Vy

Last updated
Vygruppen AS
Company type State-owned
Industry Transport
Founded1 December 1996
Headquarters Oslo, Norway
Area served
Norway and Sweden (Oslo-Gothenburg line)
Key people
Geir Isaksen, CEO
Revenue NOK 11 billion (2009)
Increase2.svg NOK 548 million (2009)
Increase2.svg NOK 497 million (2009)
Number of employees
10,646 (2006)
Parent Ministry of Transport and Communications
Subsidiaries Vy Buss
Vy Gjøvikbanen
Vy Tåg (Sweden)
CargoNet
Website www.vy.no

Vygruppen, branded as Vy, formerly the Norwegian State Railways (Norwegian : Norges statsbaner, NSB), is a government-owned railway company which operates most passenger train services and many bus services in Norway. The company is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport. Its sub-brands include Vy Buss coach services, CargoNet freight trains and the Swedish train transport company Tågkompaniet. In 2009, NSB carried 52 million train passengers and 104 million bus passengers. On 24 April 2019, passenger train and bus services were rebranded as Vy.

Contents

The company was established as the Norwegian State Railways (1883–1996). In 1996 the company was split into the new NSB, the infrastructure company, Jernbaneverket and the Norwegian Railway Inspectorate. In 2002, the freight operations were split to the subsidiary CargoNet, and the maintenance department became Mantena. [1] It was controversially renamed Vygruppen in 2019; the then-opposition parties vowed to reverse the name change.

History

Former NSB logo (2005-2019) Norges Statsbaner logo.svg
Former NSB logo (2005–2019)

On 1 December 1996, the largest structural change in Norwegian railway history in the 20th century occurred. The old Norwegian State Railways was split into three separate governmental agencies. The ownership, maintenance and construction of the track was transformed to the newly created government agency Norwegian National Rail Administration while a new Norwegian Railway Inspectorate was created to supervise all railway operations in the country. NSB was renamed NSB BA and created as a limited company, wholly owned by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Also, NSB was made a concern, with NSB Biltrafikk (now Vy Buss) and NSB Eiendom (later ROM Eiendom, in 2017 succeeded by Bane NOR Eiendom) made subsidiaries of NSB.

In 1998, the new Oslo Airport, Gardermoen opened, replacing the old Oslo Airport, Fornebu that had been too small since the 1980s. As part of the political compromise to build the new airport, NSB faced a dual mandate. On one hand, the imperative was to establish environmentally sustainable ground infrastructure, prompting the decision to construct a high-speed railway spanning 56-kilometre (35 mi) from Oslo Central Station to the airport, resulting in a 19-minute travel time. Concurrently, political stipulations dictated that the airport's development should not burden taxpayers financially; thus, the entire project was slated for financing through loans. The result was that the airport was to be financed, built and operated by the Civil Aviation Administration subsidiary Oslo Lufthavn AS while the rail connection was to be financed, built and operated by the NSB subsidiary NSB Gardermobanen. But problems arose during the construction of the Gardermoen Line because of a leak in the Romerike Tunnel, resulting in major budget overruns and a delay in the opening of the tunnel. Still, Norway's first high speed railway line opened on time on 8 October 1998 at the same time as the new airport, though the Romerike Tunnel was not opened until 22 October 1999, more than a year after its scheduled opening. The service is operated using 16 custom built Class 71 electric multiple units, with a capacity for 168 passengers and maximum speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). [2]

NSB tried to modernize itself in the late 1990s through the acquisition of new rolling stock and a new brand image. The first stock to be delivered were 22 El 18 electric locomotives. These were meant to take over passenger train traffic in Southern Norway while the El 16s and El 14s were moved to the freight division and the El 17s were scrapped, relegated to shunting or sold to the Flåm Line. The new locomotives were capable of speeds up to 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph). For the diesel lines, NSB attempted to buy 12 Di 6 from Siemens, but had to return them after they failed to operate sufficiently in the northern Norwegian cold. NSB also decided to re-brand itself with three district brands: NSB Signatur (express trains), NSB Agenda (regional trains) and NSB Puls (local trains). At the same time, NSB ordered new electric multiple units, first of all for the new Airport Express Train service, Class 71. This was followed up with 16 new Signatur trains of Class 73 that were to be used on the express services on the Bergen Line, the Dovre Line and the Sørlandet Line and equipped with tilting technology. This was an attempt to create a high speed railway service using existing rail track, though the operating times between Oslo and the termini were only reduced by about 10 minutes. These trains were painted blue and grey, and were the first non-red trains to be operated by NSB in decades. At the same time, NSB announced the introduction of the Agenda concept, that was to replace the NSB InterCity Express services and the diesel services. While the Class 70s were simply repainted, the diesel services on the Nordland Line, the Rauma Line and the Røros Line were upgrades with 15 new Class 93 units in 2001, though criticized for lack of comfort, have increased the speed on the railways. NSB also discontinued night train services on the Rauma Line and Røros Line. Starting in 2002, NSB also received 36 new electrical local trains, Class 72. These were painted grey/green (for the use of the brand name Puls) and were put in the Oslo Commuter Rail and Jæren Commuter Rail. NSB has now discontinued the use of brand names on its rail products.

By 2002, the Bondevik's Second Cabinet wanted to further deregulate the Norwegian railway sector, and made NSB a limited company NSB AS on 1 July. NSB had been through a process of making the company more of a corporation, with the IT section made the subsidiary Arrive and the maintenance transformed to Mantena. NSB also purchased part of the Swedish Tågkompaniet while the old freight train section NSB Gods was transformed to CargoNet. 45% of the subsidiary was then sold to the Statens Järnvägar successor Green Cargo. In 2004, the government also split NSB Gardermobanen in two, deleting the companies debt, transferring the track it owned to Jernbaneverket and the train operations to a new, government-owned enterprise, the Airport Express Train.

On 24 April 2019, NSB was renamed Vygruppen and rebranded as Vy (it is a Scandinavian word meaning vision, outlook, overview or prospect). [3] [4] According to a survey by the Language Council of Norway, the name change was only supported by 7% of Norwegians. [5]

Services

Vy operates with three main types of passenger rail transport: intercity trains, regional trains and commuter trains.

Inter-city services

Long-haul electric passenger trains services are offered on the Bergen Line. The four day trains are operated with traditional locomotive hauled trains (electric locomotives El18 and coaches Class 7). A night train service with WLAB2 sleeping coaches is also offered on these lines.

Regional services

Vy has two regional rail services. All regional trains are to receive the new livery of red and grey. NSB has previously used the brand name Agenda on its regional services.

Regional services use Class 74 (R10 SkienLillehammer) and Class 73b (R20 Oslo S – Halden – (Gothenburg)). The service is provided hourly along the Trunk Line, the Vestfold Line and the Østfold Line. The trains running between Lillehammer and Skien serve Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, providing an alternative to the Airport Express Train.

Commuter services

Around the cities of Bergen, Oslo and Skien Vy operates commuter train services using Class 69, Class 72, Class 74 and Class 75 electric multiple units and Class 92 diesel multiple units. The services usually have hourly or semi-hourly frequency. NSB tried using the brand name Puls for the commuter trains, and have painted some of the trains green. The Puls brand has been discontinued.

The Oslo Commuter Rail provides the following services, with Class 69, Class 72 and Class 75:

Other commuter train services:

In 2005, services on Gjøvik Line were transferred to NSB Gjøvikbanen (now Vy Gjøvikbanen) after the NSB subsidiary had won a public tender bid for a ten-year public service obligation contract with the Norwegian Ministry of Transportation and Communication. The Norwegian Minister of Transportation and Communications, Liv Signe Navarsete (Centre Party), has announced that the present government (as of 2006) will discontinue the previous government's announcements to put more rail line operations on public tender.

Rolling stock

Class 75 local train in its current "Vy" livery NSB (Norske tog) 75-39 i Vy-dekor, Sundhaugen, Drammen.jpg
Class 75 local train in its current "Vy" livery
Class 73 long-distance train Moss stasjon.jpg
Class 73 long-distance train
Class 70 long-distance train NSB Class 70 016.jpg
Class 70 long-distance train
Class 93 local train Class 93 Bodo Norway 2009.JPG
Class 93 local train

The Norwegian passenger train division has a fleet of 36 Class 72 and 82 Class 69 electric multiple units (EMU) and 14 Class 92 diesel multiple units (DMU) for commuter services. The company has a further 22 Class 73 and 16 Class 70 EMUs and Class 93 DMUs for regional and intercity trains, which are also provided by 22 El 18 and 5 Di 4 locomotives which haul Class 5 and Class 7 passenger cars. Vy receives subsidies to operate unprofitable route from its owner, while services on the Gjøvik Line have been made subject to public service obligations, which is operated by Vy's subsidiary Vy Gjøvikbanen.

During the 1990s, NSB modernized their rolling stock, expanding their fleet of multiple units and retiring many of the traditional locomotive-hauled trains. Most of the locomotives were sold to the freight company CargoNet AS, but the models El18 and Di4 remain to haul passenger trains. Some of the new trains were plagued with troubles, in particular a brand new Class 73 derailed at low speed at Nelaug in 2000 because of an axle breaking due to metal fatigue. As of 2005, however, these trains have been performing satisfactorily.

In August 2008, NSB announced it had ordered 50 new five-car electric multiple units of the Class 74 and 75. [6] These will be used for local service in the Greater Oslo area (24 sets) and also regional service in southern Norway (26 sets). The delivery is scheduled for 2012 but delayed because of accident during testing, by that time much of the rail network is expected to be upgraded to double track, enabling an increase in frequency. [7] The contract which is worth approximately 840 mill. Swiss francs gives NSB an option to buy an additional 100 sets. [8] These trains have been specifically modified to operate in Norwegian climate and have a maximum speed of 200 km/h (125 mph).

Locomotives

Electric multiple units

Diesel railcar

Carriages

Subsidiaries

Vy Tog

Vy's subsidiary Vy Tog AS was on 9 December 2019 awarded the contract for all passenger trains on the Bergen Line by the Norwegian Railway Directorate, starting from December 2020. [10] This includes long-distance trains F5 Oslo–Bergen, regional trains R40 Bergen–Voss–Myrdal and local trains L4 Bergen–Arna.

Chief executives

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Norway</span> Overview of rail transport in Norway

The Norwegian railway system comprises 4,109 km of 1,435 mm track of which 2,644 km is electrified and 274 km double track. There are 697 tunnels and 2,760 bridges.

The Airport Express Train is a Norwegian high-speed airport railway service connecting Oslo Airport to Oslo Central Station in nineteen minutes. Run by Flytoget AS, it operates on the high-speed Gardermoen Line using sixteen GMB Class 71 electric trains. Normal service frequency is once every ten minutes, with five of the services each hour continuing westwards beyond Oslo Central. The extended services serve nine stops within Greater Oslo and take up to 60 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bergen Line</span> Railway line in Norway

The Bergen Line or the Bergen Railway, is a 371-kilometre (231 mi) long scenic standard gauge railway line between Bergen and Hønefoss, Norway. The name is often applied for the entire route from Bergen via Drammen to Oslo, where the passenger trains go, a distance of 496 kilometres (308 mi). It is the highest mainline railway line in Northern Europe, crossing the Hardangervidda plateau at 1,237 metres (4,058 ft) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vestfold Line</span> Railway line in Norway

The Vestfold Line is a 137.79-kilometer (85.62 mi) railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The line connects to the Drammen Line at the northern terminus at Drammen Station and continues as the Bratsberg Line past Skien Station. The line is exclusively used for passenger trains, which are provided by Vy, which connect northwards to Oslo and south-westwards to Grenland. The 13-kilometer (8.1 mi) section from Eidanger to Skien is often colloquially included in the Vestfold Line.The standard gauge line is electrified at 15 kV  16.7 Hz AC and has twelve remaining stations. The Vestfold Line runs through the coastal region of Vestfold and serves major towns including Holmestrand, Tønsberg, Sandefjord and Larvik, as well as Sandefjord Airport, Torp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Østfold Line</span> Railway line in Norway

The Østfold Line is a 170-kilometer (110 mi) railway line which runs from Oslo through the western parts of Follo and Østfold to Kornsjø in Norway. It continues through Sweden as the Norway/Vänern Line. The northern half is double track and the entire line is electrified. It serves a combination of commuter, regional and freight trains and is the main rail corridor in the south of Norway. The Follo Line runs parallel to the Østfold Line in tunnel. The Eastern Østfold Line branches off at Ski Station and runs 79 kilometers (49 mi) before rejoining at Sarpsborg Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gjøvik Line</span> Norwegian railway line between Oslo and Gjøvik

The Gjøvik Line is a Norwegian railway line between Oslo and Gjøvik. It was originally named the North Line (Nordbanen) and ran between Grefsen and Røykenvik. The line was completed to Gjøvik in 1902. The Gjøvik Line was one of the first lines of the Norwegian railway system which was to be contracted on public service obligation, but it was the state owned Norges Statsbaner which won, operating it through its subsidiary Vy Gjøvikbanen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oslo Central Station</span> Railway station in Oslo, Norway

Oslo Central Station is the main railway station in Oslo, and the largest railway station within the entire Norwegian railway system. It connects with Jernbanetorget station, which is served by trams and the Oslo Metro. It's the terminus of Drammen Line, Gardermoen Line, Gjøvik Line, Hoved Line, Østfold Line and Follo Line. It serves express, regional and local rail services by four companies. The railway station is operated by Bane NOR while its real estate subsidiary, Bane NOR Eiendom owns the station, and was opened in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flåm Line</span> Railway line in Aurland, Norway

The Flåm Line is a 20.2-kilometer (12.6 mi) long railway line between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland Municipality, in Vestland county, Norway. A branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through the valley of Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is 866 meters (2,841 ft); it has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. The maximum gradient is 5.5 percent (1:18). Because of its steep gradient and picturesque nature, the Flåm Line is now almost exclusively a tourist service and has become the third-most visited tourist attraction in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gardermoen Line</span> Railway line in Norway

The Gardermoen Line is a high-speed railway line between Oslo and Eidsvoll, Norway, running past Lillestrøm and Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. The line is 64 kilometres (40 mi) long and replaced the older Hoved Line as the main line north-east of Oslo. The older Hoved Line now handles commuter and freight traffic, while the Gardermoen Line handles high-speed passenger trains and freight trains laden with jet fuel for the airport. Both lines are owned by Bane NOR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSB El 17</span> Norwegian State Railways class of twelve electric locomotives

The NSB El 17 is a class of twelve electric locomotives built by Thyssen-Henschel and Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri (NEBB) for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB). The class was built in two batches, the first delivered in 1982 and numbered 2221–2226, and the second delivered in 1987 and numbered 2227–2232. The traction system of the El 17 was based on the DB Class 120 of Germany and were among the first in the world to feature three-phase asynchronous motors. The units were ordered to be used on the intercity Bergen, Dovre and Sørland Lines, but were plagued with technical faults. The unreliability and lack of sufficient power forced NSB to instead use them in the regional Vestfold and Gjøvik Lines. With the delivery of the El 18, the first series was retired or used as shunters. The second series has been used on the Flåm Line since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSB Class 73</span> Class of 22 Norwegian electric multiple units

NSB Class 73 is a class of 22 electric multiple units built by Adtranz for the Norwegian State Railways. The four-car trains were modifications of Class 71, which was again based on the Swedish X2. The A-series consists of 16 intercity trains; they were delivered in 1999 and 2000 and are used on the Bergen, Dovre and Sørland Lines. The intercity service was branded as Signatur until 2003. The B-series consists of six regional trains delivered in 2002 and used on the Østfold Line. The regional trains were originally part of the Agenda concept. The trains have a power output of 2,646 kilowatts (3,548 hp) and a maximum speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). They have an overall length of 108 meters (354 ft) and have a capacity for 208 seated passengers in the A-series and 250 in the B-series. The trains have a tilting mechanism allowing for faster travel through curves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSB Class 72</span>

NSB Class 72 is a class of 36 electric multiple units built by AnsaldoBreda for the Norwegian State Railways. Delivered between 2002 and 2005, the four-car units operate on the Oslo Commuter Rail and the Jæren Commuter Rail. The trains have a capacity of 310 passengers and the 2,250 kilowatts (3,020 hp) motors allow a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph). The trains were ordered in 1997, with original delivery dates in 2001 and 2002. NSB also had an option to buy 40 additional units. The first units were not delivered until 2002, and by 2004, still half the trains were not in use. Faults included rust, too heavy train weight, and signaling problems. After the initial troubles, the Class 72 has been a highly successful train for NSB and well liked by the maintenance workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSB El 9</span> Retired class of electric locomotives

NSB El 9 is a retired class of three electric locomotives built by Thune for the Norwegian State Railways (NSB), with electrical equipment from Norsk Elektrisk & Brown Boveri (NEBB) and Per Kure. The locomotives were delivered in 1947 after a three-year delay caused by wartime sabotage in response to the German occupation of Norway. They were used nearly exclusively on the Flåm Line and Hardanger Line, two steep branch lines. The units were used on the Flåm Line until 1983, when they were replaced by El 11. They were then used as shunters until being retired in 1988. Two of the locomotives have been preserved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vy Gjøvikbanen</span> Norwegian railway company, part of the Vy Group

Vy Gjøvikbanen AS is a Norwegian railway company that operates the passenger train service on the Gjøvik Line. A subsidiary of the state-owned Vy, it operates a fleet of nine Class 69g three-car electric multiple units. NSB Gjøvikbanen provides two different services: the Skøyen – Oslo S – Jaren service is part of the Oslo Commuter Rail; while Oslo S – Gjøvik is a regional service, with only limited stops on the route until Grua. Departures are each 40 minutes, with every third train running to Gjøvik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oslo Airport Station</span> Railway station in Ullensaker, Norway

Oslo Airport Station, also known as Gardermoen Station, is a railway station located in the airport terminal building of Oslo Airport, Gardermoen in Norway. Located on the Gardermoen Line, it is served by the Airport Express Trains, express trains to Trondheim and Oslo, regional trains to Lillehammer and Skien and commuter trains to Eidsvoll and Kongsberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rygge Station</span> Railway station in Rygge, Norway

Rygge Station is a railway station on the Østfold Line at Ryggebyen in Rygge, Norway. In addition to serving the village, the station acts as an airport rail link to Moss Airport, Rygge via a free shuttle bus. The station has two platforms and is located on a 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) double track section of the line. It has hourly services by Vy southbound to Halden and northbound to Oslo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruter</span> Oslos public transport authority

Ruter AS is the public transport authority for Oslo and Akershus counties in Norway. Formally a limited company – 60% of its shares are owned by the Oslo county municipality and 40% by that of Viken – it is responsible for the administration, funding, and marketing of public transport in the two counties, including buses, the Oslo Metro, Oslo Trams, and ferry services. Ruter also holds agreements with Entur concerning the regulation of fares on local and regional train services operated within the two counties.

Norges Statsbaner (NSB) operates as of 2023 21 locomotives, 282 multiple units and 137 passenger carriages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oslo Commuter Rail</span> Commuter rail in Norway

Oslo Commuter Rail is a commuter rail centered in Oslo, Norway, connecting the capital to six counties in Eastern Norway. The system is operated by Vy and its subsidiary Vy Gjøvikbanen, using Class 69 and Class 72 electric multiple units (EMU). The network spans eight routes and 128 stations, with Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) as the central hub. The trains run on 553 kilometers (344 mi) of electrified mainline railway owned by the Bane NOR. Deficits are financed by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport, although the network also has a ticketing cooperation with Ruter, the public transport authority in Oslo and Akershus. The network is the longest commuter rail network in the Nordic countries, and among top ten in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of railway electrification in Norway</span>

The Norwegian railway network consists of 2,552 kilometers (1,586 mi) of electrified railway lines, constituting 62% of the Norwegian National Rail Administration's 4,114 kilometers (2,556 mi) of line. The first three mainline systems to be electrified were private ore-hauling lines. The Thamshavn Line opened in 1909, and remained in revenue use until 1973, after which it was converted to a heritage railway. It is the world's oldest remaining alternating-current railway and the only narrow gauge railway in the country to have been electrified. It was followed by Norsk Transport's Rjukan and Tinnoset Lines two years later, and Sydvaranger's Kirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line in 1922. The Norwegian State Railways' (NSB) first electrification was parts of the Drammen Line in 1922 and the ore-hauling Ofoten Line, which connects to the Iron Ore Line in Sweden, in 1923. The use of El 1 locomotives on the Drammen Line proved a large cost-saver over steam locomotives, and NSB started electrifying other lines around Oslo; from 1927 to 1930, the remainder of the Drammen Line and the continuation along the Randsfjorden and Sørlandet Lines to Kongsvinger were converted, along with the first section of the Trunk Line. In 1935, the Hardanger Line became the first section of new NSB track to be electrified. From 1936 to 1940, NSB electrified the Østfold Line, as well as more of the Sørland Line and the Bratsberg Line, connecting all electric lines west of Oslo.

References

  1. Tor Wisting. "Norges Statsbaner AS". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  2. Archived October 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  3. NSB and Nettbuss merge to become Vy International Railway Journal 13 March 2019
  4. NSB Group rebrands as Vy Railway Gazette International 25 April 2019
  5. "Folk flest misliker navnene Vy, Equinor og Oslo Met," Aftenposten , 2 July 2019
  6. Berglund, Nina. "NSB invests in new trains". Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  7. Archived September 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Solholm, Rolleiv. "New trains for Norwegian Railways". The Norway Post. Archived from the original on June 23, 2009. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  9. "Første Flirt med passasjerene - VG". Vg.no. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
  10. "Traffic Package 3". Norwegian Railway Directorate. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2023-02-26.

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