Train drivers’ strike hits rail services. Hundreds of trains disappear from timetables
The train drivers’ strike is increasingly affecting rail traffic in Norway. Dozens more services are disappearing from timetables every day. The biggest problems concern the Østlandet region. The protest will also be felt towards the end of the week, when Vy cancels 145 services on Friday, 25 September, and 96 on Saturday, 26 September.
If no agreement is reached, the number of cancelled services will increase.
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On Monday, 21 September, 128 rail services were cancelled due to the train drivers’ strike. The most difficult situation was between Asker and Oslo, where a total of 99 services were cancelled, including 39 on the L1 Spikkestad–Lillestrøm line. On Tuesday, another 111 services disappeared from the timetables.
Norwegian rail operator Vy is warning passengers of further disruptions. Vy’s head of communications, Åge-Christoffer Lundeby, urged people to check the current timetable before leaving home. Passengers should not assume that a train scheduled earlier will actually depart.
Norwegian rail operator Vy is warning passengers of further disruptions. Vy’s head of communications, Åge-Christoffer Lundeby, urged people to check the current timetable before leaving home. Passengers should not assume that a train scheduled earlier will actually depart.
Wednesday brings more cancellations. Østlandet will be hit hardest
On Wednesday, the scale of disruptions will increase even further. In the Østlandet region, 169 services will be cancelled, the highest daily figure since the protest began. The biggest problems will occur on the R23 line between Oslo S and Ski. Forty-three services will disappear from the timetable there.
Passengers had already pointed to problems with rail operations. Ann Kristin Bakke, travelling to Oslo S, noted that following summer delays, frustration among travellers is high. In her view, some passengers may perceive the protest very negatively. Another concern is overcrowding on the trains that will still run despite the strike.
Passengers had already pointed to problems with rail operations. Ann Kristin Bakke, travelling to Oslo S, noted that following summer delays, frustration among travellers is high. In her view, some passengers may perceive the protest very negatively. Another concern is overcrowding on the trains that will still run despite the strike.
An escalation of the strike is possible.Photo: wikimedia.org./CC BY-SA 4.0/Øyvind Berg
No talks for now. Union considers escalating the protest
The Norwegian Train Drivers’ Union (NLF) has announced further action. The organisation’s strike committee is set to consider the possibility of escalating the protest on Wednesday. At the same time, Spekter, the organisation representing employers, said it does not currently plan to resume talks. This means that the industrial action will continue to affect train operations.
The problems will also extend to the following days. On Thursday, 126 services will be cancelled, while on Friday Vy plans to cancel 145 services in the Østlandet region. The disruptions will not end when the weekend begins. On Saturday, another 96 services are set to disappear from the timetable.
The problems will also extend to the following days. On Thursday, 126 services will be cancelled, while on Friday Vy plans to cancel 145 services in the Østlandet region. The disruptions will not end when the weekend begins. On Saturday, another 96 services are set to disappear from the timetable.
The scale of the changes means that passengers must check connections even on days for which they had previously planned a journey. The situation may change as the protest develops and depending on decisions made by the NLF strike committee. For now, the announced cancellations cover services up to and including Saturday.
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