Hamar station put on hold

The Innlandet news of 15 and 16 October 2026 is dominated by a government decision on Hamar station and the award of a major construction contract at Terningmoen. Several municipalities in Innlandet county are also debating school delays, empty shelves during the Boktober campaign, and a boil-water notice in Gran.

Innlandet news: the new Hamar station put on hold

The government is putting the new Hamar station project on hold, although construction had been scheduled to start in 2026. The decision was confirmed by Transport Minister Kamzy Gunaratnam (Ap) during question time at the Storting on Wednesday (NRK Innlandet). The stated aim is to coordinate the project with the construction of the double track between Sørli and Åkersvika.

"The measures at Hamar station must be seen in connection with the choice of solutions and the progress of the double-track works from Sørli to Åkersvika," the minister said (NRK Innlandet). The government says it will only present a budget framework proposal for the project in the 2028 national budget.

The pause is causing concern among the business community and residents, reports NRK Innlandet. Høyre is calling for an immediate tender. A few days before last autumn's elections, the then Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap) had travelled to Hamar and promised 200 million NOK for the construction of the new station.

Terningmoen: around 400 million for a military building

Also in the Innlandet news: the Army is centralising all conscript training at Terningmoen, which is putting construction tasks in a queue. Veidekke was awarded the contract on Thursday, worth around 400 million NOK, to construct a new mess building, NRK Innlandet reports. Forsvarsbygg is the client.

The building covers 10,500 square metres and includes a dining hall. It will become one of the largest of its kind in the Armed Forces and is part of the long-term defence plan. "This is a huge and important project. It will employ our own tradespeople and civil servants," said Håvard Hagen, district manager of Veidekke Bygg in Innlandet (NRK Innlandet). "It was a good win in a somewhat tough market."

The newspaper notes that the construction and civil engineering sector, which is in crisis, is welcoming the project with relief.

Schools and culture: delays prompting reactions

GD Gudbrandsdølen reports that new schools in the county could be delayed by several decades. The daily cites a local reaction: "Det her går jo ikke". The same paper mentions working parents who may have to take leave without their children.

On the cultural side, library shelves across Innlandet are empty during the Boktober campaign, NRK Innlandet reports, pointing viewers to its television programme.

Ukrainians: extended protection, income threshold criticised

Tetiana Shevchenko, 34, arrived in Hamar from Kyiv four years ago with her children and pets. Finding a job was one of her priorities. "It is important to do what I can and contribute with my experience so that I can provide for my family," she says (NRK Innlandet).

This single mother would like to work more than her current position, but securing full-time work remains difficult under temporary collective protection. She hopes the government will lower the income requirement of the new scheme so she can apply. The government recently announced it wants to extend collective protection for Ukrainians until March 2028. However, the chair of the Norwegian Organisation for Ukrainian Refugees is concerned about the proposed income threshold (NRK Innlandet).

Gran: around 3,000 customers told to boil their water

Around 3,000 customers across a large part of Gran municipality have been advised to boil their water until further notice (NRK Innlandet). The stated cause is "an unfortunate incident in the water supply," which may cause the water to become discoloured. The incident reportedly occurred in a high-level reservoir, according to OA, which broke the story first.

The municipality cites technical problems and is awaiting analysis results, which may take around one day. There is no indication that the water is hazardous to health. Those affected will be notified when the advisory is lifted.

Sport: Kongsvinger fighting for promotion

Ludvig Langrekken, a striker for Kongsvinger IL, wants to take the club back up to the Eliteserien. "We are a better side now than in other years. We are focusing on one match at a time," he told NRK Innlandet. On Wednesday, his team faced Strømsgodset, third in the table, with five matches left.

A year ago, Kongsvinger were one match from promotion before the season ended abruptly, after 111 minutes against Aalesund. GD Gudbrandsdølen meanwhile reports preparations for a promotion party, described as "a huge opportunity".

📌 Local briefs

Police found a man crouching in a field, before suspicions emerged (Hamar Arbeiderblad).

A person who made a mistake received a 20,000 NOK fine (GD Gudbrandsdølen).

Hamar Arbeiderblad publishes several opinion pieces critical of budget priorities and of defending a resource deemed important for preparedness (Hamar Arbeiderblad).

Sources: NRK Innlandet, Hamar Arbeiderblad, GD Gudbrandsdølen, The Local Norway — Period: 15 October 2026 and 16 October 2026