Denmark by rail

[Unstoppable]

Morning all,

I am looking for anyone with experience of travelling around Denmark. I will be based in Copenhagen for 3 days with an interrail pass and I am wondering which railway lines are worth travelling on and if anyone knows of any loco hauled trains over there?

 

[Shinkansenfan]

The train from Copenhagen Central to Malmo Central via the airport and city center tunnel is an engineering feat, and some of the stations in the city center tunnel are architecturally interesting.

The short ferry ride from Helsingor to Helsingborg is also interest (to me at least); trains used to shunt onto the ferry before the Oresund Link opened.

Copenhagen Metro is interesting. It is driverless and operates 24/7 on frequent headways. They even drew a "train operator's control panel" for kids to pretend that they are operating the train.

 

[jamesontheroad]

The slow process of electrification in Denmark means that the last of the DSB ME class diesel locomotives have now been withdrawn from service. However Siemens Vectrons are now arriving as the DSB EB series. You'll find these hauling double decker trains on lines radiating from Copenhagen. Other than that, the only loco hauled train to look out for very early in the morning and very late in the evening is the Swedish private operator Snälltåget's night train from Stockholm to Berlin. It stops at Høje Taastrup at 06.20 and 23.06.

Elsewhere, it's all DMU and EMU, but that's not to say they're not interesting. The IC3 and IR4 trains are incredible examples of industrial design: designed to quickly and easily attach and detach into longer trains whenever they needed to fit onto the ferries. They are still in frontline service and remarkably comfortable for their age. However beware that there is very limited on-board catering anywhere in Denmark (just roving 7-Eleven employees selling coffee from a backpack on the busiest trains) so you should plan your trips to stop for food between trips.

Check out Kenny's Film on Youtube for videos from Denmark: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN5-F-rUbrRVnC9PvUEV-PQ

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

I think LHCS is pretty much finished now until the Sleeper service from Sweden/Copenhagen to Germany starts up. As well as the main electrified route through to Odense, Fredericia and Germany the main rail interest are the smaller, local railways that operate in quieter areas a bit like the Col. Stephens lines might have been if they had been kept!

The route from Helsingor - Gilleleje - Hillerod is particularly good: about half of goes through the Gribskov forest. There are other local lines on the West Coast of Jutland (including the last 'Lynette' units, built in Germany in the 60s, which used to operate all of the local railways back in the day), Aarhus - Grenaa and on the island of Falster.

The S-Tog in Copenhagen is definitely work a look: currently it is operated with articulated units with single axles at the (short) car ends, allowing through passage between cars and also showing off the wide loading gauge to great effect: 2 + 3 seating here is no problem. In the peaks, it reliably operated very high frequency (all on DCO)-- about every 90 seconds from memory and, although a main line railway, it is operationally separated from the rest of the DSB network as (for reasons of history) it operates on 1500V DC rather than 25kV AC. So it's a bit like the E-lines were back in the day!

The railway museum at Odense is definitely worth a visit: like the one in York, it is a good collection of royal train vehicles (yes, the Danish royals traditionally have their own carriages although I think the current monarch (Margrethe II) doesn't travel much any more).

 

[43096]

I think LHCS is pretty much finished now until the Sleeper service from Sweden/Copenhagen to Germany starts up

Other than the 17 sets of double deck stock used on weekdays with haulage from DSB’s new Vectrons.

 

[Unstoppable]

Other than the 17 sets of double deck stock used on weekdays with haulage from DSB’s new Vectrons.

Thanks for the response everyone. Do you know which route these trains operate?

 

[Gloster]

There are other local lines on the West Coast of Jutland (including the last 'Lynette' units, built in Germany in the 60s, which used to operate all of the local railways back in the day), Aarhus - Grenaa and on the island of Falster.

Although I am not as up to date with matters as I was, I think all the Lynetter have gone. They weren’t used on Århus-Grenada, but DSB did use them on Helsingør-Hillerød.

 

[43096]

Thanks for the response everyone. Do you know which route these trains operate?

Helsingor-Copenhagen-Roskilde-Ringsted-Naestved is the main route. If you’re on ERG (European Rail Gen) on groups.io the DSB Vectron diagrams are on there.

 

[dutchflyer]

IR-pass is ONLY valid on DSB and NJT=local trains in North Jylland (partly hived over from DSB) and on ARRIVA in West-JYlland. There are around 12 branchlines that are ´private´ or rather locally owned/operated, also a few in the greater CPH-area and these do NOT accept passes. It may be interesting to ride DKs very newest ´fast´ line-out west from CPH to Ringstedt, not via Roskilde (=old main line), but the sights are minimal to nil.
As my interest is more in trams/light rail: a new system is under construtcion in Odense and has opened, partly also as rebuilt former DSB+private branch around Aarhus (letbane). Again pass NOT valid.
There are local 24/48 hr passes for greater or smaller CPH-area (MOvia) or as ¨oersundt rundt´ also in south Sverige (Skana), incl all buses etc and 1 trip over on bridge/tunnel train and 1 way by ferry Elsinore/Helsingor.
It used to be the case that IR-pass was valid on that Helsingborg ferry, but I dk actual situation-free or discount or full pay. Always a nice ride for the views is the coastal line north from CPH to Hels, ev 20 mins.
Also just read that contractholder for the INTern tunnelbridge trains to Sweden has again been sacked (I think last one was DSB/special) and now gone to SJ? Will hardly affect the trains themselves though

 

[Gloster]

A couple of comments, mainly aimed at railway interest. Denmark does not have much in the way of spectacular scenery, although there are plenty of pleasant bits of coastline or rolling/wooded landscape.

It used to be possible to buy Øresund Rundt tickets that would allow you to make (over two days) a loop Copenhagen-Malmö-Helsingborg-Helsingør-Copenhagen in either direction starting anywhere you wanted and with side trips. I think this ticket is now more difficult to find: possibly only on line or from the Copenhagen Tourist Office. If you do travel there is Stenvalls Transport bookshop near Trianglen station in Malmö.

(More to come.)

With regards to the comment above on the Øresund Rundt ticket, if your Interrail pass covers only Denmark and you want to see more than just Malmö, it is probably cheaper than buying the Swedish section and the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry separately. It might even include a free coffee and cake on the ferry: it used to.

From Copenhagen you could try going to Nykøbing F. There are three routes: the traditional route via Roskilde and Ringsted to Næstved, the new route to Ringsted and then Næstved, or via S-Tog to Køge and then Næstved on a local.

If visiting the museum at Odense you could take a side-trip to Svendborg. You could even take the ferry on to Ærøskøbing, but no longer on the train-ferry Ærøsund: they sank it.

There is some stabling on the east side of Østerport station and at Helgoland, which is between the 25 kV Lines east of Svanemøllen S-Tog station. Other stabling is on the approaches to Copenhagen H.

To pass the depot, leave the S-Tog at Dybbølsbro station and turn left (or walk there), turn right at the end and follow the fence. Where the road splits at the end of the depot building, veer right and follow along. On one side is the old main works and near the end are small cottages that were inhabited by works employees, particularly those who were in the breakdown train crew. There should still be a tunnel at end of the road: at the far end you can turn left and walk to Sydhavn S-Tog station. You can either come back to the city and see the area from the other side or go on to Ny Ellebjerg.

I must make it clear that have not been able to get to Copenhagen for four or five years.

 

[rvdborgt]

It used to be possible to buy Øresund Rundt tickets that would allow you to make (over two days) a loop Copenhagen-Malmö-Helsingborg-Helsingør-Copenhagen in either direction starting anywhere you wanted and with side trips. I think this ticket is now more difficult to find: possibly only on line or from the Copenhagen Tourist Office.

The Copenhagen Tourist Office (Vesterbrogade 4 b, close to the main station) sells it indeed and that could be one of the very few places in Copenhagen.

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

Øresund Rundt was always easier to get on the Swedish side (I think even from ticket machines) than in DK. I guess it was aimed more at the Swedes heading West, in search of cheaper beer...... It includes travel in all buses over Skane County in Sweden and the Capital area in Copenhagen (essentially all of Northern Zealand).

I used an IR-Global Pass no problem on the Helsingborg ferry in 2018 but had forgotten that it is not valid on the Local Tog (private lines). It counts as an internal route, so you don't even need to register your name to get on board. There is just a simple ticket check and you on board. Had reasonable caffs as well!

There are still some Lynette units in Western Jutland, I believe, but they have gone everywhere else and been replaced with more modern Talent-type DMUs.

The LHCS with the Vectrons will I think be the 'outer suburban' line to Kalundborg and the longer link to Nykobing Falster (always abbreviated to Nykobing F). They used to run with double deck stock that was loosely based on the SNCF designs but were fairly tatty but hopefully they got an upgrade when the Vectrons showed up. All the other intercity lines are run either with IC3 DMUs from mid 80s (but still surprisingly confortable and refurbed about 15 years ago) or 4 car EMU versions which are slightly more spartan but can only go as far as Fredericia/Esbjerg/Padborg. There were a fleet of 'IC4' intercity trains, but they were famously sent back to the manufacturer (Ansaldo...) in disgrace a few years back due to poor reliabilty. Another great rail procurement that went wrong. That's why the IC3s still rule the roost.

 

[Gloster]

What appears to be Banestyrelsen’s latest map shows electrification in operation to Næstved via Ringsted and on the new line. Electrification from Roskilde to Holbæk and Køge to Næstved are complete but not in operation. The double-deck coaches, which I think are still in use with the Vectrons, are to the standard German design. There are still a fair few of the IC4 about: 62 at the end of last year, which I think are mainly used on Regional trains east of the Great Belt and some InterCity. I think that Vectrons mainly work from Copenhagen to Næstved and Slagelse; I am not sure how far they go up the coast.

 

[ricohallo]

There are still some Lynette units in Western Jutland, I believe, but they have gone everywhere else and been replaced with more modern Talent-type DMUs.

They are indeed still operated by Midtjyske Jernbaner on the Lemvig line from Vemb to Thyborøn (all trains afaik). Interrail not valid, but you can buy a Midtjylland day ticket for just 99 DKK or about £12 online at https://webshop.midttrafik.dk/fixedpriceticket?productId=510018 which includes all buses and trams in Aarhus and the rest of Midtjylland as well as trains operated by Midtjyske Jernbaner (Skjern - Holstebro and Vemb - Thyborøn), but not Arriva and DSB trains, although of course you can use interrail for these.

Attached is a picture of one of the trains arriving at Victoria Street Station (yes, really!).