Sund & Belt, the company responsible for operating and maintaining the Great Belt Fixed Link between Zealand and Funen, plans to test-drive a high-speed train across the Storebælt next spring.

So far, the company has only simulated a test drive on a computer, while the new Danish high-speed railway is still under construction.

The one-hour model
The work is expected to be finished in 2018, when the one-hour model will also roll out, allowing passengers to travel from Copenhagen to Odense, from Odense to Aarhus and from Odense to Esbjerg in under one hour.

The high-speed train runs at 230 km/h and the existing rail line will need to be upgraded to withstand the speed.

Concrete sleepers needed
Sund & Belt originally planned to rebuild the railway tunnel between Zealand and the small island of Sprogø, but the computer simulations showed it was not necessary, thus saving the company a lot of money.

Nevertheless, Sund & Belt needs to invest in new concrete sleepers, replacing the current wooden sleepers, which are not suited for trains running at a speed of 200 km/h.

Next spring, Banedanmark will close down the rail link between Odense and Nyborg in both directions for 84 hours for the test-drive and some construction work, and Sund & Belt plans to expand the closed stretch up to Korsor to upgrade the rails for the test-drive.