| Work Detail |
Norway’s rail infrastructure manager, Bane NOR, obtained zoning plan from Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development for Rygge station development in the Moss Municipality in Østfold county. Rygge station in Moss municipality is a stop located along Østfoldbanen western line and trains provide services towards Oslo S, Halden and Gothenburg in Sweden. Bane NOR began the planning work at Rygge back in January 2018. Now that the Ministry has approved the zoning plan, preparations can begin for the implementation of the construction project. The project “Station measures and train parking at Rygge” (former “Train Storage Moss) involves expanding Rygge station from 2 to 3 tracks and establishing a train parking facility with space for 8 double train sets, as well as a siding for work trains. The project began detailed planning for construction in January 2025 and in the near future, the project will begin the land acquisition process. The current phase aims to optimise the facility’s design to ensure a safe, environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and efficient construction process. In addition, the project will resume dialogue and cooperation with all authorities and infrastructure owners impacted by the development. The construction phase will take place between 2027 and 2030, with the goal of bringing the new Rygge station and train parking facility into operation by August 2030. This project, along with the Sandbukta–Moss–Såstad project, will contribute to an improved train service on the Oslo–Moss route. The purpose of the planning work is to allocate and regulate an area for the construction of a new train storage facility in the Moss region. The zoning plan for train parking at the station is part of the InterCity initiative, which includes the planning and construction of a continuous double track on the Østfold Line. An improvement of the train service on the Østfold Line is planned, including increased frequency on the Oslo–Moss route. The establishment of a train storage facility is crucial for implementing the new train service and for realiding the benefits of the new double track on the Østfold Line. Five alternatives were studied during the preparation of the planning programme which includes Kambo, Gon, Løken/Høyda, Kjellerødåsen East, and Kjellerødåsen West. Based on the evaluations, Bane NOR considered Gon to be the clearly best option. All location alternatives involved the loss of cultivated land and presented varying degrees of conflict with environmental and societal interests. The Gon alternative fulfilled the project’s outcome and impact objectives and offered the greatest socioeconomic benefit. When the planning programme was adopted in February 2021, the Ministry confirmed Gon as the chosen development site. Following public consultation and review during May – June 2023, the final zoning proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development in June 2024, for final processing. The planning area is located adjacent to Rygge station, in the Halmstad urban area of Moss Municipality. The project includes the existing station area and railway facilities at Rygge station, as well as an area for a new train storage facility southeast of the station. The planning area is part of the local community and is otherwise surrounded by open agricultural landscapes and the Gon Forest (Gonskogen). The area currently contains several farm buildings, hiking trails, natural assets, cultivated land, and cultural heritage sites. Rygge station transformation Rygge station is currently a two-track station with two side platforms. As part of the project, the station will be rebuilt to include 3 tracks due to a waiting track for the storage facility, which will be zoned along the mainline. This is necessary to prevent trains crossing opposing tracks from occupying track capacity. The road system around the station, including streets, parking areas, bus stops, and pedestrian/cyclist paths, will largely remain as it is today, with some minor adjustments. The access track to the storage facility branches off from the mainline northeast of Gonskogen. From the access track, the actual storage yard extends into nine parallel, straight tracks. Access to the facility will be from Ryggeveien to the north, via a regulated access road along the northeastern and southern sides of Gonskogen. From Rygge station, pedestrian, bicycle, and hiking paths along the access track will be re-established. Noise barriers will be installed to mitigate both current and future noise from the railway, along with vegetation screens to reduce the visual impact on the landscape. The outer edge of Gonskogen will be zoned as a vegetation buffer against the facility, with a 15-meter-wide strip. In this zone, new habitats will be created to compensate for the loss of biodiversity, by preserving and leaving behind logs/branches and especially hollow oak trees in the terrain. |
