Mantena exercises a contractually stipulated right of termination in the agreement with GoAhead regarding maintenance of the trains in Traffic Package 1.
Together with GoAhead, Mantena has spent the winter evaluating the contract, as stipulated in the 2019 agreement. Unfortunately, the framework conditions in Traffic Package 1 do not make it economically sustainable or viable to continue.
System errors and wheel wear
It is well known that the infrastructure on the Sørlandsbanen is poor in many places. What is less known is that, in connection with the introduction of traffic packages, the rotation of rolling stock between different routes was discontinued. This means that the same trains operate on the same route every day. The consequence of this is extreme wear on the wheels, resulting in a maintenance requirement that is significantly higher than what the tender documents and historical data indicated.
In addition, lubrication of the tracks on the Sørlandsbanen was discontinued in 2020, i.e., after the start of the traffic package. This has further intensified the wear on the wheels.
At the same time, one of the train types in Traffic Package 1, type 73, has system errors that are further exacerbated by the demanding infrastructure and the discontinuation of rolling stock rotation. Altogether, this results in significant additional maintenance costs in the form of spare parts and labor. Mantena has had to bear this additional cost itself.
12-month notice period
The agreement has a 12-month notice period, and Mantena will of course fulfill the notice period and continue efforts for the Sørlandsbanen until the end of May 2025.