Quarter of Bergen Line trains delayed, Oslo tops Madrid in surprise heat spike, and other news from Norway on Monday.
One in four Bergen Line trains has been delayed in 2025
New statistics revealed that 25 percent of trains on the Bergen Line have been delayed so far this year, highlighting growing concerns over reliability on one of Norway’s most scenic and vital rail routes.
The delays are largely attributed to a series of operational issues in recent weeks, including power outages, signal failures, and derailments, according to the local newspaper Hallingdølen.
These disruptions have resulted in multiple cancellations and significant delays for passengers traveling between Oslo and Bergen.
Infrastructure operator Bane NOR cited Norway’s extreme and fluctuating weather as a key challenge.
“It’s difficult to maintain a railway that must perform reliably in conditions ranging from -30 to +30 degrees Celsius,” the company said.
Despite these setbacks, the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications said record-high investments have been allocated for the Bergen Line’s operation and maintenance this year.
Heatwave pushes temperatures above 30°C across Norway
Norway experienced an unusually hot day on Sunday, with temperatures soaring above 30°C in several parts of the country, even surpassing those in Madrid, Spain.
In the capital city of Oslo, the mercury climbed to 32°C, surpassing the Spanish capital’s temperature, which remained just below the 30-degree mark throughout the day.
Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, also reported 30°C, while Fredrikstad recorded the country’s highest temperature of the day at 33°C. Nearby towns, including Sandefjord and Drøbak, each reached a temperature of 32°C.
The intense heat extended across much of southern and central Norway. In Nesbyen and Gol, known for holding some of Norway’s highest recorded temperatures, thermometers also crossed the 30-degree threshold.
Other cities feeling the heat included Trondheim, Kristiansand, Stavern, Kragerø, and Ålesund.
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Nobel Peace Centre closes due to heat and “unsafe indoor temperatures”
The Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo shut its doors on Sunday as soaring temperatures made it impossible to maintain a safe indoor climate.
The museum, located in the historic old station building at Aker Brygge, lacks air conditioning. Although the building has ventilation systems, they proved insufficient, as indoor temperatures reached 28°C, prompting the closure.
“We are unable to maintain a safe temperature indoors,” read a sign at the entrance, encouraging visitors to return another day.
“The audience also doesn’t have a good experience when it’s so hot indoors,” the Centre’s Ingvill Bryn Rambøl told newspaper VårtOslo, adding that the venue has recently seen between 500 and 900 visitors daily.
Two Norwegians die in traffic accident in Sweden
A serious traffic accident in Sweden’s Älvdalen municipality claimed the lives of two Norwegian citizens on Saturday afternoon, according to the newspaper Aftonbladet.
The victims, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 60s, died from injuries sustained in the crash, which occurred around 3.30 pm CET near the Norwegian border. Their next of kin have been notified.
Several others were injured in the accident and transported to the hospital for treatment.
Swedish police have launched an investigation and seized the involved vehicles for technical examinations to determine the cause of the crash.
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Man held after shooting at Oslo shopping centre
A man in his 20s has been charged with attempted murder after a man was shot and injured at one of the largest shopping centres in Oslo on Saturday afternoon.
Witnesses reported more than six shots being fired after a fight broke out between two groups in the cafe area of the Tveita Senter, with the emergency services called at 1.39 pm.
When police arrived, they found a man in his 40s injured with gunshot wounds. An elderly woman was also slightly injured in a fall as shoppers panicked and ran for the exits.
The suspected shooter, who is not a Norwegian citizen but lives in eastern Norway, handed himself in to police on Sunday.
The shopping centre was evacuated and closed on Sunday afternoon.
Red and blue blocs near neck and neck in new poll
Norway’s Conservative Party has gained 1.3 percent in support in a new poll by Sentio, narrowing the polling advantage of parties supporting Labour leader Jonas Gahr Støre as PM to close to nothing.
In the poll, the Labour Party has the support of 25.6 percent of voters, down 0.3 percentage points from June, while the Liberal Party has increased its share of the vote by 0.4 percentage points to 23.8 percent.