DB Schenker increases links between Oslo and Norway's Arctic region

12/4/2013 9:34:35 AM

DB SCHENKER Norway is expanding its train solution in combination with trucks connecting Oslo faster to the north of the Arctic Circle by increasing its North Rail Express to fives times a week from February.

North Rail Express runs from the Alnabru terminal in Oslo to Narvik through Sweden, taking 26 hours to cover 1,960 kilometres, faster than the truck journey.

The service will offer three additional trains per week to meet customer demand. It provides a new truck connection to the Finnmark region via a terminal stop in Kiruna, linking it to the rail solution.

"This should be good news for the industry as a whole and in particular for export companies in the seafood market," said Schenker CEO Michael Holmstrom. "The connection will cut more than a day off transport times for shipments to and from the Finnmark region."

DB Schenker will offer a new truck service to the northern Norwegian towns of Alta and Kirkenes via Kiruna in Sweden. It will take the trucks some nine hours to make the 450 kilometre trip to Alta, and some 13 hours to cover the 750 kilometres to Kirkenes.

The 600-metre train has a total capacity of 1,600 tons and travels at 75 kph on average.