Foreword
On 22 March 2024, the Støre Government presented Report to the Storting (white paper) No. 14 (2023–2024) National Transport Plan 2025–2036. The Norwegian Parliament (Storting) considered the report during the spring of 2024. This document is a summary of The National Transport Plan 2025–2036. Together with the Parliament’s consideration, The National Transport Plan constitutes the framework for how we will develop the transport system in Norway over the coming years.
The choices and priorities we make today are crucial for the future of our transport system. The Government aims to utilise the entire country, making traveling easier and increasing the competitiveness of the business sector. Addressing the climate and environmental crises is our generation’s most pressing challenge. The Government’s political platform emphasises that climate and nature should frame all policies, including the national transport policy. As a result of the changed security policy situation, the Government will place greater emphasis on military mobility in its assessment and prioritisation of measures pertaining to transport infrastructure.
In recent years, substantial efforts in the transport sector have enabled the necessary development and modernisation of the transport system, particularly through major investment projects in the national road network and railways. However, the existing transport infrastructure has been burdened by significant and persistent maintenance backlogs. The condition of infrastructure, coupled with the growing pressures from climate change and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact, demands a reallocation of resources in order to meet our transport policy goals.
During the planning period, the Government will base its prioritisation of resources on the following:
-
we shall preserve existing transport infrastructure;
-
we shall improve transport infrastructure where possible and better utilise the capacity of the existing infrastructure and transport services;
-
we shall construct new infrastructure when necessary.
Jon-Ivar Nygård
Minister of Transport (Labour Party)