Copenhagen Metro (Københavns Metro)

Copenhagen Metro (Københavns Metro)

The Copenhagen Metro or in Danish: Københavns Metro, it is a light rapid transit system in Copenhagen, Denmark, serving the municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, and Tårnby.

The original 20.4-kilometre (12.7 mi) system opened in October 2002, serving nine stations on two lines: M1 and M2. In 2003 and 2007, the Metro was extended to Vanløse and Copenhagen Airport (Lufthavnen) respectively, adding an additional six plus five stations to the network. In 2019, seventeen stations on a wholly underground circle line, the M3, was added bringing the number of stations to 37.

The driverless light metro supplements the larger S-train rapid transit system, and is integrated with local DSB and regional (Øresundståg) trains and municipal Movia buses. Through the city centre and west to Vanløse, M1 and M2 share a common line. To the southeast, the system serves Amager, with the 13.9-kilometre (8.6 mi) M1 running through the new neighborhood of Ørestad, and the 14.2-kilometre (8.8 mi) M2 serving the eastern neighborhoods and Copenhagen Airport. The M3 is a circle line connecting Copenhagen Central Station with Vesterbro, Frederiksberg, Nørrebro, Østerbro and Indre By districts. The metro has 44 stations, 30 of which are underground. Service is provided 24/7, making Copenhagen along with New York City and Chicago the only cities in the world to provide 24/7 rapid transit service throughout their city limits.

In 2023, the Metro Carried 120 Million Passengers.

Copenhagen Metro Overview

The system is owned by Metroselskabet (The Metro Company), which is owned by the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, and the Ministry of Transport. The M1 and M2 use 34 trains of the Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro class and stationed at the Control and Maintenance Center at Vestamager. The trains are 2.65 m (8 ft 8 in) wide and three cars long, their 630 kW (840 hp) power output is supplied by a 750-volt third rail. The metro trains were originally planned to be four cars long, but trains were reduced to three cars per set as a savings measure. Platforms are – although shorter than originally planned – built to accommodate trains with four cars, and the automatic doors can be modified accordingly should the need arise.

Operation of the system is subcontracted to a private company. For the history of service, this has been Metro Service A/S. Trains run continually, twenty-four hours a day, with the headway varying from two to four minutes in daytime, with longer intervals (up to twenty minutes) during the night.

Planning of the Metro started in 1992 as part of the redevelopment plans for Ørestad with construction starting in 1996, and stage 1, from Nørreport to Vestamager and Lergravsparken, opened in 2002. Stage 2, from Nørreport to Vanløse, opened in 2003, followed by stage 3, from Lergravsparken to Lufthavnen, in 2007.

The City Circle Line or in Danish: Cityringen is an entirely underground 15.5 km (9.6 mi) loop through central Copenhagen and Frederiksberg with 17 stops. It does not share any track with the M1 and M2 lines, but intersect them at Kongens Nytorv and Frederiksberg stations. Before the Cityringen opened, the Metro expected that it would cause its ridership should almost double from its 2016 levels to 116 million annual passengers.

A fourth line, M4, will be developed into a separate line between 2020 and 2022, as extensions of the Cityringen to Nordhavn and Sydhavn open. The two-stop three-kilometre (1.9 mi)-long line to Nordhavn opened in March 2020. The extension adds an interchange with Nordhavn S-train station. The five-stop, 4.5 km (2.8 mi), extension to Sydhavn opened in 2024. The Sydhavn line will terminate at Copenhagen South Station where it will create a new regional Rail transport hub by connecting the metro system to the S-train network, regional trains, and long-distance trains on the current lines and the high speed Copenhagen-Ringsted railway. Once these extensions are complete, Metro expects the daily ridership to triple from its current level of 200,000 riders per weekday to 600,000 riders per weekday in 2030.

Copenhagen Metro History

Copenhagen Metro Background

The planning of the metro was spurred by the development of the Ørestad area of Copenhagen. The principle of building a rail transit was passed by the Parliament of Denmark on 24 June 1992, with the Ørestad Act. The responsibility for developing the area, as well as building and operating the metro, was given to the Ørestad Development Corporation, a joint venture between Copenhagen Municipality (45%) and the Ministry of Finance (55%). Initially, three modes were considered: a tramway, a light rail and a rapid transit. In October 1994, the Development Corporation chose a light rapid transit.

The tram solution would have been a street tram, without any major infrastructure investments in the city centre, such as a dedicated right-of-way. Through Ørestad it would have had level crossings, except for a grade-separated crossing with the European Route E20 and the Øresund Line‎. It would have had a driver and have operated at about a 150-second interval—twice the cycle time of the city's traffic lights. Power would have been provided with overhead wires. Stops were to be located about every 500 m (1,640 ft 5 in) at street level. The articulated trams would have been about 35 m (114 ft 10 in) long and have a capacity for 230 passengers.

The light rail model would have used the same approach as the tram in Ørestad, but would instead have run through a tunnel in the city centre. The tunnel sections would be shorter, but the diameter larger because it would have to accommodate overhead wires. The system would have the same frequency as the tram, but use double trams and would therefore require larger stations. The metro solution was chosen because it combined the highest average speeds, the highest passenger capacity, the lowest visual and noise impact, and the lowest number of accidents. Despite requiring the highest investment, it had the highest net present value.

The decision to build stage 2, from Nørreport to Vanløse, and stage 3, to the airport, was taken by Parliament on 21 December 1994. Stage 2 involved the establishment of the company Frederiksbergbaneselskabet I/S in February 1995, owned 70% by the Ørestad Development Corporation and 30% by Frederiksberg Municipality. The third stage would be built by Østamagerbaneselskabet I/S, established in September 1995 and owned 55% by the Ørestad Development Corporation and 45% by Copenhagen County. In October 1996, a contract was signed with the Copenhagen Metro Construction Group (COMET) for building the lines (Civil Works), and with Ansaldo STS for delivery of technological systems and trains, and to operate the system the first five years. COMET was a single-purpose consortium composed of Astaldi, Bachy, SAE, Ilbau, NCC Rasmussen & Schiøtz Anlæg and Tarmac Construction.

Copenhagen Metro Overview

Copenhagen Metro Native Name: Københavns Metro
Copenhagen Metro Owner: Metroselskabet I/S
Copenhagen Metro Locale: Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen Metro Transit Type: Light rapid transit
Copenhagen Metro Number of Lines: 4
Copenhagen Metro Line Number: M1, M2, M3, M4
Copenhagen Metro Number of Stations: 44
Copenhagen Metro Daily Ridership: 360,000 (daily)
Copenhagen Metro Annual Ridership: 120 million (2023)
Copenhagen Metro Chief Executive: Carsten Riis, CEO
Copenhagen Metro Began Operation: 19 October 2002
Copenhagen Metro Operator(s): Inmetro
Copenhagen Metro Number of Vehicles:
34 AnsaldoBreda Driverless Metro (M1+M2)
30 Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro (M3+M4)
Copenhagen Metro Train Length: 3 cars
Copenhagen Metro Headway: 2–4 minutes
Copenhagen Metro System Length: 43.3 km (26.9 mi)
Copenhagen Metro Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Copenhagen Metro Electrification: 750 V DC third rail
Copenhagen Metro Average Speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)
Copenhagen Metro Top Speed:
M1 and M2: 80 km/h (50 mph)
M3 and M4: 90 km/h (56 mph)