700 homes finally underway in Nydalen

Oslo news from the last 48 hours is marked by the start of construction of 700 homes in the Nydalen district, more than ten years after Obos bought the site. In the city centre, the operation on the crane in Prinsens gate was completed in the night between Monday and Tuesday, allowing the roadblocks to be lifted gradually. On the transport front, Chinese manufacturer CRRC is claiming 500 million kroner from operator Unibuss (NRK Oslo).

Oslo news: 700 homes finally rise from the ground in Nydalen

In Schibsted's former printing halls in Nydalen, construction of 700 homes has resumed. Obos had bought the site more than ten years ago; most of that time was spent on the City of Oslo's administrative processing of the case, reports NRK Oslo.

The group has calculated the cost of these extra years. For an average apartment of 67 square metres, the additional cost reaches 482,000 kroner, or nearly half a million. The sum includes financial costs and expenses linked to additional rounds of negotiations with the municipality. "For an average apartment in this project, that represents almost 500,000 kroner," says the group's CEO, Marianne Gjertsen Ebbesen (NRK Oslo). The calculation includes neither the increased cost of construction materials nor the rise in property market prices.

Obos estimates that the case could have been processed in half the time. "In the end, it is the buyer who gets the bill," adds Marianne Gjertsen Ebbesen. The construction site is therefore starting in a context of increased costs, on a converted industrial site in the north-west of Oslo county.

Prinsens gate crane drama over as city centre reopens

The crane that threatened to collapse in central Oslo has been dismantled. Several neighbouring buildings had been evacuated on Monday morning when the machine began to tilt. Sections of Prinsens gate, Fred. Olsens gate and Strandgata were closed to traffic during the operation (NRK Oslo).

At 22:15 on Monday, the crane was on the ground, with the rest of the structure having been lowered. "We expect that most of the crane will be dismantled within a few hours and that the roadblocks can then be lifted," said duty officer Truls Tangen of the Oslo police (NRK Oslo).

The resumption of traffic depends on the roadblocks being opened. "As soon as the police open them, we can restore the normal public transport service. Initially it will be buses, because the tram must check the rails before running," explains Bjørnar Skoheim, spokesperson for Ruter (NRK Oslo). The cause of the tilt has not yet been established: analyses are continuing with geotechnical engineers and RIB consultants.

Unibuss sued for 500 million kroner

The case dates back a little more than a year: Ruter had revealed a security flaw in Chinese electric buses from manufacturer Yutong, which could be stopped and shut down remotely by the manufacturer. Several hundred of these vehicles are in service in Norway, including a significant share of Oslo's buses (NRK Oslo).

The number could have been higher. In 2021, Unibuss, which operates routes for Ruter in Oslo and Akershus, was about to order 250 buses from Chinese company CRRC. The operator changed its mind at the last moment and signed with Polish company Solaris. Today, Unibuss is being sued by supplier CRRC for an amount of around 500 million kroner. The buses operated in Oslo have also encountered difficulties on winter roads in several of the last winters.

📌 Local briefs

A man has been apprehended after a fire in a detached house in Alværn, in the municipality of Nesodden (Akershus), reported at 02:55 in the night between Monday and Tuesday. The three occupants had got out unharmed. Witnesses described a person who could have started the fire; the man, a tenant, was apprehended without being formally arrested, and his role has not been established (NRK Oslo, Aftenposten, 27 October 04:00).

In Bjørvika, police are still looking for a man in his thirties suspected of serious assault after a knife attack in an underground car park on Saturday. He has been reported internationally because of links abroad. The victim, a woman in her thirties, is seriously injured but her life is not in danger; there is a family relationship between the two people (NRK Oslo).

Lillestrøm station was closed after a brake overheating that triggered a fire on a train running between Eidsvold and Drammen. Staff evacuated the passengers and brought the fire under control with powder extinguishers; no one was injured. Train traffic was halted while tracks were cleared (NRK Oslo).

The editorial team at The Local Norway is meanwhile publishing a practical guide to Norway's self-preparedness week, devoted to reserves of water, food and household equipment (The Local Norway).

Sources: NRK Oslo, Aftenposten, The Local Norway — Period: 26 October 2026 and 27 October 2026