Exactly 20 years ago, the Metro rolled out its first driverless journey between Nørreport and Vestamager (M1) and Nørreport and Lergravsparken (M2). The Metro was a modern and sustainable take on what public transport in Denmark can be. The two new metro lines, which were both fully automated and after a few years also operated 24 hours a day, caused a sensation, and the concept and frequent departures have since won awards and been copied many times around the world.

‘The Metro is one of the best things to happen to Copenhagen in recent times. Since its opening 20 years ago, it has significantly lifted our city so that today we are in the league with the greenest cities in the world. The Metro is also an invaluable part of the glue that binds Copenhagen together socially and across neighbourhoods, because it makes it possible to get around effortlessly without owning a car. We need a lot more of that in the future,’ says Lord Mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen.

The expansion of the Metro has, among other things, made it easier to get around the city, and areas such as Ørestad, Amager East and most recently Nordhavn have become more closely linked to the rest of Copenhagen. At the same time, the Metro has created fast connections between the capital's many historic neighbourhoods, including Frederiksberg.

‘Today we celebrate the Metro, which has created new connections and tied the city together in a whole new way - not least in Frederiksberg. The Metro has made everyday life easier for all of us and has also served as an inspiration for sustainable public transport and visionary urban development in many parts of the world. The first 20 years are a tribute to the entire capital, which has become both bigger and smaller at the same time. The Metro is green transport at its best. We should be proud of this and use it as a driving force to continue creating ties between Frederiksberg and Copenhagen, so we can ensure that our capital continues to develop. But the Metro is far from finished, and we need much more Metro in Frederiksberg and Copenhagen,’ says Michael Vindfeldt, Mayor of Frederiksberg Municipality.

Today, the Metro has been expanded with both the M3 line and the M4 Nordhavn, and 39 Metro stations connect Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. In 2024, the M4 Sydhavn will open with 5 new metro stations and a major traffic hub at Ny Ellebjerg (future København Syd). A brand new line, the M5, is also on the drawing board. As the most sustainable means of public transport, the Metro has become a matter of course for many and an obvious choice for more than two million weekly passengers. The Metro is also the public transport mode with the highest satisfaction scores among public transport customers.

‘The Metro has played a crucial role in Copenhagen's development over the past 20 years and will continue to do so in the future. As the city grows, so does the need for efficient, green transport. When it opened in 2002, the Metro was already a highly forward-thinking vision for sustainable public transport, with driverless trains running 24 hours a day and frequent departures. And now more than ever, the Metro is a success - even despite crises. Our more than 300,000 daily passengers testify to this,’ says Jørn Neergaard Larsen, Chairman of the Board of Metroselskabet.

As early as 1902, a metro system in Copenhagen was under consideration. But the decision was not made despite the fact that many other European cities had metro systems at the time, including Paris and Berlin. Since then, the project was discussed on several occasions - but it wasn't until the early 1990s that plans to build a Metro in the Danish capital began to take shape. The two metro lines, M1 and M2, opened in stages between 2002 and 2007 and consist of 22 stations stretching over 21 kilometres. The M3 line M3 opened in 2019, and in 2020 the M4 Nordhavn line went into operation.

‘At Metroselskabet, we are committed to contributing to strengthening sustainable public transport. The demand for the Metro is high, which is why it remains our most important core task to ensure that the trains run on time around the clock to give passengers an easy, efficient and high-quality travel experience. We must also ensure ongoing modernisation and maintenance of the Metro so that it will be the natural choice for our customers for many years to come,’ says Carsten Riis, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metroselskabet.

The Metro's 20th anniversary is marked with the #minmetropol campaign, which invites all passengers to portray their city as a metropolis. Rapper Mas has written the song ‘The city never sleeps’ as a tribute to Copenhagen.