High-speed rail in Denmark

Completed and approved high-speed lines in Denmark.

The first high-speed railway in Denmark was the Copenhagen–Ringsted Line, completed in late 2018 and opened in 2019. Further high-speed lines are currently under planning.

Since HSR in Denmark reaches no more than 200 km/h, it can also be described as higher-speed rail.

As a part of a long-term green plan for transportation in Denmark in December 2008, the government at the time presented a high-speed strategy for the inter-city train traffic, called The Hour Model (Danish: Timemodellen). The strategy contains bringing down the travel time on the three links that connect the four largest cities of Denmark (Copenhagen-Odense-Aarhus-Aalborg) to one hour, thereby decreasing the total travel time between Copenhagen and Aalborg from approximately 4½ hours to 3 hours.[1] The first part of the Hour Model, the new high-speed line between Copenhagen and Ringsted, opened in 2019.[2]

After realization of the first three stages of the Hour Model, it can be expanded to Esbjerg and Herning.

On 1 March 2013, the government published their proposal for fulfilling the Hour Model, as well as an electrification of the main lines. The proposal includes creation of a DKK 27.5 billion fund, Togfonden DK (Danish: Train Fund DK), based on taxes from oil activities in the North Sea.[3][4] The funding was supported by Enhedslisten and Dansk Folkeparti in a political agreement on 17 September 2013, when the potential outcome where adjusted to DKK 28.5 billion.[5]

On 14 January 2014, the parties behind the funding published an agreement for spending the fund, where from DKK 14.8 billion will be spent for realizing the Hour Model.[6]

  1. ^ Danish Government (December 2008). "Sustainable transportation - better infrastructure" [Bæredygtig transport - bedre infrastruktur] (PDF) (in Danish). Danish Ministry of Transport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  2. ^ Banedanmark. "Copenhagen-Ringsted". Banedanmark. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  3. ^ Danish Ministry of Transport (1 March 2013). "DKK 27.5 billion to a faster and more environmentally friendly railway in Denmark" [27,5 mia. kr. til en hurtigere og mere miljøvenlig jernbane i Danmark] (in Danish). Danish Ministry of Transport. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  4. ^ Danish Ministry of Taxation (1 March 2013). "The overhaul of the North Sea gives DKK 27.5 billion in a new fund" [Serviceeftersynet af Nordsøen giver 27½ mia. kr. i ny fond] (in Danish). Danish Ministry of Taxation. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  5. ^ Danish Ministry of Taxation (17 September 2013). "The Government, Enhedslisten and Dansk Folkepart agrees on harmonisation of the taxation in the North Sea" [Regeringen, Enhedslisten og Dansk Folkeparti indgår aftale om harmonisering af beskatningen i Nordsøen] (in Danish). Danish Ministry of Taxation. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  6. ^ Danish Ministry of Transport (14 January 2014). "Agreement on TogfondenDK – Now the danes get a better, greener and faster railway" [Aftale om TogfondenDK – Nu får danskerne en bedre, grønnere og hurtigere jernbane] (in Danish). Danish Ministry of Transport. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2014.