Several passengers collapse on overcrowded Norwegian commuter train

At least three passengers fainted aboard a severely overcrowded Vy train from Tønsberg to Oslo on Tuesday morning, with one striking their head after collapsing, according to eyewitness Eivind Hjelle, who described the conditions as “completely horrifying.”

The 6:09 AM service, typically operating with ten carriages, ran with only five, forcing passengers to stand packed together for over an hour. “By Holmestrand we were like sardines in a can, and in Drammen it was worse than a Tokyo metro,” Hjelle told Dagbladet. The first collapse occurred before Drammen, prompting an emergency stop in Asker where medical personnel boarded. A second passenger fainted at Lysaker, and a third required assistance upon arrival at Nationaltheatret station.

Vy communications director Åge-Christoffer Lundeby confirmed multiple passengers received medical attention but stated the company had not verified the third incident. He acknowledged chronic overcrowding on the Vestfold line, citing a national shortage of trains and delays in maintenance at the Skien workshop.

“Passengers are not getting the seating capacity we aim to provide,” Lundeby said, adding that Vy is exploring solutions, including reallocating rolling stock from other routes and introducing rush-hour bus services between Tønsberg, Stokke, and Oslo.

Hjelle, who demanded immediate action, said the journey—normally a seated 70-minute trip—became a chaotic ordeal with multiple train changes and calls for medical aid. “What should be a simple commute turned into people collapsing and ambulances being called,” he said.