Rail Transport in Denmark Railway Operators

Rail Transport in Denmark Railway Operators

Railway Companies Currently Operating in Denmark:

• Arriva
• CFL cargo
• DSB
• Lokaltog
• Metro Service A/S, running Copenhagen Metro
• MJBA – Midtjyske Jernbaner
• NJ – Nordjyske Jernbaner
• SJ AB (formerly Statens Järnvägar)
• DB Cargo

Connection to Adjacent Countries by Rail

Denmark has railway connections to Sweden and Germany, both of which use the same rail gauge as in Denmark. The electric voltage is different as Sweden and Germany use 15 kV AC while Denmark uses 25 kV AC. The train protection systems are also different between all three countries. This means that locomotives must be specially modified to cross the borders, while railway wagons can freely cross the border if there is a suitable locomotive.

Connections to Sweden use the Øresund Railway across Øresund Bridge. Services include SJ's X 2000 service to Stockholm and Øresundståg commuter services to Malmö Central Station and beyond.

There are two connections to Germany. The main connection is over land at Padborg, which carries ICE, intercity and regional trains to Hamburg, and used to carry EuroNight and CityNightLine trains to Amsterdam via Cologne, Basel via Frankfurt, Munich via Nürnberg, and Prague via Berlin. The second crossing is overland at Tønder, Denmark and Süderlügum, Germany, which connects to Niebüll. The Vogelfluglinie route, is from December 2019 closed for trains, until then carried EuroCity and ICE services, using the train ferry from Rødby, Denmark to Puttgarden on the island of Fehmarn, Germany, and from there proceeded via Lübeck and Hamburg to Berlin. The Rødby ferry and Tønder crossing allow only diesel powered trains, while the Padborg crossing is electrified. The Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link is a planned connection across the Fehmarnbelt between Denmark and Germany.

Since November 2014, CityNightLine does not service Denmark anymore,. Sleeper trains serving Denmark include Snälltåget's seasonal services to Berlin and the Austrian Alps and SJ AB's service to Berlin and Hamburg.

Due to delays in delivering Talgo 230 equipment, DSB in 2023 rented UIC-Z wagons from Deutsche Bahn. The Talgo equipment is similar to the ICE L.

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)