Big changes in December timetable

With just six days (at the time of writing) to go until the December 12 timetable change, DSB says that it has responded to passenger demands, with new and more frequent services, better connections and a cascade of rolling stock as the IC4s gradually enter service.

Amongst the highlights (full details can be found here) are a 20 minute cut in journey times between Struer and Copenhagen, thanks to eliminating lightly used stops. For passengers between Esbjerg and Copenhagen the service is ramped up to make it 'virtually' hourly through the day, and direct trains between Aarhus and Kolding will run to Esbjerg, providing an hourly service in the daytime. For passengers in Jutland these changes will make a big difference.

Flensburg, meanwhile, joins the inter-city network with  a two-hourly service to Copenhagen, while passengers from Vamdrup and Tinglev will see an hourly train. New Desiro trains, meanwhile, will begin operation to Grenaa from the timetable change too. Two additional expresses between Copenhagen and Odense-Aarhus will run in the afternoon in response to growing demand, and non-stop trains from Copenhagen to Aarhus are extended in the morning and evening to Aalborg.

A suite of improvements to commuter services around Copenhagen are expected to cut journey times, but journey times to and from Bornholm will be extended by between 10 and 30 minutes due to changes to the ferry operation and the opening of the Malmö Citytuneln.

"This year we have the opportunity to both extend the improvements we introduced in the last timetable and come up with new travel opportunities," says DSB Deputy Director of Traffic Planning Ove Dahl Kristensen.

DSB expands Nonstop services from Copenhagen to Aarhus

DSB introduced an additional pair of Nonstop services between Copenhagen and Aarhus this week aimed at making rail more attractive to business travellers.

The new 05:53 departure from Aarhus - Denmark's second city - arrives in Copenhagen at 08:42, and a corresponding additional return at 17:20 makes it feasible to conduct a whole day's business in the capital.

Journey times are 2 hours 40 mins, and with onboard internet access and catering facilities business passengers can make substantial productivity gains compared with driving.

The full press release (in Danish) is here.