Bybanen Bergen: environmentally friendly transportation solution in Norway

Bybanen Bergen is the light rail system in Bergen, Norway’s second largest city. Two lines have already been completed. Now the third, “Åsanelinjen”, is to be built from Bergen’s historic city center to the northern district of Åsane. Read more about this future-oriented transport system and how citizens are reacting to it here.

The project is now entering its fifth phase. On May 31 of this year, the Bergen City Council approved the revised land use plan by a narrow majority. However, this does not only include Bybanen Bergen. There are also plans for a main cycle path parallel to the light rail. In addition, the Fløyfjell tunnel will be extended. The planning was preceded by environmental and health impact assessments, a road safety audit and impact assessments.

The city sees Bybanen Bergen’s planned “Åsanelinjen” as the backbone of the public transport system. This is because it is intended to contribute to sustainable urban development. According to district mayor Jon Askeland, the aim is for the public transport system to be safe, efficient and environmentally friendly. The new light rail line connects Kaigaten in the city center with Vågsbotn in Åsane. This is 12.7 kilometers and includes fourteen stops. The total journey time is then around twenty-five minutes. The main cycle path running alongside Bybanen Bergen will be around thirteen kilometers long and the Fløyfjellet tunnel just under six kilometers. According to estimates, the “Åsanelinjen” is expected to have 60,000 journeys per day by 2040.

The existing transport system between the city center and Åsane is very fragile. Bybanen Bergen’s “Åsanelinjen” is therefore a competitive alternative to the car in the metropolitan area. After all, the city is also aiming for zero growth in car traffic. And since Bybanen Bergen runs on its own route, potential delays are minimized. Furthermore, Askeland is hoping for successful urban development for Åsane, as with the already connected south. “We must be able to achieve a good rehabilitation of Åsane as a district. We need to make the district people-friendly and get rid of cars and parking lots,” says Tarje Iversen Wanvik, head of the Planning and Building Authority. City Councillor for Climate, Environment and Urban Development, Ingrid Nergaard Fjeldstad, is also looking forward to the construction: “The light rail is the most important climate and environmental measure in Bergen.”

The public enthusiastically accepted the two light rail lines that had already been opened. However, when the first draft of the new line was published in the fall of 2022, it was met with great criticism. Hundreds of comments and objections were received during the consultation period. The focus here was on how to deal with the city’s cultural heritage – the Bryggen city center is a World Heritage Site. Interestingly, there was already a streetcar line here in the 1960s. Nevertheless, citizens are divided on whether the Bybanen Bergen should run along Bryggen or not. This issue has been debated in Bergen since 2011, and for a while a tunnel was considered as an alternative. But a deeper tramway would be around three times as expensive.

The comments were incorporated into the revised planning proposal. “No political issue has caused so much conflict, so much noise and so much chaos in the last ten years. (…) A number of alternatives have been examined over the years. This is the only realistic light rail to Åsane that we can build in the foreseeable future,” says Fjeldstad about the design. City Council Chairman Rune Bakervik comments on the City Council’s decision as follows: “The light rail is our most important tool for reducing emissions in our city and providing people with a convenient and efficient way of traveling. The fact that this matter has now been resolved without a single objection is the result of hard work by qualified professionals in our city administration, an excellent city council and not least a political majority that really takes responsibility for the city’s future”.

The construction project is now estimated to cost around NOK twenty-one billion (EUR 1.87 billion). This is partly due to rising electricity and food prices in Europe. Partial funding from the state and local council has also been canceled. Many buildings also have to be demolished in order to build the light rail line. The city is now forced to buy back fifty-six properties. The Committee for the Environment and Urban Development (UMBY) also noted that a comprehensive plan for open space design is necessary. UMBY points to suitable outdoor seating and clear viewing zones for cultural monuments. At the same time, however, areas for the delivery of goods and traffic must also be considered. The city council therefore asked the city administration to cooperate with the municipality of Vestland, the road construction authority and the business community in the phase planning of the construction work.

The city council hopes that construction of the Bybanen Bergen Line can begin in early 2025. The construction project is divided into several development plans. Construction will be carried out in stages to minimize inconvenience. It would be sad if the popular historic center of Bergen were to be closed for the next few years.

Even more is happening in Bergen! The world’s longest bicycle tunnel opened here in April.