Tracks set to be built or upgraded in Denmark. Also includes completed lines.
Banedanmark is in charge of 2,045 km of railway lines, the speed may be lowered in places due to the condition of the track. While
wooden
sleepers are used on sidings and branch lines,
concrete sleepers are the norm on all main lines; the common two-block concrete sleepers are now being phased out in favour of monoblock ones. The age of the tracks in Banedanmark's network has become increasingly problematic in later years. A 2002/03 analysis of Banestyrelsen's (now Banedanmark) network states that the average age of the track is too high, with a present average age of 24 years compared to the recommended 20 years. Banedanmark also owns the
S-train lines, but does not own every railway in the country. It does not own local railways around
Hillerød, Zealand (such as the
Frederiksværk Line and
Gribskov Line) and the
East Line,
Odsherred Line,
Tølløse Line, (
Thy Line,
Lemvig Line,
Aarhus Letbane Jutland) and
Copenhagen Metro.
Electrification General-purpose electric propulsion was adopted quite recently in Denmark; the political decision to
electrify the main lines was made in 1979. The first line to be electrified was
Copenhagen–Helsingør, electrified in 1986, followed by the main line across
Zealand,
Funen and
Southern Jutland in the 1980s–90s. On the main lines that are equipped with them, the
overhead lines carry
25 kV AC at 50
Hz. The system is used on the main line from
Sweden through
Copenhagen to
Fredericia, and from there to
Padborg and the
German border. Both Sweden and Germany use
15 kV at 16
Hz and 16.7
Hz respectively, and the
multi-system class EG goods locomotive is equipped for both 25 and 15 kV. The
S-train network in Copenhagen operates at 1650
V DC, supplied from overhead lines; it was the first electric network in Denmark, electrified around 1930. The newer
Copenhagen Metro uses 750 V DC, supplied from a
third rail. Since there are heavy delays of several years with the construction of the new
IC4 diesel multiple units, many commentators argue that it is better to electrify major railways and purchase electric multiple units instead, since that is a more common product. At least the route
Fredericia-
Ålborg must be electrified in order to run electric passenger trains between Jutland and Copenhagen. The route between
Kolding-
Esbjerg was due to be to open for electric trains in 2015. The government has in 2009 decided to delay all electrification for several years until the new signal system
ERTMS is introduced, since electrification earlier than that requires rebuilding of the existing signal system. In September 2013 the government reached a deal with the
Danish People's Party and the
Red-Green Alliance (Denmark) to use additional oil taxes to create a train fund. This train fund would be used to electrify all of the main line trains by 2025, and increase train speeds to for
InterCity trains. This would allow for travel between the cities of Copenhagen, Odense, Esbjerg, Aarhus, and Aalborg in four hours. On 29 May 2015 Banedanmark announced a 2.8 billion DKK (€375 million) contract to have
Aarsleff-Siemens electrify 1300 km of tracks before 2026.
Danish State Railways received a €500 million loan in 2022 from the
EIB to purchase 100 new electric trains, to replace diesel-powered trains for more sustainable passenger traffic. The
Coradia Stream train sets are to be delivered from 2025. The S-train network was to be refitted with the
CBTC system, which allows
driverless trains, by 2020. The migration to CBTC was completed by 2022.
Main lines Main lines were equipped with the
ATC safety system during the 1990s, with a partial, cheaper implementation, ATC
train stop, being used on some (but not all) branch lines. Denmark has its own ATC system (ZUB 123), not compatible with other countries. It is a modification of the Swiss system. Trains crossing the border to Sweden or Germany have to have two ATC systems, and handle two electrical supply systems. In order to replace the different and aging signal systems, it has been decided to replace all current signal systems on
Banedanmark's active network, except the S-train lines, with
ERTMS level 2, relying entirely on cab signalling; general rollout is scheduled for 2018–21.
Safety record Serious incidents on Denmark's railways have been rare. The six most serious are: • 1897: The
Gentofte train crash. A delayed local train was hit by a special train. 40 were killed and 132 were injured in the accident. • 1913: The
Bramminge train accident. An express train became derailed near Bramming. 15 were killed, including
Peter Sabroe, and 54 injured. • 1919: The
Vigerslev train crash. An express train from Korsør drove violently into five wagons at Vigerslev. The train was stationary due to an emergency application of the brakes and reversing to retrieve a child who had fallen onto the rails. 40 died and 30 were severely injured. • 1967: The . An express train hit another outside Odense. 11 people died while 47 were injured in the accident. • 1988: The
1988 Sorø derailment. A train ran off the rails at high speed at Sorø. Eight people died and 72 were injured. • 2019: The
Great Belt Bridge rail accident. A passenger train collided with a semi-trailer from a passing freight train. Eight people died and 16 were injured. • 2025: The . A passenger train collided with a slurry tanker at a level crossing. One person died and 20 were injured. ==Operations==