Fauske heading back to Robek register

The Nordland / Lofoten headlines from the past 48 hours: Fauske municipality (in Salten) is heading back onto the Robek register with an expected overshoot of around 72 million kroner, NHO Nordland is calling on the Storting to act on the financing of the Ofotbanen railway line, and Bodø/Glimt continues its run in the Champions League. Here is the essentials from these two days in Nordland county.

Nordland / Lofoten news: Fauske heading back to Robek

Fauske municipality anticipates a return to the Robek register, which lists Norwegian municipalities in financial difficulty. The budget supposed to cover the 2025 overshoot was itself spent beyond forecasts, and the same situation is repeating in 2026 (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

Fauske kommune is heading towards a cumulative overshoot of around 72 million kroner by the end of 2026. It had left Robek in 2025, but the overruns have continued despite attempts at restructuring. "The situation is serious," says mayor Marlen Rendall Berg to the Saltenposten newspaper, quoted by NRK Nordland / Lofoten.

According to finance director Mads Sandvik, the municipality meets the registration criteria because the overshoot exceeds 3% of operating revenues and must be covered over more than two years. Truls Aanstad, a Høyre councillor, believes the municipality will have to take very drastic measures. "I think about 50 million a year will need to be saved. That cannot be done with a simple adjustment," he says.

Ofotbanen: NHO Nordland calls on the Storting

NHO Nordland and the local business community are reacting to the fact that the government has not set aside funds for Ofotbanen in the 2027 state budget. In a press release, they are asking the Storting to "sort out" the situation during budget negotiations (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

The Søsterbekk railway crossing, ready to be built, has also not received startup funding in the government's proposal. The project is missing an initial allocation of 160 million kroner to get underway. "This is very disappointing. Ofotbanen is absolutely decisive for industry, exports, supply and preparedness in the north," says NHO Nordland regional director Hans Christian Hansson.

Both LKAB and the port of Narvik stress that the lack of rail capacity is holding back growth and weakening civil preparedness in the north of the country.

Sport: Bodø/Glimt and Viking in European action

Bodø/Glimt secured a 1-0 home win over German club Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday evening, claiming their first three points in the Champions League league phase. (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

Glimt's Wednesday evening success follows Viking's 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich in Stavanger on Tuesday. The Norwegians had surprised the Bavarians with two first-half goals before the latter came back level. Viking captain Zlatko Tripic told TV 2 that they had managed to "annoy half of the Bayern team."

Community: Nordland still looking for volunteers

Nordland county is short of 1,367 volunteers for the annual TV-aksjonen collection, scheduled for this Sunday 18 October. 701 volunteers have signed up so far. Bodø is short 235 and Mo i Rana more than 300 (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

"We are unfortunately seeing a drop in numbers, and of course that is a concern; collectors are the heart of a tradition of more than 50 years," says Hanne Myrvang, the action leader in Nordland, to NRK Nordland / Lofoten. The funds will go to NRC Flyktninghjelpen.

National Reflector Day was also marked on Thursday 15 October, with a workshop held at the Stormen library in Bodø. The date falls each year on the third Thursday in October (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

📌 Local briefs

A police investigation targets five reindeer-herding grazing shares suspected of fraud; the amounts potentially undue, between declared animal numbers and reported losses, reach the hundred-thousand-kroner mark per share (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

A motorcyclist was clocked at 161 km/h in Nordland (Lofotposten). Meanwhile, an investigation into a grave desecration has led to a severe conviction for a young man, and local players are warning that budget cuts to civil preparedness could have fatal consequences (Avisa Nordland).

Sources: NRK Nordland / Lofoten, Avisa Nordland, Lofotposten, The Local Norway — Period: 15 October 2026 and 16 October 2026