EUROPE: The Swedish and Norwegian armed forces and Norwegian infrastructure manager Bane Nor are to jointly procure wagons for the transport of tanks and other heavy military vehicles.
Bane Nor said this reflects the security situation following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Sweden and Finland’s entry into NATO.
The wagons will provide ‘a significant improvement in capacity for military transport on the railway both in Norway and Sweden, between the countries, and to other countries in Europe’, Bane Nor CEO Thor Gjermund Eriksen said on August 13.
Tenders have been called for a framework contract covering up to 120 wagons, with a view to Bane Nor ordering an initial batch 10 later this year. Consultancy Railsupport is supporting the process by assessing needs and specifications.
When the Norwegian wagons are not being used by the military, they will be available for internal use by Bane Nor and for civilian freight traffic. This will ensure they are kept in good condition and ready for use.
‘The ability to move heavier military material and supplies by rail within Norway and between the Nordic countries is crucial for our joint defence capability’, said Gro Jære, director of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency.
‘This co-operation shows that cross-sector and Nordic co-operation can have significant effects, and I am very satisfied that we have put this agreement together.’
