Officials at state railway NSB are reeling over the quantity and cost of electricity needed by their new so-called “Flirt” trains. The higher-speed commuter trains need so much electrical power that state railroad Jernbaneverket has to invest nearly NOK 400 million in new equipment.
The new trains can run at speeds up to 200 kilometers per hour but need more power than the current network allows, reported newspaper Bergens Tidende (BT) over the weekend.
“We weren’t aware of the electricity needs,” Terje Stømer of Jernbaneverket told BT. Now the railroad needs to buy mobile power supply units to increase the electrical capacity along the lines as quickly as possible.
NSB officials, however, claim Jernbaneverket should have been aware of the increased power needs and been prepared to meet them. NSB says the railroad was informed that the trains’ higher speed required more electricity.
newsinenglish.no staff