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Strict ID checks on trains and ferries to Sweden
Lucie Rychla
December 28th, 2015
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This article is more than 8 years old.
Starting next Monday, the Swedish law on carriers liability comes into force and passengers better prepared for delays caused by border controls
On Monday January 4, the Swedish law on carrier liability for border ID controls comes into force.
Passengers traveling to the country from Denmark by bus, train or ferry without a valid photo ID will not be allowed to cross the border.
Children under the age of 18 years are not required to have an ID, so long they are accompanied by a parent who can provide a valid photo ID.
Controls at the airport
Danish transport companies can be penalised if they let anyone into Sweden without a proper identity check.
The train operating company, DSB, has announced ID controls will take place at the Copenhagen Airport station at the track number one, where all passengers will be asked to change trains.
According to the carrier, there will be five control areas with up to 34 check-in stands.
There will be trains leaving to Sweden every 20 minutes from the airport, however, passengers are advised to expect delays up to 30 minutes on connecting trains.
Changing trains
People traveling with the coast line train (kystbanetog) from Helsingør have to change trains at the Copenhagen Central Station and then again at the Copenhagen Airport station.
The coast line trains will operate as usual between the Central Station and Helsingør.
People who are taking the coast line trains just to get to the airport are advised to switch to metro at Nørreport.
With bus to Bornholm
IC Bornholm trains will be replaced by buses that will have their own ID-checks.
The buses will depart from the Copenhagen Central Station and go directly to Ystad without any stops on the way.
Travellers from Funen, Jutland and the rest of Zealand have to change trains at the Central Station if they are going to the airport, or take the metro from the Nørreport station.
According to DSB, the Sweden-imposed ID-controls will cost the carrier about one million kroner a day and the train operator has therefore suggested increasing the price of fare.
Sweden should pay
Dansk Folkeparti is stricktly against higher fare, while Social Democrats, Enhedslisten and Radikale believe authorities or even better – Sweden – should pay the bills.
Henning Hyllested, the transport rapporteur at Enhedslisten, has admitted, however, it would be difficult to exact the money from the Swedish government.
“Sweden is doing this [ID-checks] because they cannot cope with the situation and Denmark has greatly contributed to the Swedish problems,” Hyllested told DR.
Protest on Facebook
Meanwhile, more than 12,000 people have supported the Facebook protest group ‘Öresundsrevolutionen’ that hopes to put a stop to the planned border ID-controls.
“If you have to commute, it’s going to take twice as long,” Niels Paarup-Petersen, one of the initiators behind the protest group, explained to DR.
“And the trains are going to be half the usual size, so people won’t be able to get a seat.”
Waiting for ferries
Similar discomfort and delays can be expected also on the ferries connecting Helsingør with Helsingborg.
According to HH Ferries, waiting times for passengers will increase up to 20 minutes.
Passengeres will have to go through a special control area, where employees of the private security firm 4GS will carry out the identity checks.
HH Ferries is prepared to pay for the expenses and will therefore increase the price of tickets.
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