Rail Transport in Denmark

Rail Transport in Denmark

The rail transport system in Denmark consists of 2,633 km of railway lines, of which the Copenhagen S-train network, the main line Helsingør-Copenhagen-Padborg (at the German border), and the Lunderskov-Esbjerg line are electrified. Most traffic is passenger trains, although there is considerable transit goods traffic between Sweden and Germany.

Maintenance work on most Danish railway lines is done by Banedanmark, a state-owned company that also allocates tracks for train operators. The majority of passenger trains are operated by DSB, with Arriva and Nordjyske Jernbaner and Midtjyske Jernbaner operating on some lines in Jutland. Goods transport is mainly performed by DB Schenker Rail, although other operators take care of a significant portion of the non-transit traffic.

Denmark is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Denmark is 86.

Rail Transport in Denmark History

The Kingdom of Denmark's first railway opened between Copenhagen and Roskilde in 1847. The first railway in the Danish Duchy of Schleswig opened between Flensburg and Tønning in 1854.

The first railways in Denmark were built and operated by private companies. The railways in Funen and Jutland were built by Peto and Betts who also supplied the locomotives (built by Canada Works, Birkenhead). Most of the technical staff was also recruited from Britain, notably from the Eastern Counties Railway. When Peto and Betts went into insolvency, the Danish state took over Det danske Jernbane-Driftsselskab (The Danish Railway Operating Company) as of 1 September 1867 under the name De jysk-fyenske Jernbaner (the Funen and Jutland Railways), from 1874 De Danske Statsbaner i Jylland og Fyn (The Danish State Railways in Jutland and Funen). The network was extended by new construction and by acquisition of the privately operated lines from Silkeborg to Herning (1 November 1879) and from Grenaa to Randers and Aarhus (1 April 1881).

The Danish state took over Det sjællandske Jernbaneselskab (the Railway Company of Zealand) on 1 January 1880, forming De sjællandske Statsbaner (the State Railways of Zealand). With the majority of railways on both sides of the Great Belt thus owned by the Danish state, it was not until 1 October 1885 that the companies of Jutland/Funen and Zealand merged into one national railway company, De Danske Statsbaner (the Danish State Railways), the merger being finalised on 1 April 1893.

Important projects that followed for the Danish rail network include the Great Belt Fixed Link in 1998, the Øresund Bridge in 2000 and the Copenhagen–Ringsted Line (Denmark's first high-speed rail) in 2019.

Rail Transport in Denmark Overview

Rail Transport in Denmark National Railway: DSB
Rail Transport in Denmark Infrastructure Company: Banedanmark
Rail Transport in Denmark Major Operators:
DSB
DB Cargo
Rail Transport in Denmark Ridership: 206,566,000 (2017)
Rail Transport in Denmark Passenger km: 6.653 billion (2016)
Rail Transport in Denmark Freight: 2.575 billion tkm (2016)
Rail Transport in Denmark System Length Total: 2,633 km (1,636 mi) (2022)
Rail Transport in Denmark Double Track: 1,098 km (682 mi)
Rail Transport in Denmark Electrified: 964 km (599 mi) as of Jan 1st 2023
Rail Transport in Denmark Freight Only: 4 km (2.5 mi)
Rail Transport in Denmark Track Gauge Main: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Rail Transport in Denmark Electrification:
Main Arteries: 25 kV 50 Hz: 474 km (295 mi) (2023)
1650 V DC (S-train): 171 km (106 mi) (2023)
750 V DC (Metro): 38 km (24 mi) (2023)
Light Rail (Aarhus, Odense, Copenhagen): 124 km (77 mi) (2023)
Rail Transport in Denmark No. Stations: 567 (2022)