Too few freight trains cause problems on Danish high-speed line

Too few freight trains are contributing to cracks in the tracks on the high-speed line between Ringsted, Køge Nord and Copenhagen, forcing passenger trains to slow down, Banedanmark says in a report to Parliament’s Transport Committee, according to DR.

When the line was planned, officials expected many freight trains to use it. Banedanmark says heavy traffic helps prevent unevenness in the rails from spreading. “We actually need heavy traffic to ensure that they do not spread through the rails,” said Morten Bøje Pehrsson, a manager responsible for construction, design and standards at the rail agency.

But many freight trains cannot use the line’s new signalling system, which Banedanmark introduced there in spring 2023. The system must also be installed in the locomotives. Pehrsson said the project had assumed freight operators would install it, but Banedanmark does not control their rollout plans.

Banedanmark expects the first freight trains to be ready to use the line in 2027. Pehrsson said the agency regrets the disruption for commuters and other passengers.