DANISH infrastructure manager Banedanmark has confirmed that it is operating at 200km/h on the 60km Copenhagen - Ringsted line for the first time after lifting restrictions that have limited the maximum train speed to 180km/h since the new line opened in 2019.
Banedanmark says it has fulfilled 29 different requirements to approve infrastructure for 200km/h operation on the section from Avedøre to Ringsted. The speeds will remain limited at the ends of the line and a small section around Køge Nord, the line's sole station.
A fleet of Danish State Railways (DSB)-owned Vectron locomotives and former German Rail (DB) inter-city coaches used on Copenhagen - Hamburg services are now operating at 200km/h five time per day in both directions.
DSB’s new fleet of Talgo 230 locomotive-hauled coaches will also operate at up to 200km/h on the line when they begin to enter service in the autumn. The first of these rakes were delivered last month. Alstom is also building a fleet of 200km/h IC5 Coradia Stream EMUs for DSB. Delivery of these sets has been delayed to 2027.
“Initially, it gives a better opportunity to catch up on delays when the trains have the opportunity to run at 200km/h,” says Mr Peter Svendsen, traffic director at Banedanmark. “This strengthens stability and gives passengers more trains on time. In the long term, there will also be an opportunity to cut the journey time.”
