Norway’s railway infrastructure manager, Bane NOR, has opened a temporary maintenance workshop in Bodø, a city located in the northern region of Nordland.
The workshop allows the operator SJ Norge to resume train service between Levanger and Bodø following the landslide at Nesvatnet.
The project was completed in just 12 weeks through the collaboration of several local and regional stakeholders, who mobilized to quickly deliver the necessary infrastructure. The rapid completion of the work marks an important milestone in building a more robust and predictable rail system in northern Norway.
The new facility provides essential conditions for the resumption and stabilization of rail traffic on the Nordlandsbanen, for both passengers and freight.
Nordlandsbanen (translation: Nordland Line) is a railway line connecting the city of Trondheim to Bodø, traversing the northern region of the country, including large areas of Nordland (Northern Norway).
Bane NOR representatives emphasized that the completion of this project represents a significant milestone for the entire region, contributing to increased reliability of rail services and strengthened emergency response capabilities. According to them, the temporary maintenance workshop in Bodø significantly strengthens the network’s resilience, in a context where difficult geographical and climatic conditions require rapid and efficient solutions.
The Nordland Line, affected by a landslide
The event was described as an essential step toward restoring normal operations on the Nordlandsbanen line, which was affected by the landslide last August at Nesvatnet—an incident that disrupted train traffic and limited access to maintenance facilities for rolling stock north of the area. Without this infrastructure, trains could not be transported to the usual workshops in Støren and Trondheim.
The new workshop now allows maintenance work to be carried out directly in Bodø, which significantly reduces turnaround times and increases the operational reliability of services. Railway authorities believe this investment has a direct impact on the quality of services offered to passengers and on the continuity of freight transport in the region.
On August 30, 2025, the Nordlandsbanen railway line was severely affected in the Nesvatnet area following a landslide caused by unstable clay, which destabilized both the railway infrastructure and a section of the E6 highway.
The incident led to a complete interruption of traffic on one of the most important railway routes in northern Norway, forcing authorities to implement alternative transport solutions and begin complex reconstruction work.
Direct and indirect damages are estimated at tens of millions of EUR, primarily due to operational disruptions and infrastructure restoration costs, though the total cost of the interventions is still being assessed.
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