King Harald (left) and Austrian President Heinz Fischer seemed to enjoy their tour of the new underground train immensely.PHOTO: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / SCANPIX
Margit Fischer and Queen Sonja admiring the new underground train.
PHOTO: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / SCANPIX
King Olav, right, photographed trying to pay for his ticket on the Holmenkoll line to go skiing. King Olav traveled by T-bane in 1973 during the oil crisis, out of solidarity with the public.
PHOTO: Martinsen, Jan A.
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King Harald took Austrian President Heinz Fischer on the maiden run of Oslo's new underground train (T-bane) at Stortinget (Parliament) station on Wednesday, 18th April.
This is the first time King Harald has taken a visiting head of state underground, and also marked the first official visit by the King himself on an underground train. The trip underground was to show President Fischer the new Porsche-designed carriages produced by Siemens in Austria. The president received the honor of christening the first train set, which was given the name Wien (Vienna).
Queen Sonja and the president's wife, Margit Fischer, were also present at the ceremony, which featured Viennese music and themed refreshments. The queen enjoyed herself so much that she said she wanted to travel by underground in the future. "The underground train is a symbol of a modern city. These elegant carriages can bring us from the center and out to unspoiled nature in a half an hour - this is what we call quality of life," said city council leader Erling Lae.
The Austrian president and King Harald appeared to have become good friends during the first days of the state visit, and the pair sat together and laughed and joked as they toured the station area. They were both presented with a model of the new underground train carriages.
The press finally got their long-awaited picture of King Harald on the T-bane - photos of both his father and his son on the underground already exist.
Source: (Aftenposten English Web Desk/NTB)
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