– I was not afraid, but thought more that I could not be a babysitter, says Marit Bjørgaas to Dagbladet.
The 71-year-old, who is from Voss, is well used to Fjell-Norge in winter. She therefore wore stillongs, packed extra packed lunches and had a thermos with hot drinks.
– And I had a sleeping compartment, so I took both duvets around me because it got a little cold. I am well acquainted with the mountains, and have been out one winter night before, she says and laughs.
It was Bergensavisen who first mentioned the case.
– Incredibly disgusting
Woke up in the tunnel
It was the night train that left Oslo on Wednesday night that got stuck in the tunnel, not far from Myrdal, according to Bjørgaas. In advance, she was in contact with Vy several times, to make sure that the train would run despite the bad weather.
Originally, the train was supposed to arrive in Bergen a little before six o’clock on Thursday morning.
– I woke up in the cabin at a quarter to seven, and saw that we were standing inside a tunnel. I called the conductor who said we were in a tunnel between Finse and Myrdal.
Re-evaluating refrigerator snooping after criticism
Without coverage, she had to borrow the conductor’s phone to call her daughter and say that the babysitter had to leave. According to Bjørgaas, a man on the train was confused after the stop, but apart from that the atmosphere must have been calm.
– I met people in the café compartment afterwards, they were nice and relaxed. There was no great panic then, but then we were almost there. People took it cool, she describes.
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– Very satisfied
Bjørgaas emphasizes that she had a nice train ride, after all.
– I was very happy, the staff was good. I felt no fear at all, and we were standing in a tunnel instead of being out in the wind. I thought mostly of the poor people who were out clearing the snow in the middle of the night.
The Bergen line has been used diligently by Bjørgaas, she says. But never before has she experienced being stuck.
Gadd not stand in line
– But you can not do anything about the weather, round trips in Norway during the winter can be dramatic. Vy can not stop the weather and they had people out cleaning. We were probably very unlucky, says Bjørgaas, who is on a wheelbarrow ride with her four-month-old granddaughter when she talks to Dagbladet – well ahead in Bergen.
Got emergency food
WEATHER: Marit Bjørgaas (71) was weatherproof on the train from Oslo to Bergen. The trip was five and a half hours longer than expected. Photo: Private
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Press guard in Vy, Kaja Rynning Moen, says that the train stopped in several places during the trip.
– But it was the longest between Ål and Geilo. There are several factors that are the cause, including a lot of snow. Then we will stand and wait for snow clearing crews, she says.
The train arrived in Bergen almost half past ten, five and a half hours after the planned arrival.
– But they came a quarter past 11. What I heard from the person in charge of the board was that they had let people sleep a little longer, and then handed out coffee, water and emergency food. They always carry it with them over the mountains.
The bus driver stuck: Locked in for 2.5 hours
Then, according to Moen, there must have been a good atmosphere on board.
When asked how they make assessments about train departures in bad weather, she answers that they have a close dialogue with Bane NOR.
– We check the traffic reports, and the section will be closed if they think it is not justifiable. As long as it is open, we drive, she says.
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