Unprecedented boost for transport – nationwide

“In the decade ahead we intend to spend a total of NOK 321.9 billion via the fiscal budget on development, operation and maintenance of the road and rail networks and coastal shipping lanes. This is NOK 100 billion or 45 per cent more than in the previous National Transport Plan.

This is a major initiative for a safer, more environment-friendly and efficient transport system. We will build and bind the country together. People and businesses will get to their destination more quickly and easily. Funds will be spent in a way that develops good local communities and promotes value creation throughout the country. The Government will strengthen public transport in densely populated areas and expand the road network in areas where public transport is not a viable option.

We are increasing road and rail investments and ensuring that projects already under way are efficiently implemented. We are also making more funds available for the operation and maintenance of the road and rail networks alike.

We will launch close to 40 major road projects, all costing in excess of NOK 200 million. They include a hefty upgrading of the E6 highway from north to south, the E16 Oslo-Bergen highway and the E39 coastal trunk road. We propose spending NOK 10 billion on rockfall/landslide protection in the period. A new 230 km four-lane highway will be built and 350 km of national road will be upgraded, including yellow road markings. 500 km of footpaths and cycle lanes will be put in place, as well as 750 km of new central barriers and other measures for safer traffic.

New double tracks will be built in the south-eastern region and important development projects launched in the Bergen and Trondheim areas. This will make room for far more trains, shorter travel times and more reliable train operation. Passing loops will be built along the entire rail network to reduce travel time and double capacity to transport goods by rail.

Government purchases of ferry services forming part of the national road system will be assured by maintaining the level of spending in the 2009 budget. This will make room for some increase in ferry service provision, both on the national road network and the new county road network.

The regional airports and the regional air services are important for maintaining employment and settlement patterns across the entire country. The present airport structure will be maintained provided there is no wish at the local level to close an airport down.

This was stated by Transport and Communications Minister, Liv Signe Navarsete, when the Government today presented its White Paper on the National Transport Plan for the period 2010-2019. The white paper sets out the main lines of the Government's transport policy, and is a tool for assigning priorities with regard to development, operation and maintenance of the government transport infrastructure.

Spending ceiling – up NOK 100 billion
In the period 2010-2019 the annual distribution of government funding will average out at:

• NOK 21,188 million to roads, including subsidies for the operation of national-road ferry services and funding included in block subsidies and interest compensation to county authorities. This is an increase of NOK 6,139 million or 39 per cent compared with the National Transport Plan for the period 2006-2015.
• NOK 9,214 million to the Norwegian National Rail Administration, an increase of NOK 3,390 million or 58 per cent compared with the National Transport Plan for the period 2006-2015.
• NOK 1,085 million to the Norwegian Coastal Administration, an increase of NOK 471 million or 77 per cent.

In addition, the Government will act on local-level willingness to use road toll revenues to expedite development of the road network for public transport. Road toll revenue receipts of about NOK 60 billion are expected in addition to central government funding in the period, entailing that the share of national road investments funded by road toll revenues will be the same as in 2009.

More to operation and maintenance - and to investments
A total of NOK 99.5 billion is earmarked for the above tasks, including road traffic safety control, for the period 2010-2019. This is an increase of NOK 21.8 billion or 28 per cent compared with the National Transport Plan for the period 2006-2015. It will enable better care to be taken of existing infrastructure. This important with a view to achieving safe, more reliable and efficient traffic, and will also provide environmental benefits.

The investment programme set out in the National Transport Plan for the period 2010-2019 is the largest boost for transport infrastructure development in modern times. The overall economic ceiling for government investments in national roads, railways and shipping lanes in this period is about NOK 128 billion. This is an increase of NOK 65 billion or just over double compared with the NTP for 2006-2015.

The Government advocates a strong focus on major national road projects which will see an average annual increase of about NOK 2.2 billion or just over 80 per cent compared with the NTP for 2006-2015. Such an increase in investment will shorten travel times and reduce distance costs for people and businesses. The increased funding for national roads, including rockfall/landslide protection, will be about NOK 38 billion in the period 2010-2019, or just over double, compared with the NTP for 2006-2015.

Travel times will be reduced by about 30 to 35 minutes on the following routes: the E6/E136 highway between Oslo and Ålesund, the E39 highway between Bergen and Ålesund, national road 80 and the E6/E8 highway between Bodø and Tromsø and the E6 highway between Oslo and Trondheim. On the E16 highway between Oslo and Bergen substantial investment and operating resources will be spent on securing a trunk road between east and west that is open throughout winter.

According to estimates by the Norwegian National Rail Administration, the proposed development projects will save about NOK 3.5 million travel hours and 450,000 waiting hours.

Railway investments will double in the period 2010 to 2019 compared with the previous NTP. Railway development will provide 144 km of new rail track, of which 116 km will be double track. Capacity and punctuality will improve for both passenger and goods transport. Rail goods transport capacity will double thanks to the construction of 45 new passing loops and development of terminals at localities including Alnabru in Oslo.