Agreement on urban rail agreement in Bergen – but without funding in place

– Eight parties have agreed to build the Bybanen to Åsane through a tunnel in the city centre, says Conservative group leader Eivind Nævdal-Bolstad.

In other words, a different route than what was previously adopted, where the Bybanen was supposed to go over Bryggen.

– An entire town is fed up with the bickering. Now we can start the construction, he continued. Construction is probably still some way off.

Financing, among other things, is not mentioned in this new agreement.

– It deals with the regulation of the light rail to Åsane. We must come back to the city council with funding when it becomes relevant, says Nævdal-Bolstad.

Broad majority

He thanked the parties for going a long way in the last negotiations, which lasted a few hours on Tuesday afternoon.

With the agreement, a solid majority has been secured for the new tunnel proposal to be regulated north towards Åsane.

According to Bergens Tidende 40 of the city council’s 67 representatives stand behind the new compromise. On the outside are SV and MDG, who withdrew last week, and Ap and Venstre, who broke off the negotiations on Monday.

Handled by the county

As Ap and SV wanted, the Bryggen plans will not be changed for the time being. These two parties wanted to keep them as a plan B, if the tunnel cannot be realized.

Joel Ystebø (KrF) says that Bybanen has divided the city, rather than uniting it. That is why he has remained seated in the negotiations.

– It is not the best light rail, but the most important thing is to build a light rail to Åsane, he emphasizes.

A matter about the tunnel compromise is scheduled to be dealt with both by the city council and by Vestland county council on Wednesday, where the goal is for Bergen municipality and the county to enter into an agreement to regulate a light rail tunnel, writes The Bergen newspaper.