thomas potter, norconsult as: the resurgence of light rail in norway: the bergen light rail...
DESCRIPTION
Thomas Potter, Senior Transportation Engineer, Norconsult AS delivered this presentation at the 2014 Light Rail conference in Melbourne. Across the globe the conception and delivery of light rail projects has been growing at an incredible rate. Seen as an efficient and sustainable way to alleviate the congestion that cripples the expansion of many key urban zones, light rail is fast becoming a central solution in the evolution of Australia's major urban areas. In order to work towards a congestion free future, it is imperative that federal and state governments support light rail projects. Light Rail 2014 explored all the possible funding options for light rail projects, while also looking at international case studies, the latest rolling stock, braking technology, among many more. For more information about the event, please visit the conference website: http://www.informa.com.au/lightrailconferenceTRANSCRIPT
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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Non-issues during planning and public hearing process
• Noise • Design details • Overhead wires
– existing trolleybus and street lighting
• But now, major safety concerns!
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Major challenges
• Technical • Organization • Political • Approval process – Norwegian Railway Inspectorate
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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
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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
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Hva skjer langs bybanen
Window to the city
Modern 100% low-floor vehicles Variobahn from Stadler
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On-time On-budget
Start of construction: 7th January 2008
Start of revenue operation: 22nd June 2010
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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.
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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
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