With revenues up by 11% in 2024 (800 million euros or 6 billion Danish crowns) and passenger traffic up 6% to 169.6 millions, the DSB Danish Railways are confident in the future of the railways and are investing massively. This should result in improvements to international routes to Copenhagen, with the modernisation of the train and locomotive fleet.
More comfortable trains on the Germany-Denmark route
The company is starting to receive new IC5 electric trains. Seven trainsets have already been delivered and will be put into service on the routes to Germany later this year. According to a DSB spokesman, journey times on the main Copenhagen-Hamburg route are not expected to change fundamentally. It would continue to run between 4.30 and 5.00 a.m. -including 1h55 on the only German route between Hamburg and Flensburg, a town on the German-Danish border. " However, this situation is about to change dramatically with the opening of the Fehmarn line by 2030/2031. The Copenhagen-Hamburg journey will then be reduced to 2h00/2h30" says Karin Ryø Borberg of the DSB Communications Department.
No decision has yet been taken on the integration of its trains on other international lines such as Sweden or Poland. But as DSB has an order for 100 IC5 trainsIt is more than likely that they will equip all of the Danish rail operator's main lines. These future trains are due to be fitted on all lines by 2032 and will enable carry an average of 300 passengers at a top speed of 200 km/h.
The IC5 is being developed by Alstom and will offer passengers greater comfort. These include a wider table space, reclining seats, individual armrests, a reading lamp and sockets for recharging electrical appliances on each seat. In addition, the IC5 train will have more screens than current DSB trains. This will enable passengers to obtain real-time information about their journey.
