on the Bratsberg Line from 20 October. Timetoget started negotiations with the Swedish company BK Tåg to try to establish a cooperation that would allow Swedish engineers to be used. At the same time, the minority shareholders, who owned 11% of the company, demanded that they could take over NSB's shares without compensation, and that all debt to NSB be deleted. Arne Wam responded by stating that NSB wanted to liquidate the company. NSB therefore offered to purchase all shares in the company at par value, despite the company not having any net assets. By 2 November, all owners, except the two environmental organizations the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature and Nature and Youth, had sold their shares to NSB. The two environmental organizations owned 7 of 40,000 shares of the company. At the general meeting the same day, the company was liquidated, even though the two organizations opposed. Prior to the meeting, the other minority owners had held a tactics meeting to discuss what to do. Several municipalities were concerned that they would lose even more money if they did not sell. The other minority owners agreed to cover the costs of the two environmental organizations, and let them make the principal stand to oppose the liquidation. Aftermath By 14 November, the concept had been approved by the Norwegian Railway Inspectorate. Following the announcement, Wam stated that NSB would continue to operate the service, and use the Timetoget concept. An internal document the newspaper Varden received access to showed that NSB needed to calm down the heated discussions with the labor unions, and that their negativity to Timetoget was a tactical move to satisfy the labor unions. Minister of Transport, Terje Moe Gustavsen from the Labour Party, stated in a meeting with two parliamentarians from Telemark, that he would allow a new private company, without NSB ownership, to operate the line. In January 2001, Connex Norge offered to purchase Timetoget from NSB, and start operations. However, by February, Connex had changed their mind, and no longer wanted to purchase the company. Terje Bulling admitted that Timetoget had a very good agreement for operating the Arendal Line, and that a fourth Y1 railcar had been bought from Sweden for this route. However, when NSB had tried to sell Timetoget, this agreement was not part of the estate. By April, NSB estimated that they had lost NOK 10 million