Norway’s Train Strike Looms as Midnight Talks Fail

Norwegian rail unions and the employer association Spekter failed to reach a deal before the midnight deadline. Mediation will continue through the night, according to State Conciliator Mats Ruland. If no agreement is found, 135 train conductors and locomotive drivers will walk off the job at 6 a.m. Wednesday. The strike would hit the route between Eidsvoll and Lillehammer hard. “Many of the striking conductors and drivers are based in Hamar and Lillehammer. This means few or no trains will run between Eidsvoll and Lillehammer,” rail company Vy said in a statement. The unions involved are the Norwegian Locomotive Drivers’ Association, the Norwegian Railway Union, and Delta.