We are delivering a contract for the Norwegian rail authority, Jernbanekervet, to construct a parallel bore to the existing Ulriken tunnel.
The new 7.8km-long tunnel will more than double capacity on the single-track Arna-Bergen section of the Bergen Line that links Norway’s second city, on the west coast, and its capital Oslo to the east. Excavation began from the Arna (eastern) end of the alignment using a 9.3m diameter hard rock TBM.
The original Ulriken Tunnel was completed in 1964, but it has become a significant bottleneck on the line as a result of heavy competing demand from local commuter services to Arna, long distance passenger trains, and freight trains. Bergen is one of Norway’s biggest container ports), and its airport is the second busiest in the country (6 million passengers/year). Currently up to 120 passenger trains a day use the tunnel, plus a further 14 freight trains – which represents full capacity.