There is a new government release on the Follobanen (Follo Line), summarizing the external expert report the Minister of Transport has received on the causes of troubles the project has faced.

The Follobanen is a double track railway line between Oslo Central Station and Ski Station. The Follobanen has opened with fanfare on 12 December 2022 by by King Harald V and the Crown Prince. And closed abruptly just after a week on 19 December after some fires and other problems in its Blixtunnel (Blix tunnel) . The 22km long high speed railway line connects the cities of Oslo and Ski. 19 Kilometers of the railway runs in the twin-tube BlixTunnel. 

After the closure, the newspaper Aftenposten had reported that the Follobanen had been struggling with water leakages in the tunnel for some time already.

The newspaper has seen the contract between Bane NOR (Norway's national railway management company) and the builders, the Acciona Ghella Joint Venture (AGJV). In the contract, the newspaper reported, Bane NOR specifically stated that 'The contractor will provide a dry tunnel'.

Yet, the Aftenposten wrote, as early as in August 2022, an inspection discovered 525 (five hundred twenty five) 'unacceptable' leakage points. This is a serious problem with electrical systems. The water leaking normally can easily be collected by the water collection system. But this is not a normal rainwater. When water is passing through the tunnel structure, it gets contaminated. Later, when the contaminated water dries our on the tunnel service, the remaining salt conducts the electricity causing short circuits. Fires starting because of such short circuits is given as one of the reasons the tunnel is abruptly closed.

Please read my previous post on this here

You can read the government release below over the external party report and the measures to be taken to prevent such project management problems in future:

The shutdown of the Follo Line: The Minister of Transport has received external evaluation

It was very unfortunate that the Follo Line was closed just after opening last year. The external review we have received shows that there is significant potential for improvement for how Bane NOR works on large projects. We are already in the process of reducing the risk of similar incidents in other projects. This evaluation contains many learning points that the board of Bane NOR must address and follow up, says Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård.

The Minister of Transport announced an external review of the operating shutdown on the Follo Line on January 3 this year. The review should include the course prior to the closure just after opening in December 2022 and assessment of measures to prevent such a thing from happening again. Implement Consulting Group (ICG) was awarded the assignment in April this year.

Causes of closing

ICG outlines several reasons why the tunnel on the Follobanen was closed. These are also identified in other reports and include, among other things, inadequate tunnel sealing, selection of backfill mass that led to drip of alkaline water, short circuits, and errors in the design of cable joints and end finishes that resulted in warmth.

Many learning points to be followed up

The external report has identified considerable improvement potential for how Bane NOR works on major projects. This applies, among other things, to ordering expertise, risk management and previous involvement of the board and the management of complex challenges.

In line with the mandate of the evaluation, the report contains a number of recommendations that the Ministry will now go through thoroughly.

The Ministry of Transport is already in the process of measures

Both before and after the Minister of Transport notified the external review, the Ministry has addressed several challenges mentioned in the report.

- The Ministry has for a long time had a dialogue with the board of Bane Nor on relevant plans and measures to improve the business management of the enterprise, as well as Bane NOR's project management and deliveries. The board and the management of Bane Nor have implemented measures, and are now in the final phase of hiring a new CEO, Executive Vice President for Business Management and Executive Vice President for Development, says the Minister of Transport.

Together with the Railway Directorate, the Ministry of Transport and Communications is also working to establish a comprehensive risk management system in the sector.

In connection with the review of the railway sector, the Ministry is also in the process of clarifying the reporting and follow-up system in the "management triangle" Transport Ministry, the Railway Directorate and Bane NOR connected to the allocations to the railway.

Further progress

- I have called the board of Bane NOR for a meeting later today on how to follow up findings and recommendations in the evaluation in the best possible way, says the Minister of Transport.
Bane NOR has previously prepared an internal report on the shutdown of the Follo Line. The board of Bane NOR has ordered its own independent report on the Follobanen. These two will also be used in the further work.

https://kommunikasjon.ntb.no/pressemelding/driftsstansen-pa-follobanen:-samferdselsministeren-har-mottatt-ekstern-evaluering?publisherId=8768166&releaseId=17980720&lang=no