The reduced timetable will affect services operated by Vy, SJ Norway, and Go-Ahead Norway.

The operators have reported up to 70% reductions in passenger numbers compared with pre-pandemic levels. 

The new reduced timetable is designed to cut operating costs while offering a reasonable availability of service within social distancing guidelines. The Railway Directorate also says that services can be scaled up again within two or three weeks if conditions improve. 

Changes include: 

  • reduction of Stavanger - Sandnes weekday off-peak services from a 15-minute frequency to 30 minutes 
  • reduced weekend frequency of weekend services on the Jær Railway from half-hourly to hourly 
  • reduced Stavanger - Oslo weekday services from six services per direction per day to three per direction per day, with further reductions on weekends 
  • reduced departures on the Sørland Railway  
  • reduced Monday - Thursday and Saturday services on the Bergen Railway from three services per day per direction to two. Three services per direction will continue to be operated on Fridays and Sundays 
  • reduced Monday-Thursday departures on the Dovre Railway from three per day per direction to two, with three services on Fridays and Sundays 
  • reduced weekday and Sunday departures on the Rauma Railway from four per day per direction to three 
  • reduced Saturday departures between Røros and Trondheim, and 
  • a reduction to only one express service per direction per day on the Vestfold Railway. 

Some Norwegian night services have been adjusted, and all cross-border services on the Meråker, Oslo - Stockholm and Narvik - Kiruna lines have also been cancelled due to international restrictions.

Oslo’s commuter services will operate with reduced transport capacity, from two-car trains to one-car, with: 

  • reduced weekday frequency on Line 1 between Lillestrøm and Spikkestad from 30 minutes to 15 minutes 
  • no Kolbotn - Oslo Central emergency trains on Line 2 
  • and reduced peak-time departures on Lines L21 and L22 
VR 

The announcement follows the reduction of services by Finnish national operator VR on January 11, also due to low demand caused by Covid. The cancellations focus on services between Monday and Thursday.  

Most major long-distance cutbacks were made to services between Helsinki and Tampere, with trains on the route operating at a two-hour frequency in mornings and evenings Monday-Thursday. Cancellations were also made to services between Tampere and Seinäjoki, Helsinki - Turku, Helsinki - Kouvola, and Helsinki - Vaasa, with intervals of up to six hours per direction for some services.