Denmark announces fresh details of ‘historically large’ rail upgrades

Banedanmark is working on a major overhaul of the Danish rail infrastructure in 2023, renewing tracks, electrifying lines and installing digital signalling. In an update released this week, the Danish rail infrastructure manager laid out what will happen over the next couple of months.

Starting in April, track renewal works will be carried out along Denmark’s mainline on the sections Roskilde-Ringsted, Slagelse-Korsør, Nyborg-Odense and Fredericia-Vejle. The track renewal works will last until at least September and while the work will be mostly carried in weekends and during holidays, commuters are to expect inconvenience.

Also at the beginning of April, the rollout of new digital signalling system ERTMS will pick up again. The new line between Copenhagen and Ringsted via Køge Nord will be first on the list. The sections from Esbjerg over Skjern to Holstebro and Herning in Jutland are also tapped for a new signalling system this year. In 2022, the new system was entered into operation from Holstebro in the west to Skanderborg and Vejle in the east of Jutland. The year before, the line between Lille Syd and Køge and Næstved was switched over.

Another key area of focus is electrification. In Jutland, work continues to electrify the line between Fredericia and Aalborg. While the southern part has already been completed, work on the sections further Northern part are still in the preparation stage. Electric trains are not expected to roll into Aarhus or Aalborg until year-end 2026.
New tracks are also on the cards, first and foremost around Ellebjerg station in Copenhagen, which is to become a major hub for train traffic. Work there will kickoff towards the last quarter of this year.

Unsurprisingly, being part the largest construction project in the history of the country, the Ringsted-Femern Railway which will connect to the currently being constructed Fehmarnbelt tunnel to Germany is also in this year’s calendar. Work is now underway between Nykøbing Falster and the Fehmarn Belt connection. A new, 30-kilometre double-track line will be installed, which will feature a new station near Holeby. Some time in the spring of 2023, work on a new single-track railway folding bridge over Guldborgsund will begin. A railway bridge over Prinsholmvej at Falster is planned for the future.