Both NSB as we know it today and today’s subsidiaries shall be wound up.
According to Aftenposten, the core content of the Government announced railways form presented at an open meeting in Rail Thursday. Aftenposten presents current proposal now.
Government comes with a bill on the reform to Parliament before Easter.
Aftenposten has previously discussed:
NSB proposed reorganization of the railway
Rail Administration proposed reorganization of the railway
Airport Express proposal for the reorganization of the railways
Rail won – NSB lost
The government’s proposal involves after Aftenposten that Rail – and largely Flytoget – have received full approval for their proposals.
Which implies that:
- Rail is a directorate, a book of rail services and in practice the owner of what today is NSB trains and togverksteder.
- Rail – or transport directorate – will be responsible for planning railway in Norway.
- Norwegian lines exposed to competition in 6-9 tender packages.
This means that the player in railway operations that are currently responsible for most causes of delays and canceled trains – through a partly outdated and partly worn infrastructure – is assigned to solve these problems.
Rail suggested a directorate that would coordinate the development in Norway of all forms of transport, including road and rail. Aftenposten do not know if also this proposal is contained in the Government’s reform.
First time Aftenposten wrote about Jernbaneverket new plans were in February 2013.
The government has the support of the Liberal Party and the Christian Democratic Party
According to Aftenposten’s government parties and the support portions Left and KrF largely agreed railway reform.
Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen himself says that nothing has been decided yet. He also states that it is not correct to say that the NSB should be shut down.
– Anything more I do not want to say now, says Solvik-Olsen.
Liberal Abid Q. Raja confirms that there have been negotiations with Transport Minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen about reform.
– I can not confirm any of it rendered in Aftenposten. The main thing for us is the provision of the passengers, that people should get advice as seamlessly as possible and with as great comfort as possible throughout the country. It requires, inter alia, several trains.
– What competition?
– Left does not want competition for competition’s sake. But we want a better deal, several players who can help you get a smoother system than today, says Raja.
Labor fears gambling with employees working conditions and poorer service
Labor is concerned that the Government’s proposal will lead to that you get as much turmoil in the railroad that currently have in aviation.
– If it is true that all rail traffic be subject to competition, we are against this. We fear that the proposal will result in a poorer overall railway offers, said Sverre Myrli (Ap) of the Parliamentary Transport Committee.
– We see that the transport sector is an industry that is very prone to gambling with employee wage and working conditions. Aviation is an example of this, and we have seen a similar development in truck and trailer transport. I’m worried about what will happen to wages and working conditions if we get many different actors within the rail, said Labor representative.
– Unfortunately, not all parties are serious. One thing is what happens with the employees, but this also has a security aspect that could affect passengers, believes Myrli.
He stressed that Labor is not principled opponent of reorganization within the railway, and that the party among Others went into the breach to divide NSB and Rail in the 1990s.
– I do not reject that there may be things there is reason to look at, especially the one that goes to the property business. Today for example, own NSB some stations, while Rail owns other, he said.
KrF will have competition – and keep NSB company
Christian Democrat transport policy spokesman, Hans Fredrik Grøvan says KrF advocates a new Railway Directorate and to provide NSB competition. But he stressed that KrF still want a strong NSB and still the government infrastructure.
Christian Democratic argument for a directorate, is that it may make sense to get a better coordination of everything from scheduling to what one should be to tender. He said that KrF main base has been getting a cleanup in what he characterizes as Jernbaneverket untidy structure and many roles.
However, he emphasizes that KrF has not given any clear signal to all details in a togreform.
– In no way, he says, but says that “we are in a probing phase.” Monday, March 16, however, the four cooperating parties planned a train ride with Sørlandsbanen from Oslo to Stavanger.
– Then we will present some more of the message, he says to Aftenposten.
Also SV against splitting
– The government chooses the wrong track if it privatizes and pieces up the railway. Competition is not going to solve the challenges for Norwegian train passengers, it needed greater investment to create a modern railway. Privatization is a dead end, and once again shows the government’s dogmatic belief that everything gets better with more market, says Audun Lysbakken.
– The railway is poorly suited for competition. Commercial companies will be able to skim the cream, and monetize the most profitable routes. Other parts of the country can get a worse train service.
– To divide railway in even more players is the wrong way to go. We believe the opposite, that the community take greater responsibility, is necessary for better efficiency and safety. The state should invest in NSB, instead of liquidating the company, says Lysbakken.
Uncertain how passengers will experience changes
The countries that currently have the highest status as railway operators are Germany and Switzerland. Here they have chosen to retain a large railway company. In England introduced one full competition. This led to a period of chaos and reduced safety. But today many satisfied with the railway in the country.
After the competition was formally introduced in Sweden passenger traffic increased by 80 percent.
NSB has recently purchased 80 Flirt-trainsets . Sceptics Government’s proposal believe that the stables must be expanded violently, three or five to seven companies to operate on Norwegian lines.
Also Flytoget get what they want
This was the main points of Airport Express suggestions:
- One company – much like today’s JBV – should be the big power factor in Norwegian railway. Total responsibility for keeping track times in order, take over responsibility for all properties currently owned by NSB or JBV, and have full control of all timetables and stations.
- The Company shall provide all RUs operating in Norway equal terms.
- A new company should be responsible for the purchase of all transport services for rail.
- The whole railway system should be prepared for competition, through changes in the rules, legislation and how rail services purchased.
- Competition on Norwegian lines should get started as soon as possible.
Today railway solution is slaughtered by all
Rail wanted far more power over and freedom to undertake large projects, a little model of Avinor.
As Elisabeth Enger said Aftenposten when the proposal was presented:
– In Today we make appointments for maintenance for one year. It is expensive.
– Both we and NSB looks divorce the 1996 abortive. We want to distribute tasks again. We agree that infrastructure and stations should belong in the same place, said Enger.
Neither NSB believes that the current organization of the railway will solve the enormous challenges with extensive delays and cancellations, a partially worn line.
How would NSB solve problems:
But after that Aftenposten is the frustration of NSB over the Government’s proposal fierce.
In order to improve conditions for the audience suggested NSB chief Geir Isaksen following:
- Supplying both NSB and Rail as we know companies today.
- Create two new companies, AS’s, which gets great freedom.
- One company placed under the Ministry of Transport, and will be responsible for “the total train deliveries.” The company must not only operate and build infrastructure. It will engage in real estate and development hubs, in addition to having responsibility for the purchase of passenger services.
- The other company be placed under the Ministry of Industry. A commercial company that will operate with passenger, freight and bus, as well as maintenance of trains and railway lines. Operations shall be businesslike with clear objectives for profitability and return.
It will be great frustration NSB also because the company is experiencing that in practice is not included in the work of Railway Reform. Unlike Rail, which has participated in the decisive workgroup. NSB should not have gotten come with some submission along the way.
Also, NSB real estate Rooms Property uproots
NSB Rooms Property has been key in the development of Barcode Row in Bjørvika and refurbishment of Østbanehallen .
The company has supplied the state billions of dollars in recent years.
Over the years, not real estate just kept life in business for many small station buildings. They have driven urban development, and here ambitions only become bigger.
Now the company after Aftenposten divided into three parts:
It is called development properties are separated and placed in one kind Entra company, which can then be sold.
Critics fear that many small railway stations will now be pure “bus stops” and that listed station buildings will lapse.
Foreigners are ready to compete on Norwegian lines
In June 2013 could Aftenposten reported that the Chinese court giant MTR will compete for the railway in Norway. Earlier this year, told Dagens Næringsliv that MTR will offer both railways and subways in Oslo.
The company currently operates in several places in the world and running including Subway in Stockholm.
Will the same thing happen that happened in Sweden?
Norway can thus follow the same pattern as Sweden, which for several years has introduced competition on the railway.
In Sweden ended the old giant SJ up lines they themselves chose. Read about how SJ tackled defeat here.
What happens with goods company CargoNet – the former NSB Gods – is not clear. This may also be sold.
Published:
No comments:
Post a Comment