Rail faults force train cuts between Copenhagen and Fredericia

Banedanmark will reduce train speeds and cancel some services from Monday after finding an unusually high number of rail faults and following a fire at a technical cabin on Funen, DR reported.

Regional trains between Odense and Fredericia will be replaced by buses. Services from Næstved via Køge Nord to Copenhagen Central Station will run only as far as Køge Nord, and some rush-hour trains on the Kystbanen railway line will be cancelled.

The changes are expected to remain in place until November 29, when Banedanmark will assess whether normal services can resume.

The rail authority found 50 per cent more faults during its inspections this year than in a typical year. The faults are invisible cracks in the rails, said Nicolai Smidt Sigsgaard, Banedanmark’s maintenance director. Reducing speeds removes the risk of rails breaking, he said.

Train services across Funen are also still affected by a technical cabin near Aarup that caught fire in October. The cabin contained equipment for the railway’s signalling system, and the fire caused signal faults between Middelfart and Odense. Trains near Aarup Station continue to face speed restrictions and delays of about five to 10 minutes.