5th March 2014

Bybanen: New light rail system in Bergen, Norway

•  City of Bergen in the County of Hordaland •  Description of project .- ideal for light rail? •  Financing scheme: The Bergen Program •  Different strategies •  Vehicles and right-of-way •  Ongoing activities / Future plans •  Activities in Nordic countries

5th March 2014

Bergen, Norway •  Population: 260.000 (region: 350.000) •  Norway’s second largest city •  Economy based on oil, shipping, fishing,

education and tourism •  Mountainous with population in valleys •  Unstable public transport over the past

two decades –  consolidation from 10 to 1 bus

company –  Limited subsidy for public transport

•  Well-developed highway system, but difficult bottlenecks

•  Mild climate –  5 degrees and raining / 2 to 3 meters

of rain annually 5th March 2014

History •  Bergen trams from

1897 until closure on 31st December 1965

•  Private automobiles available from 1960s

•  Regional rail network proposed and investigated in 1970 – 1974

•  Toll system around CBD established in 1986

•  Light rail resurfaces in period 1990-2000 after renaissance in France and England

•  Financing for light rail included in the Bergen program in 2002 - 2006.

5th March 2014

Description of project: Line 1

•  Modern light rail system – backbone for high-quality public transport in Bergen

•  Universal design •  High level of service

and priority •  Visible •  Safe and secure •  Reliable •  Quiet and non-intrusive

5th March 2014

Phase 1 (50% of Line 1) June 2010

Alignment: Sentrum – Nesttun

•  9,8 km, double track •  2 terminals •  15 stations •  4 tunnels

(total length 2,6 km) •  Trip time: 23 minutes

Costs: •  Infrastructure: €250 million •  Vehicles (12): €30 million

5th March 2014

Phase 2 Opened in June 2013

Alignment: Nesttun – Lagunen

•  3,6 km - double track •  1 terminal •  4 stations •  2 tunnels

(total length 0,9 km) •  Trip time: 8 minutes

Costs: •  Infrastructure: €150 million •  Vehicles (5): €12 million

5th March 2014

Why?

•  Nostalgia – rail is better •  Reduce the need for highway investment •  Desire for stability in public transport services •  Need for major improvements in level of service •  Desire for different development structure

(densification) •  Reduce operating costs •  Reduce bus traffic in urban area •  Political need to support public transport

5th March 2014

Capacity is needed in urban

environments

Severe air quality issues during winter

Why not?

•  Nostalgia – rail is old technology •  Reduction of road capacity and investment •  Bus is better – asphalt is better •  Sceptical to a different development structure

(planned denser development) •  Increase in operating costs •  Auto users do not like to pay for investment and

possibly operations

5th March 2014

Non-issues during planning and public hearing process

•  Noise •  Design details •  Overhead wires

– existing trolleybus and street lighting

•  But now, major safety concerns!

5th March 2014

Major challenges

•  Technical •  Organization •  Political •  Approval process – Norwegian Railway Inspectorate

5th March 2014

Funding scheme: Local, regional and national cooperation

•  Toll ring first established in 1985 for 15 years •  The Bergen program for transport, development and

environment (extension of tolls for 20 years) •  Cooperation between:

– Bergen kommune (City of Bergen) – Hordaland fylkeskommune (County of Hordaland) – Statens vegvesen (National Highway Authority)

5th March 2014

Bergen program: Investment budget

•  Total budget for 20 year period: 2003-2022 •  €1500 million

–  50% for road projects –  50% for public transport projects

•  First two segment of light rail (13,4 km) –  Budget: €400 million for infrastructure –  Vehicles: €42 million

•  Financing –  60% from tolls (€3 to enter central area) –  40% from national government (highway funds)

5th March 2014

Technical strategy

•  Unique project in Norway •  Limited experience and competence in Norway

with modern light rail systems •  Inspiration from France, Spain, Portugal. •  Technical foundation from German: BOStrab / VDV •  Operations and safety: experience from Denmark,

Sweden, UK, Ireland •  Assistance with vehicles from Helsinki, Bochum

and Chemnitz (Variobahn)

5th March 2014

Construction strategy

•  Traditional public works project •  Project divided in many parts:

– Geographic for civil works – Technical installations: track, signals, power

supply •  Bybanekontoret / Bybanen Utbygging has

overall responsibility for project management including interfaces between the different systems and sections.

•  Bybanen AS owns the technical specifications for the system

5th March 2014

Organizational strategy

•  The City of Bergen established a project office in 2001: Bybanekontoret: Responsible for planning, design, construction and operations

•  Responsibility for operations transferred to the County of Hordaland in 2008 - SKYSS

•  Operations contracted by SKYSS to Fjord1 Partner (Fjord1 and Keolis)

•  Vehicles delivered and maintained by Stadler Pankow •  Infrastructure to be maintained by a new public company:

Bybanen AS •  Future construction: Bybanen Utbygging •  Long-term planning: Bergen kommune

5th March 2014

Hva skjer langs bybanen

Window to the city

Modern 100% low-floor vehicles Variobahn from Stadler

5th March 2014

5th March 2014

5th March 2014

On-time On-budget

Start of construction: 7th January 2008

Start of revenue operation: 22nd June 2010

5th March 2014

5th March 2014

5th March 2014

Long-term vision

A renewed and comprehensive high-quality public transport system based on bus, trolleybus, light rail and regional rail, as well as a coordinated feeder bus system and parking.

5th March 2014

Future plans

•  Network in all directions •  2nd stage of Line 1 opened in

2013 •  Construction to Bergen airport

– Opening in 2016 •  Financing is main challenge for

further expansion •  New workshop near the airport

is being built •  Fleet will expand to 28 vehicles,

all extended to 42 meters.

5th March 2014

Experience after 3+ years •  Too many passengers

– Prognose, about 23000 pass / workday – Experience, over 45000 pass / workday – Slower commercial speed than planned – Unexpectedly high traffic on Saturday / Sunday – Need for supplementary express buses – Positive fare recovery ratio

•  Basis for city development •  Stimulus for commercial investment •  New ticketing system concurrent with start up – bad idea •  Technical problems traced to lack of adherence to VDV

standards •  Inexperienced organizations on all levels •  Safety concerns: 1st fatality in 2013 5th March 2014

Activities in Nordic countries

•  Sweden – Malmö, Lund and Helsingborg – Established a common project office for all three cities

•  Denmark – Aarhus under construction – Odense and Copenhagen in planning – Aalborg under study

•  Finland – Helsinki – continued expansion and new vehicles – Turku and Tampere under study

5th March 2014

5th March 2014