Reader’s letter This is a debate entry, written by an external contributor. The post expresses the writer’s views.
Now we are experiencing a double train robbery: With acceptance from the Minister of Transport, a route plan is being drawn up from 2025/26 with only local trains and thus time-consuming train changes at all stations in the northern county. At the same time, the new double track Strokke – Sandefjord has been completely erased in the government’s proposal for the national transport plan 2025 – 2036.
Politicians, businesses and residents of Vestfold must now mobilize with full force for a timetable with train stops at the stations in Horten, Holmestrand and Sande. Vestfoldbanen must retain the Intercity offer at all stations. Together, we must stop the railway scandal that would be the tens of billions of NOK invested in new double tracks on the Vestfold Railway not being utilized in an appropriate way for the users of the train service.
When the agreed improved train service still does not come in 2025, it is obvious that people are questioning society’s overall investments. The train robbery weakens trust in the state as a predictable actor both in general and in rail policy in particular.
Destroys the train offer
Vestfoldbanen currently has a reasonably well-functioning Intercity offer with train stops at all stations. The railway authorities will replace this with a two-part train offer, which means that the three stations in the northern county will only stop for local trains. The railway authorities are thus destroying our train offer, which from autumn 2025 will be even better with the opening of new double tracks between Drammen and Tønsberg. It becomes much more difficult to travel within Vestfold, for example from Sandefjord to Horten or Holmestrand, to work, university or school when you have to make time-consuming train changes.
Correspondingly, it will be more difficult for employees or school students in the northern county to commute by train to work or school in Sandefjord, Larvik or the cities in Grenland. It is very unfortunate for both companies and the individual employee. This weakens access to labor and results in less mobility on the labor market in Vestfold, which weakens companies’ competitiveness. Important parts of the business world lose the possibility of fast travel via train and our airports Gardermoen and Torp.
Acting fraudulently
Both the transport minister and the railway authorities are now acting fraudulently towards the Vestfold community. They are trying to present the train offer at the stations in the northern county as improved from 2025/26. For most commuters, local trains, the commute from Dal in Eidsvoll, will mean a worse offer. You lose today’s Intercity offer and get a worse train offer, measured in terms of comfort and journey time. Commuters are given less opportunity to use their travel time in an appropriate way and will experience a more stressful work journey. From the autumn of 2025, in agreement with a long-standing dialogue, Vestfold will have train services with increased frequency, shorter journey times and significantly better regularity.
Powerful community builder
The proposal for a new route plan from 2025 affects both those who commute to Drammen/Oslo and those who travel internally in Vestfold – and to Grenland – for work or school. The railway bureaucrats in Oslo do not understand the role and importance of the Vestfold Railway for companies, public enterprises and citizens. A modern double-track Vestfold railway throughout the county will function as a powerful community builder, connecting companies, public enterprises, employees and students/school pupils. The purpose of a modern railway must precisely be to facilitate the creation of new values, jobs and experiences.
Devastating
The double-track Vestfold line Tønsberg – Oslo comes more than 20 years after the opening of a new 4-lane motorway on the same stretch. A main goal of the new double tracks that will open in the autumn of 2025 must be to help more people ditch the car in favor of the train. The new timetable will unfortunately be devastating for the transition from car transport to trains. Train changes and the local train standard precisely stimulate the use of one’s own car. Therefore, the new route plan will undermine an effective climate policy and Vestfold’s transition to a renewable society.
The Storting on the pitch
Venstre in Vestfold has taken up the matter with our own Storting group because we believe the proposed route plan is a gigantic breach of promise to the whole of Vestfold and because in our view it is contrary to the guidelines and assumptions that the Storting has laid as a basis for the development of double track in Vestfold. The Liberal Party will therefore work to ensure that the Storting can provide the necessary political guidance and signals, so that we save a well-functioning Vestfold railway.
