The ministry says the scheme reflects the environmental benefits of transporting freight by rail, and will compensate the extra costs incurred by multi-modal rail freight operators.

Freight operators authorised to operate on the Norwegian network will be eligible to apply for the support. The ministry has budgeted Krone 60m ($US 6.2m) for the three year scheme, which will cover operations undertaken between July 1 2018 and June 30 2021.

The support will be paid once a year in arrears, and will be calculated based on the operators’ total freight carried.

Applicants must calculate their total freight movements in Norway, including net tonnes and twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU)-km, as well as providing the proportion of freight carried by diesel or electric traction. The Norwegian Railway Directorate will then make the final calculation.

  • Applications for support for the period from July 1 2018 - June 30 2019 must be submitted by September 1 2019
  • applications for support for the period from July 1 2019 - June 30 2020 must be submitted by September 1 2020, and
  • applications for support for the period from July 1 2020 - June 30 2021 must be submitted by September 1 2021.