Vy

Vy, legally Vygruppen and formerly known as Norwegian State Railways (Norges Statsbaner, or NSB), is a Norwegian state-owned transport group whose principal businesses are passenger railway and bus services. The company is owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and operates within a railway system in which infrastructure management, safety oversight and train operations are institutionally separated. Vy is therefore primarily a transport operator and mobility brand rather than the owner of Norway’s railway infrastructure. The present company emerged from the major restructuring of Norway’s railway sector on 1 December 1996. The former Norwegian State Railways was divided into a new operating company, a national rail administration responsible for infrastructure, and a railway inspectorate. NSB remained wholly owned by the state but was organized as a limited company and developed a group structure containing passenger transport, bus operations, property and technical businesses. Subsequent reforms moved freight, maintenance and information-technology activities into separate subsidiaries or successor companies. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, NSB modernized its passenger operation. It introduced new electric locomotives and multiple-unit trains, developed service concepts for intercity, regional and commuter travel, and participated in the opening of the Gardermoen Line linking Oslo with the new Oslo Airport. The modernization also included attempts to distinguish express, regional and local services through the NSB Signatur, Agenda and Puls brands, although these labels were later discontinued in favor of a more unified identity. Passenger railway remains Vy’s core Norwegian activity. Its services include long-distance trains such as the Bergen Line, regional trains in southern Norway, and commuter services around Oslo, Bergen and other urban areas. The group also operates bus networks and coach services through Vy Buss. Its wider structure has included Vy Gjøvikbanen, Vy Tåg in Sweden, CargoNet and technical or support businesses, although ownership and operating arrangements have changed as the Norwegian transport market has been reorganized. On 24 April 2019, NSB’s passenger and bus operations were rebranded Vy, a Scandinavian word associated with outlook, perspective or vision. The change was intended to present rail and bus transport as parts of one broader mobility proposition. It was politically controversial and attracted criticism in Norway, including low public support in a survey cited by the company’s reference literature. Despite the controversy, Vy remains the customer-facing brand for much of the state railway group’s passenger and bus activity. Vy’s operations are shaped by public policy as well as commercial considerations. The Norwegian state provides support for routes that are not expected to be commercially profitable, while some services are delivered under public-service contracts awarded through competitive tendering. This framework means that the brand combines national transport responsibilities with operational and customer-service objectives. In Sweden, the group has also participated in tendered passenger rail through Vy Tåg. Vy’s current identity is consequently that of a public transport group focused on rail and bus mobility, with operations subject to government ownership, railway regulation and contractual service requirements.

Vy’s corporate history begins with the dissolution of the former Norwegian State Railways as a vertically integrated railway institution. On 1 December 1996, Norway separated train operations from infrastructure management and regulatory supervision. The new NSB was constituted as a state-owned limited company, while the Norwegian National Rail Administration took responsibility for tracks and related infrastructure and a separate Railway Inspectorate oversaw railway safety and regulation. NSB also inherited or developed subsidiaries for buses, property and other activities. The opening of the Gardermoen Line in connection with Oslo Airport was an important early test of the reorganized railway structure. The 56-kilometre line connected Oslo Central Station with the new airport and was designed for fast electric services. Construction encountered serious difficulties when water entered the Romerike Tunnel, causing cost overruns and delaying the tunnel’s completion. The railway nevertheless opened in October 1998, with the tunnel following in 1999. NSB operated airport-related services with Class 71 electric multiple units, while the later Airport Express Train business was separated into a distinct state-owned enterprise. In the late 1990s, NSB pursued a substantial fleet and service modernization. El 18 electric locomotives were introduced for passenger work, while new Class 70, Class 73 and Class 93 trains supported intercity, regional and non-electrified routes. Class 72 units were subsequently added for local services. NSB experimented with the Signatur, Agenda and Puls service concepts and with new blue, grey and green liveries, seeking to distinguish long-distance, regional and commuter products. Some rolling-stock projects encountered difficulties, including problems with Siemens Di 6 diesel locomotives and an axle-related Class 73 derailment at Nelaug in 2000, but the fleet modernization continued. The company was further commercialized during the early 2000s. On 1 July 2002, NSB became NSB AS. Freight operations were reorganized into CargoNet, maintenance activities were associated with Mantena, and information-technology functions were placed in Arrive. NSB also acquired an interest in the Swedish operator Tågkompaniet, which later became part of the group’s Swedish rail activities. In 2004, NSB Gardermobanen was divided, with airport railway infrastructure transferred to the national infrastructure system and train operations assigned to the Airport Express Train enterprise. Public-service contracting became increasingly important. In 2005, an NSB subsidiary won a ten-year contract to operate the Gjøvik Line. This marked the company’s participation in a more tender-based railway market, in which the state specifies services and operators compete for operating agreements. Vy later created or used subsidiaries including Vy Gjøvikbanen and Vy Tåg for contracted passenger operations. On 24 April 2019, NSB was renamed Vygruppen and began trading under the Vy brand. The name was intended to cover rail and bus services and to communicate a broader view of public mobility. The decision generated political and public controversy, with opponents arguing that the traditional NSB identity was being discarded unnecessarily. The rebrand nevertheless became the group’s principal consumer identity. In December 2019, Vy Tog was awarded the operating contract for passenger trains on the Bergen Line, including Oslo–Bergen long-distance trains, Bergen–Voss–Myrdal regional trains and Bergen–Arna local trains, with operations scheduled to begin in December 2020. Today, Vy’s activities center on passenger railway and bus transport in Norway, with additional rail operations and group interests connected to Sweden and freight-related services. Its business continues to combine commercial management with state ownership and public-service obligations.

1. 2019NSB rebranded Vy

   Passenger rail and bus services adopted the Vy identity, replacing the NSB consumer brand.

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2. 2019Bergen Line contract awarded to Vy Tog

   Vy Tog received the contract to operate Bergen Line long-distance, regional and local services from December 2020.

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3. 2012FLIRT-based trains enter service

   New Class 74 and Class 75 electric multiple units based on the Stadler FLIRT platform began entering passenger service.

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4. 2005Gjøvik Line contract won

   An NSB subsidiary won a public-service operating contract for the Gjøvik Line.

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5. 2002NSB becomes NSB AS

   The company was converted into a limited company as part of further railway-sector commercialization and reorganized several support and freight activities.

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6. 1999Romerike Tunnel completed

   The tunnel on the Gardermoen Line opened after construction problems delayed its completion.

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7. 1998Gardermoen Line opens

   Norway’s first high-speed railway line opened alongside Oslo Airport, providing a fast connection with Oslo Central Station.

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8. 1996Norwegian State Railways restructured

   The former integrated railway organization was divided into NSB, a national infrastructure administration and a railway inspectorate. NSB became a state-owned limited company.

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State-owned Norwegian public transport operator combining passenger rail and bus mobility under one Scandinavian brand.

• Vy passenger railPassenger railway1996

  Vy operates a broad Norwegian passenger railway network comprising intercity, regional and commuter services. Long-distance operations include the Bergen Line, while regional and local trains serve southern Norway and urban corridors around Oslo, Bergen and other communities. Services use electric multiple units, diesel railcars, locomotive-hauled trains and passenger coaches according to route and infrastructure.

• Vy BussBus and coach transport

  Vy Buss is the group’s bus and coach business, succeeding the former NSB Biltrafikk activity. It provides scheduled bus transport and coach services in Norway and contributes to Vy’s strategy of presenting rail and road transport as an integrated public-mobility offering.

• Vy GjøvikbanenContracted passenger rail2005

  Vy Gjøvikbanen is associated with operation of passenger services on the Gjøvik Line under a public-service contract. Its history reflects the introduction of competitive tendering and contract-based railway operations in Norway.

• Vy TågPassenger railway

  Vy Tåg is the group’s Swedish train-transport business. It participates in the operation of passenger railway services in Sweden, where rail contracts are commonly awarded through public tendering.

• CargoNetFreight railway2002

  CargoNet is the freight-rail business historically separated from NSB Gods. It handles rail freight activities within the group structure, although it is distinct from Vy’s consumer-facing passenger and bus brand.

• Bergen Line servicesLong-distance passenger rail

  The Bergen Line connects Oslo and Bergen through one of Norway’s principal long-distance rail corridors. Vy’s service portfolio has included day and night trains, with locomotive-hauled formations using electric locomotives and passenger coaches.

• Oslo commuter railCommuter railway

  Vy operates commuter services across the Oslo region, linking the capital with surrounding communities through several lines using electric multiple-unit trains. The network is a central part of the group’s everyday public transport role.

• 2019Vy brand launch

  Norway

  NSB passenger rail and bus services were brought under the Vy identity to express a unified, broader mobility proposition rather than separate railway and bus brands.

  Outcome. The Vy brand was adopted, although the name change generated substantial political and public criticism.

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• 2019Adopt the Vy group brandStrategy

  NSB sought a common identity for passenger rail and bus services and a brand that represented broader mobility rather than only national railways.

  What changed. The group renamed itself Vygruppen and rebranded passenger train and bus activities as Vy on 24 April 2019.

  Aftermath. The new identity became the group’s principal consumer brand but was controversial because of the loss of the familiar NSB name.

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• 2019Win Bergen Line operating contractOther

  Norwegian passenger railway services were increasingly organized through public-service operating contracts.

  What changed. Vy Tog was awarded the contract covering Bergen Line long-distance services, Bergen–Voss–Myrdal regional trains and Bergen–Arna local trains, with operations due to start in December 2020.

  Aftermath. The award expanded Vy’s role within the tendered Norwegian railway framework.

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• 2002Corporatize and separate operating divisionsStrategy

  The government pursued further deregulation and a more corporate structure for Norway’s railway sector.

  What changed. NSB became NSB AS and moved freight, maintenance and information-technology activities into separate entities or subsidiaries, including CargoNet, Mantena and Arrive.

  Aftermath. The changes made the group more specialized and prepared parts of the railway market for contractual and competitive operating arrangements.

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• 1998Launch high-speed airport rail connectionProduct launch

  The opening of Oslo Airport created demand for a rapid rail connection from Oslo Central Station.

  What changed. NSB operated services on the new Gardermoen Line using Class 71 electric multiple units, designed for high-speed airport transport.

  Aftermath. The line opened in 1998, while the Romerike Tunnel was delayed until 1999 because of construction problems.

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• 1996Separate railway operations from infrastructureStrategy

  Norway undertook a major structural reform of its railway sector, separating train operations, infrastructure administration and regulatory oversight.

  What changed. The former Norwegian State Railways was divided, with NSB continuing as a state-owned operating company and new public bodies taking responsibility for infrastructure and inspection.

  Aftermath. The reform established the institutional framework in which Vy operates today and enabled later corporatization and tendering reforms.

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• 2019Controversy over the NSB-to-Vy renamingControversy

  The decision to replace the established NSB name with Vy was criticized by opposition politicians and parts of the Norwegian public. Reference material cites a Language Council survey in which only 7% of respondents supported the change. The controversy concerned branding and public legitimacy rather than a proven financial or criminal misconduct finding.

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• 2019NSB passenger and bus services rebranded as Vy

  The Norwegian State Railways brand was replaced by Vy for passenger rail and bus activities, creating a unified mobility identity.

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• 2019Vy Tog awarded Bergen Line operating contract

  Vy’s subsidiary was awarded a contract covering long-distance, regional and local passenger services associated with the Bergen Line, beginning in December 2020.

  M&AOther
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• 2019Public criticism of the Vy name change

  The rebranding was politically controversial and a survey cited in reference material reported limited public support for the new name.

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1. Vy
2. Vy official website