Train Maintenance Crucial for National Preparedness

The Norwegian railway must have national preparedness. The past few years have clearly demonstrated this need – with war in Europe, a pandemic, and significant global challenges for export and import.

The past few years have been marked by a state of emergency. One crisis has triggered another, and the increasingly uncertain times in Europe and the rest of the world reinforce the need for national critical infrastructure to be maintained even in times of war and crisis.

The Armed Forces are clear that it is important that the maintenance of critical railway equipment is carried out in Norway. Both the Total Preparedness Commission and the Defense Commission emphasize the crucial importance of the railway from a security and preparedness perspective. This also applies to maintenance services for railway equipment.

Read the Norwegian Armed Forces' letter to Mantena

Throughout 2023, we at Mantena have fought to bring the railway's preparedness capabilities to the forefront of the agenda for railway authorities and politicians. We are very pleased to announce that we have succeeded in this effort.

A comprehensive impact assessment will be conducted in the spring of 2024

A united Storting agrees that heavy maintenance of railway equipment is crucial for both operational stability and the preparedness of the Norwegian railway. Therefore, the Storting has asked the government to ensure that the Railway Directorate conducts an impact assessment on the consequences if these services are no longer located in Norway. The Railway Directorate will carry out this assessment in the first half of 2024.

Read the Storting's decision here

Mantena has employees who are skilled in train maintenance. Mantena also has the infrastructure to carry out heavy maintenance of Norwegian railway equipment, particularly at Mantena’s workshop in Grorud. Train maintenance is subject to competition, and Mantena competes in an international market. That is as it should be, and we work every day to ensure that Mantena is a competitive supplier, both in Norway and abroad.

Our competitors base their maintenance contracts on performing heavy maintenance at workshops across Europe. This means that railway equipment is transported there when such maintenance is needed. This works in peacetime but is a highly uncertain concept if war and crisis strike. It weakens Norwegian preparedness!

Fighting for Maintenance on Norwegian Soil

At Mantena, we are not against competition. However, for the sake of Norwegian national preparedness, the competition must be structured with requirements that all parties entering into maintenance contracts for Norwegian trains must have the infrastructure to perform heavy maintenance within Norway. Of course, there may be situations where we in Norway lack certain parts, or where the maintenance required necessitates highly specialized equipment. However, this cannot be an argument for systematically performing all heavy maintenance outside Norway's borders. In 2024, we at Mantena will continue to fight to keep the maintenance of critical railway equipment on Norwegian soil.

In this video, you can see what the train's bogie (undercarriage) looks like