Norway is launching its largest-ever transportation infrastructure project. The Follo Line is a rail project that will connect the city of Oslo with the municipality of Ski, southeast of the capital, as part of a modernization plan designed to address population growth—projected to reach 30% by 2025—and streamline travel in the metropolitan region, where transportation capacity is already at its limit.
The project will include 64 kilometers of track and a 20-kilometer twin tunnel in length, making it the longest in the Nordic countries, and the first in Norway to be excavated using 4 TBM-type tunnel boring machines, suitable for rocky terrain. The pair of tunnels, connected by galleries every 500 meters, are designed to last 100 years. The new intercity rail line will cut the travel time between Oslo and Ski in half and is designed for trains traveling at speeds of up to 250 km/h.
Work will begin in the coming weeks and is expected to be completed in 2021. With an investment of 1.3 billion euros, the project includes the expansion of Oslo Central Station and a new terminal for the city of Ski.
The Nordic countries exceed European standards in terms of sustainability and environmental impact. Construction work will be monitored to reduce noise, promote the reuse of excavated material, minimize the impact on groundwater, and avoid disruptions to existing infrastructure. Once operational, the Follo Line Project will remove 6,000 cars per day from the roads and up to 750 trucks, reducing carbon emissions by 5,500 metric tons per year, while providing a fast, safe, and efficient solution for the ground transportation of cargo and passengers.
