Flytoget

Flytoget AS, in English branded as the Airport Express Train is a high speed airport rail link service connecting Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to Oslo, Norway in 19 minutes.^[4] The sixteen BM71 trains run on Gardermobanen high-speed rail line, normally every ten minutes. Flytoget transported 5.4 million passengers in 2007^[3], a 34 % market share of grount transport to the airport.^[5] The service is the only high-speed rail service in operation in Norway.^[6]

Flytoget AS

File:Flytoget logo.png
Company type	State owned
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	November 24, 1992[1]
Founder	Norges Statsbaner[2]
Headquarters	Oslo, Norway[1]
Area served	Greater Oslo
Key people	Thomas Havnegjerde (CEO) Endre Skjørestad (Chair)[3]
Revenue	NOK 689 million (2007)[3]
Operating income	NOK 192 million (2007)[3]
Net income	NOK 182 million (2007)[3]
Number of employees	265 (2007)[3]
Parent	Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry[3]
Website	www.flytoget.no

When the Norwegian parliament, Stortinget, on October 8, 1992 decided to build a new central airport for Eastern Norway, they also decided that the main mode of ground transport to the airport should be by railway. While the previous airport, Oslo Airport, Fornebu, was located just outside the city limits, the new airport Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, would be located some 50 kilometers north of the city, outside the reach of existing public transport. The principle of the airport construction was that it was not to be footed by the tax payers, and so the entire airport would be built with borrowed money, through Oslo Lufthavn AS, a subsidiary of the government agency Luftfartsverket. The same principle was chosen for the airport rail link, and the state railways, Norges Statsbaner (NSB) created the subsidiary limited company NSB Gardermobanen AS on November 24, 1992 to perform the construction of the line. This company would be able to charge train operators using the railway line, and could use this to cover its down payments and interest to handle the debt endured to pay for the infrastructure investment. It was planned to give a profit margin of 7.5 %.^[2]

Construction

Construction of the railway started in 1994. Gardermoen is located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Oslo, but is not located on the railway line, Hovedbanen. A different right-of-way would had to be chosen north of Kløfta. Also, Hovedbanen is very heavily trafficked with many small stops until Lillestrøm, and continues northwards only as single track.^[7] Therefore an all-new railway would have to be built, named Gardermobanen, bypassing the intermediate railway until Lillestrøm through a tunnel, continuing northwards to the airport and onwards to Eidsvoll. This northernmost part is 16 kilometres (10 mi) and used to allow trains operating on Dovrebanen to Lillehammer and Trondheim to use Gardermobanen.^[6]

Gardermobanen was the second attempt to build a high-speed railway in Norway. The first was the 35 km line from Ski to Moss on Østfoldbanen. However, no operation speeds exceeding 160 km/h was achieved due to short distances and limitations to rolling stock. Therefore, Gardermobanen became the first real high-speed railway line in Norway. Also, due to the domination of single track in Norway, the 64 kilometres (40 mi) Gardermobanen increased the total length of double track in the kingdom with about 50 %.^[6]

An agreement for purchase of sixteen three-car electric multiple units was signed on February 23, 1995 with ADtranz. On October 1, 1996 the Storting decided that the construction company, NSB Gardermobanen, would operate the new train service to the airport and the trains were delivered between September 19, 1997 and January 30, 1998.^[8] The total cost of purchasing the trains, as well as other operation-related startup costs was NOK 1.4 billion.^[2]

Challenges

The most challenging part of the construction was the 14,580 metres (47,830 ft) railway tunnel from Ettestad, just beside Oslo S, to Lillestrøm.^[6] Romeriksporten is the longest railway tunnel in Norway, and is underneath the recreational area Østmarka, in geological highly unstable ground. During the construction in 1997 the water level in some of the lakes above the tunnel, including Lutvann and Nordre Puttjern, sank dramatically. After they were discovered on February 3, 1997 sanctions were initiated by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate requiring leakage removals in the tunnel. At the worst the tunnel leaked 3,000 liters of water per minute.^[9]

The substance Rhoca-Gil was taken into use of to fix the leakages, but the substance failed to work properly. Not only did it not polymerize and not tighten the leak, but it also intoxicated the surroundings with acrylamide. The entire process of fixing the leak and cleaning up the toxic delayed the process of building the tunnel one year, and it was first opened on August 22, 1999. The entire process was complicated further due to conflicts between NSB Gardermobanen and the construction company. Retrospective surveys have shown lack of control- and reporting procedures during incidents that should have been addressed in 1995, but never taken seriously. About sixty houses received damages due to the construction of the tunnel. An evaluation performed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications showed that NOK 500 million was used on fixing the leaks; however the report claimed this to a large extent a waste of money due to inefficient engineering procedured. The same report criticized the planning and organization of the entire construction of the railway.^[9]

When the new airport opened on October 8, 1998 the Airport Express Train started its first normal working day. Trains had to use the old Hovedbanen form Oslo S to Lillestrøm, but could use the new high-speed line from Lillestrøm to Gardermoen. Regular operations using Romeriksporten started on August 22, 1999.^[2]

Reorganization

The original cost estimates for the project were NOK 4.3 billion, +/- 20 %. In the end total construction costs ended at NOK 7.7 billion, of which NOK 1.3 billion were directly related to the leakages in Romeriksporten. The rest of the line had a cost exceeding of NOK 0.4 billion. In addition the company had acquired financial costs of NOK 0.9 billion, so the company owned NOK 10.0 billion by 1999, including money spent on the new trains.^[2]

The first steps to restructure the organization was taken in 2000 when the CEO of NSB was fired by the board of NSB on June 29, 2000. This was due to several incidents related to the operations of NSB, and not just to Gardermobanen.^[10] Einar Enger took over as new CEO on February 26, 2001.^[11]

It was also becoming inevitable that the debt in NSB Gardermobanen was becoming unmanageable, and in April 2000 the Storting announced that it accepted that it would not be possible to make Gardermobanen the profitable venture as predicted in 1992, with the current structure. Due to this, Storting proposed in June 2000 that the company be reorganized, and from January 1, 2001 the company changed name to Flytoget AS. This company retained ownership of the trains and operations, and was kept as a subsidiary of NSB. The tracks and infrastructure were at the same time transfered to the government agency Jernbaneverket, who also owns the rest of the Norwegian railway network. All debt was restored, and covered by the state. A vehicle excise duty was however implemented on Gardermobanen to cover the management and maintenance of the line, to be paid by all users of the line.^[2]

On December 9, 2002 Storting decided that Flytoget AS would become a separate railway company owned directly by the Ministry of Transport and Communications from January 1, 2003.^[2] This is the first time in modern history that a different company than NSB has operated scheduled mainline rail transport. One year later the ownership of Flytoget AS was transfered to the Ministry of Trade and Industry as part of a cleanup among ownership in the departments.^[12] As part of this reorganization process the current CEO Thomas Havnegjerde was appointed in June 2002^[13], and the current Chair Endre Skjørestad in January 2003, who took over the position form Einar Enger, the CEO of NSB.^[14]

In 2005 the first part of Askerbanen opened between Sandvika and Asker. This new double track runs parallel to the old Drammenbanen and has allowed quicker travel times to Asker.^[15]

The company operates departures every ten minutes from Oslo S to the airport. Half of these trains originate at Asker, make four intermediate stops before Oslo S, and then again at Lillestrøm. The other half go directly from Oslo S to Gardermoen. On Saturdays, Sunday mornings and in most of July month Flytoget does not operate the direct trains from Oslo S, and only operates the 20-minute headway all-stop trains.^[16] While the services northeastwards from Oslo S to the airport use the high-speed line Gardermobanen, the services westwards towards Asker use Drammenbanen, that was built in 1870-72.^[7] This means that while the 48 kilometres (30 mi) from Oslo S to the airport can be done in 19 minutes, the 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Asker to Oslo S takes 26 minutes. However, the latter includes stops at five stations, Nationaltheatret, Skøyen, Lysaker, Sandvika and Asker.^[16]

In addition to other means of grand transport, competition is offered by NSB who also operate trains from Oslo to the airport. This includes one hourly departure with line 450 of the Oslo Commuter Rail, with services north of the airport to Eidsvoll, and south to Oslo, Drammen and Kongsberg.^[17] There is also one regional train hourly north to Hamar and Lillehammer, as well as south to Vestfold.^[18] Five daily express trains to Trondheim also call at Oslo Airport Station, including one night train.^[19]

The price of a ticket to Oslo is NOK 160, though higher if departing from Sandvika or Asker. Reduced fairs, with 50 % discount, are offered to senior citizens, children, youth under 21 years, students, benefit recipients and military personell.^[20] Flytoget tickets are not valid on NSB trains, nor are NSB tickets valid on Flytoget. NSB tickets are generally cheaper than with Flytoget, though not for some groups with reduced fare. For instance students are granted a greater discount with Flytoget than with NSB.^[21][20] Ticket can either be bought at vending machines or as e-tickets.^[22]

Flytoget boosts a high service quality, with 96% of all departures arriving within 3 minutes of schedule, and only 0.4 % of departures canceled.^[4] Part of this is due to that the airport express trains receive priority over all other trains in the limited capacity around Oslo.^[12] In 2008 Flytoget was announced to have the most satisfied, and the fourth most loyal customers of all companies in Norway by the annual customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Norwegian School of Management.^[23] The same year Flytoget was declared the best work place in Norway by Great Place to Work.^[24]

Stations

Future plans

The second half of the railway line Askerbanen between Lysaker and Sandvika is planned to be opened in 2011, and will reduce travel time west of Lysaker by about seven minutes. This project includes a full upgrade of Lysaker Station.^[26]

Flytoget also has announced that it will be extending all services to Asker onwards to Drammen in June 2008. This will happen after upgrades have been made to Drammenbanen, including the Lieråsen Tunnel, and Drammen Station that will receive a new parking lot. All in all the upgrades cost NOK 20 million.^[27][28]

Main article: BM71

The company operates sixteen BM71 three-car electric multiple units. These were delivered in 1997-98 and built by ADtranz at Strømmen. The units are based on the Swedish X2 units operated by SJ in the X 2000 intercity service, and developed by ASEA during the 1980s. The BM71 are nearly identical to the NSB BM73, save for the 71-series lacking one car, a different interior and tilting mechanism. Both the Norwegian derivatives have chosen to not use a locomotive car, but instead install one powered boogie in each car. The 71-series is built for maximum operating speeds of 210 km/h, though they have achieved higher test speeds.^[8]

Among the features are pressure-tight cabins to allow comfortable travel through tunnels at high speeds, and step-free access to the cars. Instead there are steps inside the trains, and this has been criticized to be in non-conformance with public accessibility policy.^[29] The multiple units can only operate in fixed sets of three cars, but multiple sets can be run together. but Flytoget regularly uses double sets, to create six-car trains. ^[8] In 2008-09 all the units will be refit with an additional middle car, increasing capacity with 40%. The upgrade will be performed by Bombardier Transportation.^[30]

The sister trains in service with NSB, having to operate on hundred-year-old infrastructure on cross-mountain services, where unlike the BM71 prone with trouble. The BM71 had more lenient operating conditions thanks to better infrastructure, and they were a lot less effected by the trouble. The only incident to ground the BM71 trains occurred on June 17, 2000 at Nelaug where a MB73 train operated by NSB derailed because of stress on the axle. Unlike the sister trains, the airport express trains where back in service the next day,^[31] while the 73-series had to wait another month to be put back in service.^[32]

• Official site