Denmark - General Information

Country Name

Denmark (Danmark)

National Railway System

National Railway Operator

Danske Statsbaner (DSB).

Language

Danish. Additional vowels come at the end of the Danish/Norwegian alphabet, with Æ, Ø and Å following Z in that order. Accordingly, Aarhus (sorted as Århus, the older way of writing is still widely used for names) comes last among the remaining major stations in the index of Danish railway stations and Næstved is further down the list than Nykøbing. If the keyboard in use does not have these, use ae/Ae for æ/Æ, oe/Oe for ø/Ø and aa/Aa for å/Å.

Currency

Danish Krone

UIC code

numeric 86; alpha DK

Timetable

Journey Planner

www.rejseplanen.dk. Note that this journey planner selects bus services if they provide the best journey. Click on "Advanced options" to bring up a screen enabling selection or deselection of various modes of transport.

Downloadable Timetable

• DSB: The Alle køreplaner (pdf) (in Danish only) gives a list of downloadable timetables and also provides a facility to generate a personalised schedule for any journey and download that. Note this link was corrected in July 2025.
• Lokaltog A/S: Vælg strækning and click on the required line by the map.
• Midtjyske Jernbaner A/S Roadmaps Train
• Nordjyske Jernbaner A/S Alle køreplaner
• GoCollective Køreplaner

Working (Staff) Timetable

The Tjenestekøreplaner (in Danish only) are divided into 3 sections - Øst, Vest and S-Tog.

Printed Timetable

The DSB Køreplan ceased publication in the autumn of 2015.

A timetable - Veterantog i Danmark - is issued for most of the seasonal tourist railways by Danske Veterantogsoperatøres Fællesrepræsentation (DVF) and Lokomotivklubben KLK in printed form from Danske Jernbane-Klub, Kalvebod Brygge 40, DK-1560 København V, or at Danske Veterantogs Fællesrepræsentation (only in Danish).

Engineering Information

Trafikinformation in Danish only, then select:

• Dagens ændringer (Today's changes)
• Oversigtskort over sporarbejder (Overview map of track work)

Bus Information

The Journey Planner (above) selects bus services if they provide the best journey.

Maps

Printed Maps

• European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball.
• European Railway Atlas (Regional Atlas Series, Book 1: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Great Britain, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg) by M.G. Ball.

Web-based Maps

• Map of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and Map of the København and Malmö area both dated July 2023 - on the Railroad Maps site.
• Maps and Plans - Denmark.

Ticketing

A single fare structure covers both DSB and private lines. National fares apply only when a journey covers at least two regions. Local fares apply wholly within a region; these are all zonal and also cover buses. Some regions also offer day tickets. InterRail and similar tickets are accepted on Lokaltog, GoCollective and Nordjyske Jernbaner services, but are not valid on Midtjyske Jernbaner. Penalty fares are charged if passengers are without a valid ticket on local lines in the København area.

Seat reservations are desirable on long-distance services. Reservations from intermediate stations are issued until shortly before the train calls, so apparently unreserved seats may be claimed during the course of the journey.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

Infrastructure is owned by BaneDanmark, a public authority separate from DSB.

Network Statement

Railway infrastructure owned by the Danish state is described in Banedanmark's Network Statements. This contains recent Network Statements and the associated appendices, which are in Danish only. Infrastructure data for regional railways are contained in the appendices.

Gauge

Standard.

Electrification

• Main lines: 25kV 50Hz

At present this covers:

København - Helsingør; København - Lernacken (Swedish side of the Øresund bridge); København - Fredericia/Esbjerg; Lunderskov - Padborg (German border)/Sønderborg; København - Ringsted via the high speed line; Ringsted - Næstved; Køge Nord - Næstved.

Work is starting on Roskilde - Holbæk - Kalundborg and Aarhus - Lindholm.

• København S-tog (suburban) network: 1650V DC (negative overhead wire).

Rule of the road

Right.

Distances

Some distances are given in appendix 6.6 of the 2018 Network Statement. Some of the regional railways' Network Statements give distance information.

Other Railways

Lokaltog A/S

Lokaltog

Lokaltog A/S and Regionstog A/S merged to form Lokaltog A/S on 1 July 2015

• Gribskovbanen (Hillerød to Tisvildeleje and Gilleleje)
• Frederiksværkbanen (Hillerød - Frederiksværk - Hundested Havn)
• Hornbækbanen (Helsingør - Hornbæk - Gilleleje)
• Lille Nord (Helsingør - Hillerød)
• Naerumbanen (Jægersborg - Nærum)
• Odsherredsbanen (Holbæk - Nykøbing Sj.)
• Tølløsebanen ((Holbæk)-Tølløse - Slagelse; includes freight line to Gørlev)
• Østbanen (Køge - Fakse Ladeplads and Rødvig).
• Lollandsbanen (Nykøbing F - Nakskov)

Midtjyske Jernbaner A/S

Midtjyske Jernbaner

• Vemb - Lemvig - Thyborøn Jernbane
• Odderbanen (Århus - Odder) Combined with Grenaabanen to form Aarhus Letbane (Aarhus light rail).

Nordjyske Jernbaner A/S

Nordjyske Jernbaner

Hjørring Privatbaner and Skagensbanen merged to form Nordjyske Jernbaner (NJ) in 2001

• Hirtshalsbanen (Hjørring - Hirtshals)
• Skagensbanen (Frederikshavn - Skagen)
• Vendsysselbanen (Aalborg – Hjørring – Frederikshavn) Operated by NJ since August 2017, over BaneDanmark line

GoCollective A/S

GoCollective

• Vestbanen (Varde - Nørre Nebel; includes the freight-only line to Oksbøl Syd)

GoCollective A/S operates passenger services under franchise over BaneDanmark lines, including services between Tønder and Niebüll (Germany).

Tourist lines

The Danske Veterantogs page has links to the majority of tourist lines including:-

• Blovstrødbanen (Blovstrød - Allerød) (700mm gauge)
• Danmarks Jernbanemuseum (Odense museum - Aløkke Allé)
• Gedser Remise (Gedser depot - Væggerløse - Nykøbing F)
• Hedelands Veteranbane (700mm gauge line, ca. 4.5 km long at Hedehusene)
• Limfjordsbanen (Aalborg - Aalborg Østhavnen) The trains scheduled to run in August and September 2025 have been cancelled because their trains cannot communicate with the digital signalling (ERTMS) which has been installed by DSB. Their services will presumably not run until further notice.
• Museumsbanen Maribo - Bandholm
• Syd Fyenske Veteranjernbane (Fåborg - Korinth)
• Sydjyllands Veterantog (Haderslev - Vojens, plus operation over regular passenger lines)
• Vestsjællands Veterantog (Høng - Gørlev, plus operation over regular passenger lines)
• Veteranbanen Bryrup - Vrads

The Blovstrødbanen, Limfjordsbanen, Mariager-Handest Veteranjernbane and Maribo-Bandholm lines are operated by special interest groups of Dansk Jernbaneklub with its members working on some 9 heritage sites

Lemvig – Lemvig Havn. A tourist service with preserved railbuses has operated in summer on the steeply-graded branch between the main station and a quayside platform (constructed 2012) in the harbour. Trains ran intermittently until approximately 2017. However the BjergBanen website states that it is not operating at present because the track needs to be renovated before passenger services can run again.

Dates of operation of some special trains may be given on the Danmarks Jernbanemuseum website.

Rail cycling is possible on a number of lines; see the IG Draisinenfahrten website. Click on 'International', followed by 'Draisinenlinks' to obtain website details under the heading 'Draisinenstrecken in Dänemark (DK)'.

Metro

København (opened between 2002 and 2024).

A track plan for København Metro is available on the Gleisplanweb site current as of July 2024.

Trams/LRT-Systems

Aarhus [Letbanen], Odense Letbane

The Odense Letbane is actually a Light Rail System (LRT) rather than a tramway.

Track plans for Aarhus and Odense are available on the Gleisplanweb site current as of May 2020 and August 2022 respectively. Diagrams for both Aarhus and Odense are also available on the UrbanRail Net Site .

Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldenæsholm (tramway museum line, ca. 2km, on course of former Ringsted – Hvalsø railway) at Skjoldenæsholm, Jystrup, Midtsjælland.

Changes in 2024

Rødvig station closed from 29 February 2024 as part of the renovation of the line from Køge. It was replaced by a new station ca 500m north, which opened on 30 October, shortening the line.

A 5 km extension of København Metro line M4, with 5 new stations, from København H to København Syd opened on 22 June 2024.

In April 2024 Siemens Mobility was awarded a contract to upgrade the entire 170 km S-bane network to enable driverless train operation. The first phase will start in 2030, with full automation by 2033.

Changes in 2023

The connections to/from the high speed line between Køge Nord and Ølby [- Køge] came into use on 11 April 2023 with a new service from stations north of København via Køge to Næstved.

Changes in 2022

The 15 km Odense Letbane opened on 28 May 2022.

Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling was implemented on the the cross-city core between Nordhavn and Sydhavn over the weekend of 15-16 January 2022.

Changes in 2021

A new regional service between Slagelse and CPH Airport was introduced on 13 December 2021, greatly increasing the service on the København avoiding line.

Electric services between Ringsted and Næstved started in October 2021.

The line from Nykøbing Falster to Rødby Færge closed to passengers on 30 April 2021. As freight traffic had already ceased this was a total closure. However, most of the line will reopen when the Fehmarn belt project is commissioned, electrified and with double track.

Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling was implemented on the Farumbane and Ringbane lines on 28 January 2021. The long-distance Fjernbane are being equipped with ERTMS level 2.

See also overview of Danish rail infrastructure history (in Danish).

Older Changes

For details of older changes dating back to the year 1997 see Denmark - Older General Information.

Future changes

The line avoiding København Airport at ground level is to be repurposed for westbound traffic, with new platforms north of the existing station which will be used for eastbound traffic. Work will start at the end of 2024 and will be completed in summer 2026.

The new 28 km Hovedstadens Letbane - Greater Copenhagen Light Rail line is under construction. The first section between Ishøj and Rødovre Nord is expected to open in autumn 2025 and the northern section from Rødovre Nord to Lundtofte in summer 2026. There is a track plan at the GleisPlanWeb Site.

Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling was implemented on the Farumbanen and Ringbanen S-lines on 28 January 2021. This is the first stage in a programme covering all long-distance and S-lines and lasting until 2030. The final sections were commissioned in September 2022. The current S-bane has reached its maximum capacity during rush hour and the government has authorised procurement to start for new trains, paving the way for fully automated operation from 2029. The first service to be converted to driverless operation will be the orbital Line F between Ny Ellebjerg and Hellerup, the only route that does not use the busy cross-city core through København H.
The long-distance Fjernbane are being equipped with ERTMS level 2.

In April 2020 Danish MPs approved expenditure of €7bn to build the Fehmarnbelt tunnel to Germany. Work started at Rødby at the beginning of 2021, later than originally planned owing to delays in upgrading the line on the German side. Completion is expected in mid-2029. In conjunction with this, Ringsted – Nykøbing Falster - Rødby is being doubled, electrified and upgraded for 200 km/h running. As part of this, a 4km realignment has been built just north of Glumsø that opened on 30 November 2020.
The existing single track Storstrøms Bridge bridge, just south of Vordingborg, is being replaced by a new 3.84km bridge carrying a double track line and a motorway, part of a new alignment 5.4km in length. The present bridge, built in 1937, will be demolished. A new bascule bridge is being built next to the existing single track King Frederik IX Bridge over the Guldborgsund at Nykøbing to enable a second track to be added.

The next line scheduled for electrification is Fredericia - Aarhus - Aalborg. Funds have also been allocated for Aalborg - Frederikshavn, Vejle - Struer and Holbæk - Kalundborg but it is likely to be a long time before this occurs.

Special Notes

Most long-distance services (IC and Lyntog) are worked by multiple units, and some trains split to serve several destinations. Displays within carriages indicate the destination of that portion of the train. Most long distance trains include a section designated for families.