Politicians criticise DSB over €8.6m spent on rail replacement buses

Danish state railway operator DSB has spent 64.4 million kroner (€8.6m) on rail replacement buses in the first five months of 2026, prompting sharp criticism from transport spokespeople in parliament, DR reports.

Leila Stockmarr of the Red-Green Alliance called the spending “a cry to heaven” and evidence of a system “not working as intended.”

“We cannot accept taxpayer money being used to plug gaps instead of fixing the underlying problems and improving quality,” Stockmarr said.

Hans Kristian Skibby of the Denmark Democrats echoed the concern, stating the costs signal a non-operational system. “We need to restore credibility in the service DSB is supposed to deliver, and that is not achieved by spending money on buses when the funding is meant for trains,” he said.

DSB attributed the high costs primarily to “historically high levels of track work” on the Danish rail network. According to DSB information chief Tony Bispeskov, 85–90% of replacement bus services are planned in advance, with only 10–15% deployed at short notice.

Skibby called for Transport Minister Signe Munk to provide assurances and explain what measures are being taken. Stockmarr argued the delays stem from delayed modernisation, calling it “a political failure” and urging a funded, comprehensive plan to address the backlog before costs rise further.

Minister Munk declined to comment.