The Swedes are coming! Not the words most Danes like to hear, particularly given some of the more malevolent annals of Nordic history.
But nevertheless, Danish rail operator DSB will be looking over its shoulder to the north in coming years as Swedish train operator SJ looks to heat up the competition on the rails in Denmark.
SJ has revealed plans that include a 7.5 billion kroner investment in new passenger trains in the coming years – trains it wants initially to run between Copenhagen and Funen and then to Jutland later on.
“When our rolling stock is in place in two to three years, we will be ready to drive from Copenhagen to Odense and later to Aarhus once the track is electrified all the way,” Crister Fritzson, the head of SJ, told DR Nyheder.
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Bring it on!
SJ, which has enjoyed 5-7 percent increases in passenger numbers in recent years, plans to present its plans to the Swedish Parliament next week.
Experts contend that the move may coerce the Danish government into increasing funding earmarked for DSB in the future, but the Danish rail operator doesn’t seem overly concerned, stating that it will still have the lion’s share of departures between Copenhagen and Odense.
In contrast to SJ, DSB has seen a decline in passenger numbers recently.
