Danish state train operator behind schedule and over budget on switching signals

At least a two-year wait before switchover is complete

National rail infrastructure company Banedanmark has revealed that a scheduled switchover to a new signalling system for S trains and other rail systems throughout Denmark will be delayed and cost more than was originally budgeted.

Two new signalling systems, ERTMS and CBTC, are scheduled to be installed. ERTMS is a common European system, and it is the signalling system due to be installed on intercity and other nationwide lines. CBTC is the system slated to be installed on Copenhagen’s S-train lines. It is already in use on the line between Hillerød and Jægersborg.

A series of unfortunate events
Jan Schneider-Tilli, the head of Banedanmark’s signal program, said that several factors have caused the delays.

“First, in connection with the first stretch of CBTC on the S-line, we had to acknowledge there is a need for more time for testing than we have planned with both the S and the nationwide lines.”

He also said that Banedanmark’s suppliers need more time to get their “documentation in place”.

READ MORE: Banedanmark hopes to put brakes on copper theft

Signal upgrades on nationwide lines won’t be in place before 2023, two years behind schedule. S-train line upgrades will be delayed by one year, which means the signals should be ready by 2021.

The new signals will also be more expensive than expected, but still within the appropriation made for the system.




  • Lots to see Friday on Culture Night in Copenhagen

    Lots to see Friday on Culture Night in Copenhagen

    More than 200 museums, theatres, libraries, churches, ministries across the city welcome Copenhagen’s biggest annual one-day event. It provides a unique chance to see places otherwise inaccessible to the public.

  • Safety concerns at Jewish school after nearby explosions in Israeli embassy area

    Safety concerns at Jewish school after nearby explosions in Israeli embassy area

    In the early hours of October 2, two hand grenades were detonated near Denmark’s Israeli Embassy in Hellerup, just outside Copenhagen. While nobody was injured, the attack has raised safety concerns at the local Jewish school, which chose to close that day, and is operating with police security. The Copenhagen Post spoke to the father of a child who attends the Jewish school, who shared his thoughts on raising his daughter in this climate.

  • Denmark postpones green hydrogen transmission rollout to Germany to 2031

    Denmark postpones green hydrogen transmission rollout to Germany to 2031

    Denmark will postpone its rollout of the first cross-border green hydrogen pipeline between western Denmark and northern Germany by three years from 2028 to 2031, as production stumbles over technical, market and permit complexities.

  • Overview: Denmark’s upcoming education system reform

    Overview: Denmark’s upcoming education system reform

    The Danish government yesterday presented its proposals for an education system reform, including scrapping 10th grade, introducing tougher admission requirements, and opening 400 new international degree-level study places in the STEM fields.

  • Almost half of Danes support an enforced two-state solution in Israel and Palestine

    Almost half of Danes support an enforced two-state solution in Israel and Palestine

    45 percent of survey respondents support a two-state solution enforced by the international community. However, 51.1 percent oppose the use of military force. Advocates of the two-state solution suggest a Palestinian state whose territory comprises the Gaza Strip and West Bank, linked by an Israeli-owned corridor through Israel.

  • Denmark to introduce Public Health Act

    Denmark to introduce Public Health Act

    The government and opposition parties are in the process of negotiating a healthcare reform, including the introduction of a Public Health Act, aimed at keeping people out of hospitals and living longer, healthier lives.


  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.