Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Train trouble in Oslo

again


All train traffic between Oslo's central station and Lysaker, west of the capital, was standing still Monday afternoon, after more signal trouble at the main Skøyen station.

Train commuters had to switch over to bus service when the railroad suffered more equipment trouble on Monday.

PHOTO: KJETIL OLSEN

Related stories:

Railway NSB, which continually suffers from railroad Jernbaneverket's inability to keep its infrastructure in working order, was scrambling once again to find alternative transport for its passengers.

The signal trouble was blamed on a fire that broke out in three large cables at Skøyen Station. It knocked out the signal system that directs trains through the station.

"We're working as fast as we can, but this will hit commuters and we're sorry," Ellen Svendsvoll, information chief in Jernbaneverket, told Aftenposten.no.

Nor could Svendsvoll guarantee that the problem would be fixed in time for the Tuesday morning commute. She noted that the signal system at Skøyen is nearly 30 years old, and that the station is one of the most heavily trafficked in the Oslo area.

NSB was trying to provide bus service to stranded passengers, but delays were expected. Around 40,000 persons were affected.

"We have heard that problems can last overnight," said Preben Colstrup, information chief in NSB. "But by then, we’ll have had enough time to get enough busses in service."

Aftenposten English Web Desk


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