en.Wedoany.com Reported - Norwegian railway infrastructure manager Bane NOR, along with authorities, is driving a large-scale renovation project at Oslo Central Station (Oslo S Central Station), which handles 150,000 passengers daily. The "New Oslo S" project, costing over €520 million, aims to prepare for railway traffic growth and sustainable urban development in the coming decades.
Oslo Central Station is Norway's busiest railway hub, serving regional trains, long-distance trains, airport express trains, and commuter trains. Planning data projects a significant increase in station traffic between 2040 and 2050. Coupled with Oslo's climate strategy requiring public transport, walking, and cycling to become primary modes of travel, railway infrastructure faces continuous pressure.
The project is seen as a strategic investment to increase station capacity and accessibility, transforming the entire area into an urban center centered on sustainable mobility. In June, Bane NOR launched a tender for platform modernization, planned as a "design and build" contract using an integrated collaboration approach, with construction expected to begin in 2028.
The first phase will modernize at least four of the ten platforms to meet accessibility standards; these platforms currently handle approximately 70% of total passenger traffic. The contract also includes options for renovating the remaining six platforms, as well as supplementary work on tracks, power supply systems, and signaling systems, and plans to build a railway loop to enhance train operational flexibility.
One of the most important components of the project is preparing infrastructure for future railway capacity expansion. Planning documents reserve space for new underground railway tunnels and a through track across the station. According to Bane NOR, these elements will help increase the number of trains passing through Oslo in the future and ensure the station remains in optimal condition for the next 150 years. The project proposal is scheduled to be made public in April 2026.
The project creates conditions for building a new underground railway structure, which could convert tracks 14 and 15 into through tracks, eliminating operational constraints of the current terminal station. Meanwhile, plans call for modernizing platform access, reorganizing passenger flow, including new entrances, improving connectivity between different transport modes, and optimizing pedestrian flow within and around the station.
The project also includes investments in active mobility, with plans for at least 1,000 bicycle parking spaces, aligning with Oslo's climate strategy target of reducing direct emissions by 95% compared to 2009 levels.
The station transformation also involves redesigning surrounding public spaces and large-scale urban development. Plans call for constructing a building 82 or 100 meters high to replace the current airport express (Flytoget) terminal, housing office and hotel space with a total floor area of 42,200 square meters. New buildings will be constructed between the historic Østbanen station and the current central station, adding cultural, hotel, and office spaces. The project overall requires approximately 48,620 square meters of new construction, including at least 1,000 square meters for cultural activities and at least 7,500 square meters of accessible public space.
The project pays particular attention to redeveloping urban spaces around the station, including modernizing Christian Frederiks plass, restoring the historic Paléhagen park, and reorganizing areas such as Øvre Trafikktorg (Upper Traffic Square) and Trelastgata (Timber Street). The scale of the project reflects a trend among major European railway hubs to combine infrastructure development with urban renewal and sustainability goals, aiming not only to modernize the station but also to create a mobility hub supporting railway traffic growth, economic development, and climate objectives for decades to come.
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