Oslo Package 2
Encyclopedia
The Oslo Package 2 or O2 is a political agreement for financing investments in public transport in Oslo
and Akershus
, Norway
. The program runs from 2001 to 2011, and includes many large and small investments in railways, the Oslo Tramway, the Oslo Metro and infrastructure for buses. Total budget is . The project is a cooperation between the transit authorities Oslo Sporveier
and Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk
, Oslo Municipality and Akershus County Municipality
, and the government agencies of the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration
.
Large infrastructure projects include the Ring Line of the metro, along with new MX3000
rolling stock, and the new Asker- and Follo Lines of the national railways
. Other projects include new train and bus stations, bus lanes and an upgrade of the Kolsås Line of the T-bane to metro standard
. The project is a continuation of Oslo Package 1
, that focuses on building motorways around Oslo. It will be supplemented by Oslo Package 3 that has both road and rail infrastructure in it.
was established to collect the money. 20% of the money in the first package went to public transport. In 1996 an initiative was started to create a similar project to finance infrastructure investments for public transport. The package was passed by the Oslo City Council and the Akershus County Council in 2001, and lasts until 2011.
In 2006, the Office of the Auditor General
in a report criticized Oslo Package 2 for not being able to focus on increased public transport efficiency and sustainability, and also criticized lack of cooperation between the many participants, who failed to find an optimal portfolio of investments.
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The program runs from 2001 to 2011, and includes many large and small investments in railways, the Oslo Tramway, the Oslo Metro and infrastructure for buses. Total budget is . The project is a cooperation between the transit authorities Oslo Sporveier
Oslo Sporveier
Kollektivtransportproduksjon AS is a municipal owned public transport operator of Oslo, Norway, the name meaning simply "public transportation producer". It operates the trackage and maintains the stock of the Oslo Metro and Oslo Tramway, as well as owning eight operating subsidiaries...
and Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk
Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk
Stor-Oslo Lokaltrafikk AS or SL was the public transport administration for bus and ferry transport in Akershus, Norway from 1973 to 2007. SL was organised as a limited company owned by the Akershus county municipality, the City of Oslo, and the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications,...
, Oslo Municipality and Akershus County Municipality
Akershus county municipality
Akershus County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Akershus, Norway. The main responsibilities of the county municipality includes the running of 35 upper secondary schools...
, and the government agencies of the Norwegian National Rail Administration and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration
Norwegian Public Roads Administration
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration is a Norwegian government agency responsible for the state and county public roads in the country. This includes planning, construction and operation of the state and county road networks, driver training and licensing, vehicle inspection and subsidies to...
.
Large infrastructure projects include the Ring Line of the metro, along with new MX3000
MX3000
MX3000 is an electric train used on Oslo Metro in Oslo, Norway. The multiple units are produced by Siemens, who started serial delivery in 2007. Seventy-eight three-car units have been ordered by Kollektivtransportproduksjon, and five by Akershus County Municipality. They replaced the older T1000...
rolling stock, and the new Asker- and Follo Lines of the national railways
Rail transport in Norway
The Norwegian railway system comprises 4,087 km of track of which 2,622 km is electrified and 242 km double track. There are 696 tunnels and 2760 bridges....
. Other projects include new train and bus stations, bus lanes and an upgrade of the Kolsås Line of the T-bane to metro standard
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
. The project is a continuation of Oslo Package 1
Oslo Package 1
Oslo Package 1 was a political agreement and plan for introducing an urban toll ring around Oslo, Norway, and making 31 investments to road infrastructure in Oslo and Akershus. The package was approved in 1988, and toll charges were introduced in 1990. It was supplemented by Oslo Package 2, which...
, that focuses on building motorways around Oslo. It will be supplemented by Oslo Package 3 that has both road and rail infrastructure in it.
History
The first Oslo Package was initiated in 1986, when the politicians in Oslo and Akershus decided to use NOK 11 billion in road toll money to build a motorway network around the city. The company FjellinjenFjellinjen
Fjellinjen AS is a municipal company owned by the City of Oslo and Akershus County Municipality . It is responsible for the collection from the toll ring around Oslo, with a total of nineteen toll plazas.-History:...
was established to collect the money. 20% of the money in the first package went to public transport. In 1996 an initiative was started to create a similar project to finance infrastructure investments for public transport. The package was passed by the Oslo City Council and the Akershus County Council in 2001, and lasts until 2011.
In 2006, the Office of the Auditor General
Office of the Auditor General of Norway
The Office of the Auditor General of Norway is the state auditor of the Government of Norway and directly subordinate of the Parliament of Norway. It is responsible for auditing, monitoring and advising all state economic activities, including financial audits, performance audits and corporate...
in a report criticized Oslo Package 2 for not being able to focus on increased public transport efficiency and sustainability, and also criticized lack of cooperation between the many participants, who failed to find an optimal portfolio of investments.
Financing
The package was created to increase financing for public transport. Sources include a range of public and private funds, including redistribution along existing budgets. In addition to disposition of local and state funding, the package increased the road tolls by NOK 2 per car passing, and NOK 0.75 per passenger on all public transport in Oslo and Akershus. Table values in NOK billion:| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| State railway budget—lines | 9.1 |
| State railway budget—stations | 0.3 |
| State grant—Fornebu | 0.6 |
| Property developers, Fornebu | 0.5 |
| Alternate use of state road budget | 1.3 |
| Local budgets | 0.7 |
| Road toll fees | 1.8 |
| Passenger payments for rolling stock | 1.3 |