Norway sets framework for future rail contracts, no direct awards

Several rail companies will have to compete for the train service in future; the traffic packages South, North and West remain, the state sets requirements on quality, maintenance and employee rights for bidders, and the unions are to be consulted through a reference group.

On 17 September 2026 the Railway Directorate (Jernbanedirektoratet) received guidelines from the transport ministry for future contracts to procure passenger rail services. The government would have preferred to award the expiring contracts directly, but the rules of the EU's fourth railway package, adopted in 2021, no longer allow this, so several rail companies must compete; the traffic packages South, North and West remain, the state intends to set requirements on quality, maintenance and employee rights for bidders and to involve the unions through a reference group. Transport Minister Kamzy Gunaratnam, who succeeded Jon-Ivar Nygård on 11 September 2026, announced a more precisely defined mandate for the directorate later this year. (LOK Report, 21 Sep 2026)