Taking charge of the prestigious, eight-year, Copenhagen to Ringsted rail line project, Banedanmark is innovating at every turn in order to provide Denmark with its first ever high-speed railway.

WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL

HIGH SPEED STEEL

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With such elements firmly in mind, a company that could offer and meet an impressive completion time, within budget and with minimal disruption

to the existing service was vital, leading to Banedanmark being awarded the contract. This was not a huge surprise as they pride themselves on ‘providing the foundation that makes it possible for trains to run in Denmark’.

Despite the gravity of the project, Banedanmark are at home working under pressure and being,

“…responsible for 2,323 km of railway tracks. Approximately 3,000 trains run on the rail network every day, which adds up to almost 1 million trains a year. On a daily basis, we are responsible for 40,000 arrivals and departures at stations all over Denmark. More than 170 million passengers and 15 million tons freight are transported annually on our network.”

With such impressive figures in mind, it seems only natural that the company would seek to provide Denmark with its first high-speed line, geared towards reliable commuter services and commercial freight travel.

A state-owned organisation, Banedanmark operates in accordance with the Danish Ministry of Transport and Energy, with a team of 2,500 staff based throughout the country, but all working together in strict accordance with the company values and visions. The Copenhagen-Ringsted project has necessitated an even more cohesive working style, overseen by Project Director Jan Schneider-Tilli who looked for inspiration from previous successes throughout Europe,

“The new railway will achieve a doubling of passenger and freight transport and provide the potential for optimising capacity and usage on adjacent lines. Because no similar tracks have been constructed in Denmark in recent times we will place emphasis on learning from comparable projects abroad. Holland, Belgium and France are among the countries from where we will acquire knowledge and experience with regard to high-speed railways. This applies both to procurement of materials and hire of employees as well as when we exploit economies of scale and technological opportunities.”

The 10.4 billion Danish Krone budget may spark queries as to how necessary the new dual track line is, but Banedanmark, along

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As Denmark moves into the technological age its 5.6 million strong population can look forward to increased departures, shorter travelling times and a far more reliable service. With such a huge responsibility to live up to, the project had to be awarded to a company that not only understood the importance of the endeavour, but also the significant impact it will have on the passengers using the service.

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with the Ministry of Transport, have identified a clear need.“The current line has become a bottleneck when working at

full capacity. The new track will result in a significantly improved timetable with more departures, shorter travel time and fewer delays. As Denmark’s first high speed rail line it will contribute significantly to meeting the transport requirements of the future.”

The need is clear and incorporates a nod to the organisation’s mission of,

“Towards 2020, we create the Railway of Tomorrow, that makes it possible to double the rail transport of passengers and freight.”

With the necessity justified, what exactly will Banedanmark need to do in order to provide Denmark with its first passenger trains capable of speeds up to 250km/h? The preparatory work alone took close to three years, due to the size of the project, but did enable the organisation to initiate relationships with a number of native and international consultants. These experts were brought on board from 2010 in order to assist with drillings, archaeological investigations and even formed part of the decision making team which finalised the route of the new line.

With preparations complete, the first phase of construction began in 2012, revealing the enormity of the task at hand. Far from

‘merely’ building a brand new dual track, stretching 60km, new platforms, stations, connections and renovations would also be vital. No problem for the team at Banedanmark who are ambitious, qualified and visionary in equal measure and recognise that,

“Improved rail connections are imperative if the railway is to be an attractive option for passengers and freight transport in the future. More efficient train services contribute significantly to increased mobility and development of society on a sustainable basis.”

This notion of the sustainable development of society is particularly interesting and sets the company apart from many of its competitors., something Banedanmark must be aware of as it is proud to highlight its ongoing ‘dialogue with citizens’,

“Banedanmark maintains close contacts with citizens, particularly landowners affected by the project. In part this is in relation to temporary or permanent expropriations but it is also with regard to measuring and drilling, nature studies, archaeological excavations and so on. This is achieved through meetings, phone calls and correspondence.”

But it is not just those directly affected by construction works that are being considered. In an unprecedented move for construction organisations,

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“Banedanmark will take nature and cultural heritage along the line into consideration. The project will be administered according to the Museum Act at construction locations and will work closely with the Danish Agency of Culture. It will also comply with the Nature Conservation Act and do so in collaboration with the Nature Agency. The Construction Act and the Minister of Transport give the authority for Banedanmark to administer these two acts.”

Given a stringent eight-year timeframe, it is unsurprising that an organisation so adept at providing infrastructure, management and information

on a large scale is progressing the project entirely on schedule. Currently in the third year of construction works, 2016 promises to be an exciting year in the project with the erection of the new Køge Nord Station widely anticipated ahead of railway technology completion. One thing is for certain, 2018, the projected completion year, is set to be the dawning of a new age for Denmark, both commercially and for domestic commuters, thanks to Banedanmark.

“ Improved rail connections are imperative if the railway is to be an attractive option for passengers and freight transport in the future. More efficient train services contribute significantly to increased mobility and development of society on a sustainable basis.”