Editing Flytoget (section)

==History==

===Decision for a new airport connection===
When the [[Parliament of Norway]] on 8 October 1992 decided to build a new central airport for [[Eastern Norway]], they also decided that the main mode of ground transport should be by rail. While the previous airport, [[Oslo Airport, Fornebu]], was located just outside the city limits, the new airport, Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, would be located {{convert|50|km|mi}} north of the city, outside the reach of existing [[public transport]]. The principle of the airport construction was that it was not to be footed by the tax payers; the entire airport would be built with [[debt|borrowed money]] through [[Oslo Airport, Gardermoen|Oslo Lufthavn AS]], a subsidiary of the [[Avinor|Norwegian Airport Administration]]. The same principle was chosen for the airport rail link—the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) creating the [[aksjeselskap|limited company]] subsidiary '''NSB Gardermobanen AS''', founded on 24 November 1992, to perform the construction of the line. It would be able to charge train operators using the line, channeling the payments to cover down payments and interest of the debt used to build the railway. [[Profit margin]] was estimated to 7.5%.<ref name=history />

===Construction===
{{Main|Gardermoen Line}}
Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, is not on the [[Hoved Line|Trunk Line]] that runs north from Oslo. With heavy traffic and many small stops until [[Lillestrøm Station|Lillestrøm]], and continuing north as [[single track (rail)|single track]],<ref name=jbvstat45>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/multimedia/archive/01821/Jernbanestatistikk_1821829a.pdf |author=[[Norwegian National Rail Administration]] |title=Jernbanestatistikk 2007 |year=2008 |access-date=2008-09-13 |page=45 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217042116/http://www.jernbaneverket.no/multimedia/archive/01821/Jernbanestatistikk_1821829a.pdf |archive-date=December 17, 2008 }}</ref> the Trunk Line would have to be supplemented by a parallel [[double track]] from Oslo, with a new route north of [[Kløfta Station|Kløfta]] to [[Eidsvoll Station|Eidsvoll]], the {{convert|16|km|mi|0}} north of the airport allowing trains operating on the [[Dovre Line]] to [[Lillehammer Station|Lillehammer]] and [[Trondheim Central Station|Trondheim]] to access the airport. The {{convert|64|km|mi|adj=on}} line was named the Gardermo Line.<ref name=jbvstat6>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/multimedia/archive/01821/Jernbanestatistikk_1821829a.pdf |author=[[Norwegian National Rail Administration]] |title=Jernbanestatistikk 2007 |year=2008 |access-date=2008-09-13 |page=6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217042116/http://www.jernbaneverket.no/multimedia/archive/01821/Jernbanestatistikk_1821829a.pdf |archive-date=December 17, 2008 }}</ref>

The Gardermo Line was the second attempt to build high-speed rail in Norway, after the {{convert|35|km|mi|adj=on}} line from [[Ski Station|Ski]] to [[Moss Station|Moss]] on the [[Østfold Line]]. But no operation speeds exceeding {{convert|160|km/h|mph}} are achieved there due to short distances and limitations to rolling stock, making Gardermobanen the first real high-speed railway line in Norway. Due to the domination of single track in Norway, the opening of the Gardermo Line increased the total length of [[double track]] in the kingdom by two-thirds.<ref name=jbvstat6 />

Construction started in 1994.<ref name=history /> An agreement for purchase of sixteen three-car [[electric multiple unit]]s was signed with [[Adtranz]] on 23 February 1995. Parliament decided on 1 October 1996 that the construction company would also operate the new train service. The trains were delivered between 19 September 1997 and 30 January 1998,<ref name=elektrolok /> costing [[Norwegian krone|NOK]]&nbsp;1.4&nbsp;billion.<ref name=history />

===Challenges===
{{Main|Romerike Tunnel}}
[[Image:Lutvann.jpg|thumb|Lake [[Lutvann]] was partially drained due to construction problems during the digging of the [[Romerike Tunnel]]]]
The greatest challenge was the need to build the {{convert|14580|m|ft|adj=on}} [[Romerike Tunnel|Romerike railway tunnel]] – Norway's longest – beneath the geologically highly unstable [[Østmarka]] area between [[Etterstad]], close to Oslo Central Station, and Lillestrøm.<ref name=jbvstat45 /> During construction, in 1997, the water level in some lakes above the tunnel, including [[Lutvann]] and [[Nordre Puttjern]], sank dramatically. After the leaks were discovered on 3 February 1997, sanctions were imposed by the [[Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate]] requiring the elimination of all leakages. At its worst, the tunnel was leaking {{convert|3000|L|impgal}} of water per minute.<ref name=romeriksporten>{{Cite web |url=http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/sd/dok/NOUer/1999/NOU-1999-28/4/2/6.html?id=355320 |title=Særskilt om Romeriksporten |author=[[Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications]] |year=1999 |access-date=2008-09-13 |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329010543/http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/sd/dok/NOUer/1999/NOU-1999-28/4/2/6.html?id=355320 |archive-date=2012-03-29 }}</ref>

[[Rhoca-Gil]] sealant was used in an attempt to fix the leaks, but failed to work properly. Not only did it not polymerise, and therefore failed to staunch the leaks, but it also poisoned its surroundings with [[acrylamide]]. Manual fixing with concrete became necessary; the fixing and cleaning up of the toxin delayed the building of the tunnel by one year.<ref name=romeriksporten /> Further complications arose due to conflicts between NSB Gardermobanen and the construction company, Scandinavian Rock Group, with the latter at one instance stopping work for three weeks while the parties quarrelled in court.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tekst.aftenposten.no/tekstcgi/tekst.cgi?stdsok=atekst&base=AFT97&q1=AFT9704140240 |title=NSB og SRG barket sammen i namsretten |author=[[Aftenposten]] |date=1997-04-14 |language=no }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Reports have shown a lack of inspection and reporting procedures during incidents that should have been addressed – but were never taken seriously – in 1995. Construction of the tunnel caused damage to around sixty houses and an evaluation by the [[Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications|Ministry of Transport and Communications]] showed that NOK 500&nbsp;million was spent on fixing the leaks and claimed that this was to a large extent an unnecessary expenditure which  more efficient engineering procedures would have avoided. The report also criticised the administrative planning and organisation of the overall construction of the railway.<ref name=romeriksporten />

Airport Express Trains began operating as soon as the new airport (and the Lillestrøm to Gardermoen stretch of the new high-speed line) opened on 8 October 1998; however, for more than ten months they had to use the old Hovedbane (Trunk Line) between Oslo S and Lillestrøm, which restricted their frequency to just two trains per hour. Regular operations at full capacity, using the Romerike Tunnel, did not commence until 22 August 1999.<ref name=history />

===Reorganisation===
[[Image:IC-tog til Larvik og Flytoget på Asker stasjon TRS 061028 027.jpg|thumb|A Class 71 unit beside a [[NSB Class 70|Class 70]] unit at [[Asker Station]]]]
Estimates for the project costs were NOK&nbsp;4.3&nbsp;billion, ±20%, but by completion they had ended at NOK&nbsp;7.7&nbsp;billion, of which NOK&nbsp;1.3&nbsp;billion were related to the leakages. The rest of the line had a cost exceedings of NOK&nbsp;0.4&nbsp;billion. The company had acquired [[interest|financial costs]] of NOK&nbsp;0.9&nbsp;billion, so the company owed NOK&nbsp;10.0&nbsp;billion by 1999, including money spent on the new trains.<ref name=history />

The first steps of organisational restructure were taken 29 June 2000, when the [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] of NSB, [[Osmund Ueland]], was fired due to several incidents related to the operations of NSB—not just the Gardermo Line.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/artikkel.php?artid=7694863 |title=Ueland fikk sparken i NSB |author=Norsk Telegrambyrå |publisher=[[Verdens Gang]] |date=2000-06-29 |access-date=2008-09-13 |language=no |author-link=Norwegian News Agency}}</ref> [[Einar Enger]] took over as new CEO on 26 February 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/meninger/artikkel.php?artid=1515882 |title=Ny mann på nytt spor? |author=Verdens Gang |date=2001-02-26 |access-date=2008-09-13 |language=no}}</ref>

The debt in NSB Gardermobanen had become unmanageable, and in April 2000 parliament accepted that it would not be possible to make the Gardermo Line—with the current structure—the profitable venture predicted in 1992. From 1 January 2001, the company changed name to Flytoget AS, retaining ownership of the trains and operations and kept as a subsidiary of NSB. The tracks and infrastructure were transferred to the [[Norwegian National Rail Administration]] ({{lang|no|Jernbaneverket}}), who owns the rest of the [[rail transport in Norway|Norwegian railway network]]. All debt was restored and covered by the state, and a vehicle excise duty was implemented on the Gardermo Line to cover the management and maintenance of the line, to be paid by all users.<ref name=history />

On 9 December 2002, parliament decided that Flytoget AS would become a separate [[railway company]] from 1 January 2003, owned directly by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.<ref name=history /> One year later the ownership was transferred to the Ministry of Trade and Industry as part of a cleanup of political overhaul between the departments.<ref name=boarding04>{{Cite web |url=http://www.boarding.no/art.asp?id=11101 |title=Flytoget til Nærings- og handelsdepartementet |author=Boarding |date=2004-02-12 |access-date=2008-09-13 |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703063119/http://www.boarding.no/art.asp?id=11101 |archive-date=2009-07-03 }}</ref> As part of the process, a new CEO, [[Thomas Havnegjerde]], was appointed in June 2002,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.flytoget.no/eng/About-Flytoget/About-the-Organisation |title=About the Organisation |author=Flytoget |access-date=2008-05-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527230937/http://www.flytoget.no/eng/About-Flytoget/About-the-Organisation |archive-date=2008-05-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and in January 2003 the new chair, [[Endre Skjørestad]]—who took over the position form NSB's director Einar Enger.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.boarding.no/art.asp?art=6296 |title=Endre Skjørestad ny styreleder |author=Boarding |access-date=2008-09-13 |date=2003-01-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703071007/http://www.boarding.no/art.asp?art=6296 |archive-date=2009-07-03 }}</ref> Havnegjerde announced on 6 August 2008 that he would retire from his job before the end of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.na24.no/article2113616.ece |title=Toppsjef begynneri barnehage |author=Lorentzen, Magdalena |publisher=[[NA24]] |date=2008-08-06 |access-date=2008-09-14 |language=no |archive-date=2009-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703064903/http://www.na24.no/article2113616.ece |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was replaced by Linda Bernander Silseth on 10 November 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flytoget.no/eng/About-Flytoget/Press/Pressemeldinger/Linda-Bernander-Silseth-ny-administrerende-direkt%C3%B8r-i-Flytoget |title=Linda Bernander Silseth ny administrerende direktør i Flytoget |author=Flytoget |date=2008-10-24 |language=no |access-date=2008-05-24}} {{Dead link|date=June 2010| bot=DASHBot}}</ref> On 30 August 2009, two of three services to Asker were extended to Drammen.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.flytoget.no/nor/content/view/full/448 |title=2 Flytog i timen fra Drammen |author=Flytoget |date=2009-06-23 |language=no |access-date=2009-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090907045152/http://www.flytoget.no/nor/content/view/full/448 |archive-date=2009-09-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This followed upgrades to the Drammen Line, including the [[Lieråsen Tunnel]], and a new parking lot at [[Drammen Station]], in total costing NOK&nbsp;20&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/sd/Press-Centre/Press-releases/2007/Flytoget--til-Drammen-fra-juni-2008.html?id=460936 |author=[[Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications]] |title=Flytoget- til Drammen frå juni 2008 |date=2007-03-27 |access-date=2008-09-13 |language=no}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jernbaneverket.no/incoming/article.jhtml?articleID=1693207 |title=Flytoget til Drammen |author=Norwegian National Rail Administration |date=2007-03-23 |access-date=2008-09-13 |language=no|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070811104140/http://www.jernbaneverket.no/incoming/article.jhtml?articleID=1693207 |archive-date = August 11, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>