesund, the Oslofjord connection and railway connection with Sweden via Kongsvingerbanen and the E18 road connection to Sweden. Other parts of Norway’s infrastructure are also classified as TEN-T networks, without this having any economic gain or cost for Norway. However, Norway must adhere to EU requirements for the network, such as the requirements stated in the tunnel directive and Euro Vignette Directive.

14.4 Northern Dimension Partnership for Transport and Logistics (NDPTL)

To achieve more coordinated and faster development of infrastructure and make transport across borders easier, a partnership for transport and logistics was created in 2010 under the auspices of the EU’s Northern Dimension. Norway participates in the partnership with Germany, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Russia and Belarus. A transport network shall be defined in the region, which will build on extensions of TEN-T to the countries that are not EU members.

In December 2012, a support fund for NDPTL was established to contribute funds to the development of the projects. Norway is the first country that has provided a financial contribution to the support fund. Initially, a fund will contribute to studies and analyses, but will, if agreement is achieved, provide funds for investments.

14.5 Barents Euro-Arctic Transport Area (BEATA)

The transport system in the High North should be developed in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. Norway has consequently taken the initiative through the Barents cooperation to develop a cross-border strategy that sets out how the transport system in the High North should be developed. An expert working group has been established with representatives from the transport authorities in the four Barents Sea countries to prepare a proposal for a common Barents Sea transport plan. During 2013, the transport ministers will draw up the principles for long-term development of the transport system in the north on the basis of the recommendations of the expert working group.

15 Need for knowledge – research and development

The Government’s ambitions for the transport sector will in many cases not be realized without new knowledge about topics that are important for the sector. A large part of the research in Norway relies heavily on activities taking place internationally, especially in Europe and the other Nordic countries. At the same time, there is a need to maintain special professional high-quality research communities at national level, in order to convert research results to Norwegian conditions and to maintain state-of-the-art expertise in areas where Norwegian research communities are in the lead.

In the new EU Framework Programme for Research, Horizon 2020, transport will be one of six thematic areas. The framework programme will simplify and combine existing financial mechanisms and develop the European Research Area (ERA). The purpose is to coordinate the various countries’ national programmes and activities, and avoid overlapping of research. Norway has participated in joint calls for proposals organized by ERA-NET Transport, including one on the electrification of the transport sector. The Government will be a driving force for increased international cooperation in transport research.

Figure 15.1 Photo: Øystein Grue/The Norwegian National Rail Administration

16 More on the investment programme

The investment programme in the Government’s proposed National Transport Plan 2014–2023 will boost the development of transport infrastructure in Norway. The initiative means that over the coming ten years, 71 new large road and railway projects (large= costing more than NOK 750 million (EUR 93.8 million)) will be initiated. In addition, a number of projects already in progress will be completed. Of the new projects, 31 will be started in the first four years.

The overall financial allocations for government investments in national roads, railways and fairways for the plan period 2014–2023 is NOK 273.4 billion (EUR 34.2 billion). In addition, collection of around NOK 98 billion (EUR 12.3 billion) in road tolls is assumed during the plan period. Civil aviation is mainly self-funded and is not part of the financial allocations of the National Transport Plan.

The Government’s priorities in the corridors underpin a differentiated transport policy. The strong growth in railway investments will be used to bolster the infrastructure around the largest towns so that rail can play a key and structuring role in the public transport system, thereby contributing to the absorption of transport growth around the main towns by public transport solutions. The increased funding will also be spent on freight measures in the form of upgrading and expansion of terminals and more passing loops to increase the capasity for freight traffic by rail. Along with investments in fairways, and other policy instruments, this will help propel the transfer of freight from road to rail and sea where possible.

The Government will develop corridors that link parts of the country/regions together, providing efficient, reliable and safe connections to neighbouring countries. The Government will therefore prioritize the main roads E6, E10, E16, E18, E39 and E134 connections. Large investment projects and a strong commitment to programme areas such as road safety, measures for pedestrians and cyclists, public transport measures and universal design will be carried out in this respect. The Government wants the development of roads to take place on longer contiguous sections to ensure more efficient development. Moreover, it seeks increased use of the ability to coordinate, over longer sections, large investment measures, programme area measures and maintenance and anti-decay measures.

For maritime transport, the Government will focus on improving and marking fairways. Both larger and deeper vessels create a need for fairway improvements. An important fairway project will be the Stad Ship Tunnel. Expanded use of high-speed craft for carrying passengers in rural coastal areas is creating a need for adaptations of navigation aids. The bulk of fairway measures are located in the main shipping lane along the coast and in the approach to trunk network ports. These measures will lead to improved safety and better navigation in narrow waters, while some measures will also lead to shorter sailing distances.

The Government will ensure an airport network that links the country together and provides all regions with good air services. To meet the expected growth in traffic, Avinor is planning to expand capacity at the major airports. Avinor’s investment plans for the plan period 2014–2023 shows investments totalling NOK 37 billion (EUR 4.6 billion).

Figure 16.1 Road projects Southern Norway 2014–2023

Figure 16.2 Road projects Northern Norway 2014–2023

Figure 16.3 Railway projects Southern Norway 2014–2023

Figure 16.4 Railway projects Northern Norway 2014–2023

Figure 16.5 Fairway projects Southern Norway 2014–2023

Figure 16.6 Fairway projects Northern Norway 2014–2023