Øresundståg (Øresund train)

Øresundståg (Øresund train)

Øresundståg is a passenger train network operated by Transdev in the transnational Øresund Region of Denmark and Sweden. The name is a hybrid of the Danish Øresundstog and the Swedish Öresundståg, both meaning "Øresund train". The rolling stock, also known as Class ET in Denmark and X31K in Sweden, are electric passenger trainsets in the Flexliner family.

Øresundståg Operations

Three trains per hour cross the Øresund Bridge each way. Trains run at 20-minute intervals between Østerport via Copenhagen in Denmark to Malmö and Lund in southern Sweden, increasing to six trains per hour during rush hours. From Lund, the trains continue hourly in three directions, to Gothenburg, to Kalmar and to Karlskrona. After midnight, traffic is reduced to one hourly train between Østerport in Copenhagen and Lund.

Each train consists of up to three 79-metre-long units coupled together, each with 229 seats, providing a capacity of max 4122 seats per hour. This has turned out to be insufficient, as differences in salaries and house prices between Copenhagen and Malmö have resulted in an unexpected increase of cross-border commuting.

The trains cannot be lengthened because of platform length constraints. And increasing frequency beyond six trains per hour is not possible because there are only two platform tracks to share with other trains at the stations Nørreport, Ørestad, Kastrup Airport and Triangeln. Increasingly, people have to stand during rush hours, into Copenhagen in the morning and towards Malmö in the afternoon, which beside the inconvenience also raises safety concerns.

The network covers 854 kilometres (531 mi) of railway. In Denmark, the trains run on the Coast Line and the Øresund Line‎, between Østerport and the Airport in 10-minute frequency. In Sweden, they run through the Malmö City Tunnel, and on the Southern Main Line to Lund. From Lund, most Øresundståg services continue to either Gothenburg, Kalmar, or Karlskrona, using the West Coast Line, the Southern Main Line, the Coast-to-Coast Line or the Blekinge Coast Line.

Passengers can encounter both Danish and Swedish staff on the trains over the Øresund Bridge. Tickets can be bought from sellers in either country. For travel inside one of the Swedish counties or inside Denmark, the local traffic authority tickets are used. For travel from Sweden to Denmark tickets can be purchased from the regional transit authorities and ticket sales channels which are part of the Resplus system.

Until December 2020, the trains were operated by Transdev in Sweden and by DSB in Denmark. In December 2020, Swedish rail operator SJ Öresund, a subsidiary of the state-owned operator SJ, took over the operations in Sweden. Due to an early cancellation of the contract with SJ, Transdev took over as a temporary operator for both operations in Denmark and Sweden in December 2022.

Øresundståg Operation

On 27 June 2007 it was decided that DSBFirst was to assume responsibility from 2009 for the running of all Øresundståg services on the Øresund Line‎ and connected destinations. DSBFirst started operations on 11 January 2009. In 2011, the Danish and Swedish ministries of transport instructed DSBFirst Sweden to cease operating the Swedish part of the service from 10 December 2011 Veolia Transport took over the Swedish side and DSBFirst Denmark's services passed to DSB Øresund. The Øresundståg operation has suffered from financial problems as well as delays and cancelled trains on both the Danish and Swedish part of its network, notably during the 2010 winter.

On the Danish side the trains stop often, about every 4 km, like a commuter train. On the Swedish side the trains stop much less often, more like inter-city trains, and they reach stations about 300 km from Copenhagen, such as Gothenburg, Kalmar and Karlskrona. Most travellers in Sweden use it like a regional train for work commuting and similar shorter journeys, and local monthly passes are valid on the train.

The combination of routes of an inter-city nature in Sweden with commuter-like routes in Denmark is often a source of trouble. The long-distance trains from Sweden often accumulate delays during the long journey. But delays cause trouble to commuter passengers having fixed work hours and not wishing to add long margins, since they travel every day. Therefore, DSBFirst nowadays have stand-by trains ready at Kastrup that run to Helsingør if the train from Sweden is delayed. In these circumstances the train from Sweden is terminated early and does not continue to Helsingør.

Because of the complexity involved in the Øresundståg operation and the result of delays on the Danish side of the network, the decision has been taken to split the operations when the current concession ends in December 2021. The Danish services would be tendered by the Danish authorities, while Skånetrafiken will be responsible for the tendering process for the international and Swedish services.

Øresundståg Competitors

Between Gothenburg and Malmö (until 2012 to Copenhagen, but not to Helsingør), SJ AB (the Swedish national railway) operates competing trains. From 2009 they have different tickets compared to the Øresundståg services. SJ runs X2000 trains via Hässleholm, and from 2009 to 2011 SJ ran intercity IC3 (X31) trains using via Helsingborg. Different tickets are needed. There was a similar situation with DSB's "Intercity Bornholm" trains to Ystad, which did not accept Øresundståg tickets despite the "Øresundstog" rolling stock used.

Øresundståg Overview

Øresundståg Status: Regional train
Øresundståg Locale: Øresund Region
Øresundståg Current Operator(s): Transdev
Øresundståg Rolling Stock: X31K & X32K / ET
Øresundståg Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Øresundståg Operating Speed: 180 km/h (112 mph)
Øresundståg Rake Maintenance:
Amager (Denmark)
Hässleholm (Sweden)