Stortinget station in central Oslo will close to passengers for one month starting Tuesday. Trains will pass through without stopping until the station reopens on December 2.
The station has resembled a construction site for months. Half the walkway area above the tracks has been closed since May. Last week, the newly floored section reopened while the other half closed for work.
Pallets of concrete, tiles, and construction waste clutter the station. Several platform access points remain blocked. The Akersgata exit is also closed for repairs.
Project manager Thomas Kalleberg explained the closure. "We must shut the station to replace the main transformer," he said. "Most power will be cut. We maintained full operation during earlier work, but now we need to close completely."
Stortinget is Oslo's fourth-busiest metro station. About 35,000 passengers use it daily, totaling 10.5 million annually.
The renovation costs nearly 200 million kroner. Workers will resurface 4,534 square meters of flooring. Outdoor areas like the Øvre Slottsgate entrance will get new surfaces. Most ceilings will be replaced.
When the station reopens, all platform access points will be available. The Akersgata exit returns January 10. That same day, the Grensen exit closes for repairs.
The timing avoids overlapping with other metro closures. "We couldn't have major shutdowns simultaneously," said project owner Birger Gråthen. "That would burden travelers too much."
Commuters should use Nationaltheatret or Jernbanetorget stations instead. Both sit about 500 meters from Stortinget.
The station first opened in 1977 as a temporary terminus for eastern lines. It closed after six years, then reopened with four platforms in 1987. This marks its first major renovation since then.
Workers discovered extensive damage beneath the old flooring. "The subfloor under the slate was practically destroyed," Kalleberg noted. "We found concrete cracks too. Not dangerous, but repairs can't wait."
About 70 workers across three shifts labor daily at the site. Forty work overnight. They've removed nearly 700 tons of debris. Half was shoveled by hand.
The project faces unusual challenges. Passengers stole a pallet of epoxy glue and took it home. Some took joysticks from construction equipment.
Some travelers demanded new shoes after stepping in concrete. "They won't get new shoes," said construction manager Mats Buøen. "Many people watch their phones and don't always watch where they walk."
The station's heating now uses district heating instead of electricity. If work stays on schedule, renovations will finish around Easter.
This extensive renovation highlights the challenges of maintaining aging public infrastructure while minimizing disruption to daily commuters.