Norway: Yes to a new railway between Oslo and Gothenburg

A while back the Norwegian National Rail Administration announced the good news that they have been commissioned by the Ministry of Transport and Communication to investigate the possibilities for a new double track railway mainly for freight between Oslo and Gothenburg. This is exactly what I have been talking about for a long time and I really do hope it becomes a reality.  

Region Västra Götaland, the public transportation company Västtrafik and a number of municipalities have long been pushing for a new railway for freight through Dalsland, a region in Sweden bordering Norway. The reason is because the E6 soon won’t be able to take more traffic. It already suffers from heavy congestion now and then. On average, there is about 2 500 trucks a day driving the road between Gothenburg and Oslo and in comparison there is only three freight trains a day.

Let’s hope the Swedish government also will invest in this.

The next step, and one I sincerely hope the Swedish government quickly claim responsibility for, is to build a railway connection to and from the harbour in Gothenburg. It would be fantastic if this could be discussed at the same time as the new railway to Oslo.