Today in Norway: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
New toll fees for motorists, train issues at Oslo Central to last till the weekend, and the government to assess carbon capture and storage. This and other news from Norway on Thursday.
New toll fee for motorists
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has announced a new monthly subscription for the toll tag in cars.
The toll chip itself allows motorists to receive a discount on using toll roads. Toll chip issuer Flyt said that the new fee would cost five kroner.
However, other toll tag issuers such as Fremtind Service and Skyttelpass don’t have plans to introduce a new fee despite being able to do so.
There are around 2.8 million people in Norway using Autopass toll chips. If all users were to pay the monthly fee of five kroner, it would amount to 180 million kroner annually in extra toll revenues.
Train issues at Oslo Central persist
An issue with a track interchange between Skøyen and Oslo Central will not be repaired until the weekend, with significant issues with train traffic continuing until the issue is resolved.
The update comes after rail network operator Bane Nor said Wednesday that the issue would potentially be resolved on Thursday.
“A temporary repair of the rail break has been considered, but this will entail a need for reduced driving speed and will therefore not provide a better offer for passengers. We will therefore continue to run the train traffic as it is today,” Harry Korslund, press officer for Bane Nor, said in a press release.
The issues affect the R14, FLY1, RE10, R13, R12, F4, F5, RE11, L1, FLY2 and L2 lines.
Norwegian Prime Minister open to increasing welfare payments
PM Jonas Gahr Støre has said that he is open to increasing social security payments, as several of the Labour Party’s county teams have advocated.
“There are some who cannot be at work for various reasons, and they must also have a basis for a safe life. Therefore, I believe that we should look, and we have looked and adjusted a large number of schemes to make it possible to manage without a job,” Støre told public broadcaster NRK.
Still, Støre said that the aim of the government was to increase the number of people in full-time employment.
The government will assess carbon capture and storage at gas facility
A parliamentary majority has asked the government to make an assessment of the Melkøya gas facility and whether carbon capture and storage (CCS) is possible at the plant.
Equinor has applied to the government to electrify the gas plant on Melkøya outside Hammerfest. This means that the gas power plant at the facility will be shut down and will instead be operated with power from the normal power grid.
This would bite into the power surplus in northern Norway, which would lead to higher energy prices in the region.
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New toll fee for motorists
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has announced a new monthly subscription for the toll tag in cars.
The toll chip itself allows motorists to receive a discount on using toll roads. Toll chip issuer Flyt said that the new fee would cost five kroner.
However, other toll tag issuers such as Fremtind Service and Skyttelpass don’t have plans to introduce a new fee despite being able to do so.
There are around 2.8 million people in Norway using Autopass toll chips. If all users were to pay the monthly fee of five kroner, it would amount to 180 million kroner annually in extra toll revenues.
Train issues at Oslo Central persist
An issue with a track interchange between Skøyen and Oslo Central will not be repaired until the weekend, with significant issues with train traffic continuing until the issue is resolved.
The update comes after rail network operator Bane Nor said Wednesday that the issue would potentially be resolved on Thursday.
“A temporary repair of the rail break has been considered, but this will entail a need for reduced driving speed and will therefore not provide a better offer for passengers. We will therefore continue to run the train traffic as it is today,” Harry Korslund, press officer for Bane Nor, said in a press release.
The issues affect the R14, FLY1, RE10, R13, R12, F4, F5, RE11, L1, FLY2 and L2 lines.
Norwegian Prime Minister open to increasing welfare payments
PM Jonas Gahr Støre has said that he is open to increasing social security payments, as several of the Labour Party’s county teams have advocated.
“There are some who cannot be at work for various reasons, and they must also have a basis for a safe life. Therefore, I believe that we should look, and we have looked and adjusted a large number of schemes to make it possible to manage without a job,” Støre told public broadcaster NRK.
Still, Støre said that the aim of the government was to increase the number of people in full-time employment.
The government will assess carbon capture and storage at gas facility
A parliamentary majority has asked the government to make an assessment of the Melkøya gas facility and whether carbon capture and storage (CCS) is possible at the plant.
Equinor has applied to the government to electrify the gas plant on Melkøya outside Hammerfest. This means that the gas power plant at the facility will be shut down and will instead be operated with power from the normal power grid.
This would bite into the power surplus in northern Norway, which would lead to higher energy prices in the region.
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