Cable thieves target Sønderborg

Copper prices of DKK40 per kg have encouraged thieves to steal overhead power cables at the recently reopened Sønderborg station - even though they are electrified at 25kV.

Although such cable theft is not unknown in other European countries it remains comparatively rare in Denmark. Banedanmark believes the stolen cable may be being sold abroad and is appealing for witnesses.

The full press statement (in Danish) is here.

DSB helps Eritrean Railways

DSB is donating two containers full of machinery and tools to Eritrean Railways as part of the 'Hjælp til Eritreas jernbane' [Help Eritrain Railways] project started by Rene Strandbygaard and Copenhagen Film Company earlier this year. A delegation of management from the African railway toured depots at Copenhagen and Aarhus before the handover.

The aim of the campaign is to help develop Eritrea's railways and to make a positive contribution to the country's economy. Shipping company Maersk is supporting the project and has donated two containers as well as supplying transport from Aarhus to the Eritrean capital Asmara. The containers will go to Africa via London and are due to arrive in November.

DSB Executive Vice President Lone Lindsby said [this is an English translation]: "Denmark has a long history of helping countries that need it. This project is located very nicely in keeping with that tradition. DSB repair shops  had a quantity of redundant machinery and tools are it is natural for us to donate it. The machines and tools are fully functional and can now have a second life in Africa.

DSB set for privatisation?

This from the Copenhagen Post..

Funds raised from sale to be used for electric trains in Jutland

The government is in talks to privatise the public transport unit DSB, according to Berlingske Tidende newspaper.

According to the report, the transport firm will be privatised as of 2022, and the government intends to use 5-10 billion kroner of the proceeds to introduce electric trains to mid Jutland, where they currently use diesel trains for main line services.

This is not the first time the government has tried to privatise DSB, but it believes it will have more luck this time, given its intention to spend the proceeds on the country’s rail infrastructure. It stressed that the private rail operators would have to live up to a number of strict criteria, including good punctuality, and that it would make its decisions according to the competition principle, awarding tenders to those that promise the best service at the cheapest price.

First Group boss to retire

The Chief Executive of UK bus and rail operator First Group - which operates DSB First Sweden  in partnership with DSB - is to retire. Sir Moir Lockhead will be replaced by Tim O'Toole, the American railroad manager who took charge of London Underground and who joined First Group as Deputy Chief Executive in June. 2N47MXNSJ8XY

Designers aim to dress DSB staff

Designers Peter Jensen, Pernille Schwarz, Christian Westphal, Noir Illuminarti II, Goodmorning Technology & Sidsel Kjøller Damkj and Kontrapunkt are competing to create a new look for DSB's customer facing staff which will be introduced from next year.

The deadline for entries is Spring 2011 and the aim, according to DSB, is to reflect that it is a "service minded and green business."

Is DSB planning a different new look to go with its uniforms? It would seem odd if it didn't at least refresh its current branding...

The original press release (in Danish) is here.

Oops! DSB's mobile phone service is closed after just ONE day

DSB's brand new mobile phone service, DSB Talk, has been closed just a day after its launch following legal concerns that state-owned companies are barred from operating telecommunications companies.

The newspaper Politiken reported that the Transport Ministry ordered DSB to close DSB Talk, but the Managing Director of its parent company, DSB Mobil, claims the venture is legal and that it was given permission to start operations.

A more significant - if underreported - development which will affect many more DSB passengers than the closure of DSB Talk, however, is that a new passenger Ombudsman will be appointed to ensure DSB meets it's customer service obligations.

Expect to hear much more on these stories over the coming weeks.

Danish Rail News on twitter

You can now follow Danish Rail News on Twitter.... search for danishrailnews for the English Language version, or jernbanenyheder for the Danish one.

DSB phones home

Regular rail passengers are being targeted with the launch of a new mobile telephony service called DSB talk, with a range of incentives offered to encourage more rail use. The network is being provided by Telia, while Korean giant Samsung is supplying the smartphones initially on offer.


DSB says it is offering a range of “competitive” contracts, as well as fee free SMS tickets, free use of SDB ticket and journey information services and other incentives aimed at increasing subscribers’ use of public transport.

Customers can join DSB Talk on trains, at Kort & Godt shops and online at www.dsb.dk/dsbtalk.

Bidders line up for Europe's biggest signalling contract...

The bidders for the resignalling of Denmark's network with European Rail Traffic Management System Level 2 - which include Invensys Rail - are busily working on their bids for submission by the end of November.


The contract is divided into 2 sub-contracts one east of the Great Belt and the other west of the Great Belt, is worth up to DKK 6 billion and covers 2,200km of mainline railway. A single company will not be allowed to win both contracts but the winners will get an option on the other contract in the case of one company not being able to live up to the contract's conditions.

The first two trial lines - Roskilde – Køge – Næstved and Lanngå – Frederikshavn in the north of Jutland are expected to be commissioned in 2016 and the entire renewal is due to be completed in 2021.

Roskilde line set for new role

Aspirations to diminish the role of the Roskilde – Køge – Næstved secondary line have been axed due the key role the southern section from Køge to Næstved will play in the planned new Copenhagen – Køge – Ringsted line.


This single track line will be very useful as a diversionary route for traffic towards the planned Femern link and therefore may be a candidate for electrification. There are also plans to run half hourly regional service between Næstved and Copenhagen using the new line between Køge and Copenhagen.

It is still planned to issue tenders for operation of the Fredericia – Odense – Svendborg regional service.

Some rolling stock news...

The first IC2 train set has run under its own power at the AnsaldoBreda factory in Pistoia, Italy. The IC2s are two coach equivalents of the IC4s and are intended for use on secondary lines in Jutand and on Funen, but can run coupled to the IC4 trains on main line Intercity services. This feature will be used for adjusting Intercity capacity to demand as well as for running direct services from outlying areas to main cities should demand warrant it.


Elsewhere, the last Bn coach has finally been taken out of daily traffic on regional service out of Copenhagen and replaced by the leased double-deckers from Bombardier. These trains are hauled/propelled by the aging class ME diesels, which are going through a minor renewal programme to reduce emissions and improve reliability. When the new IC4s take over sufficient Intercity duties, these regional services will in turn be taken over by refurbished IC3 (Class MF) train sets and most of the diesel locomotives will be phased out.

Jutland track doubling planned

Plans to double the remaining two sections of the main line in south Jutland to the German border are being brought forward as the line is fast reaching maximum capacity - mainly due to rising freight traffic to and from Sweden. This increase in capacity is necessary in spite of the planned diversion of freight to the Femern link from 2018.


Plans to increase capacity and regularity by building a “sluce siding” at Copenhagen Airport to eliminate conflicting movements between freight and passenger trains are also being brought forward.

Direct Copenhagen-Germany trains for December

Direct two-hourly inter-city trains between Copenhagen and Flensburg (Germany) will start at the December timetable change using the seven IC3 (Class MF) trains which can run in both Denmark and Germany.


For those who follow rolling stock movements, these trains previously ran on the Copenhagen – Puttgarden - Hamburg route until they were replaced by the class BR 605s leased from DB.

Apologies for the intermission...

... a family wedding has kept us away from the keyboard for a few days. Normal service resumes now.

Danes leave their cars at home

A fall in automobile usage of 2.3% the first six months of the year is being credited to drivers switching to rail travel, according to DSB, which recorded an extra 2.4 million - 3% - journeys in the same period.

A combination of better marketing, improved train performance, greater awareness of rail's environmental credentials have all played their part in the growth, as has the recession, which has seen more people leave their cars at home when public transport is cheaper.

DSB reports good interim results

DSB carried 3% more passengers in the first half of 2010 compared with the same period last year, and this was allied with improved operational performance which saw delays to long distance trains fall by 3.5%.

The increase in passenger numbers is credited to better punctuality combined with new marketing initiatives and a revised fares system. There has been a similar percentage increase in passenger numbers in Sweden of 3%, and recent German acquisition VIAS is also now contributing.

Pre-tax profits were in line with expectations, totalling DKr 183 million compared with DKK 185 million in 2009. This slight fall is blamed on extra infrastructure maintenance caused by the severe winter, and extensive refurbishment of parts of the S-Bane network. Full year pre-tax profits are expected to be around DKK 450 million.

IC4s filter into service

Just a very brief update on the IC4 trains...

18 IC4 train sets are now in daily service, running as single sets on regional services or in a new non-stop service between Copenhagen and Århus. IC4 trains running in pairs are due to receive operating approval imminently, and triple sets are now being tested in Århus.

Sønderborg reopening marked with massive ticket offer

The reopening of the Sønderborg/Tinglev to Flenborg line following a five-month closure for major renewals is being marked with discounted tickets to win passengers back to the railway.

DSB is offering more than 6,000 Orange Tickets per week until September 26 at a cost of DKK 79 for travel between Sønderborg Gråsten, Kliplev, Tinglev and Copenhagen Central stations. For local passengers, a DSB SMS based ticket will offer unlimited travel after 10:00 between Sønderborg and Rødekro and between Sønderborg and Flensburg via Tinglev for DKK 49.

Also reopened is the Svanemøllen - Lyngby section of the S bane line to Hillerød. The remainder of the line reopens at the end of September.

DSB denies Øresund claims

DSB says reports claiming DSBFirst Sweden, which operates the Øresund crossing, is making huge losses are incorrect. It says the loss of SKr 16 million was due to planned - and anticipated - start-up costs in the first year of operation.



DSBFirst Sweden has a seven year concession which started in January 2009. Under Danish rules, DSB's overseas operations must make a profit margin of 5%, though this applies to the whole operation rather than a specific part of it.