More trains in the Metro during rush hour
Facts about
The M3 line
17 new metro stations will connect the bridge neighbourhoods with Frederiksberg and the inner city, while the M3 line will also be expanded with connections to both Nordhavn and Sydhavn. By 2025, the Metro will have 174 million passengers annually, and nine out of ten of Denmark's busiest stations will have a Metro station.
Population growth
In the coming years, the population of the capital will continue to grow as more and more people choose to move into the city. In 2010, there were 630,000 residents in the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, while in 2018 there were 720,000 residents registered. By 2035, this figure will have grown to 850,000, an increase of 18%. By 2025, there will be 60,000 more inhabitants in the capital than today, and this growth in itself will increase the demand for transport.
The existing metro lines, M1 and M2, are used by around 200,000 travellers every day and many of the trains have been running for 15 years. To ensure that passengers continue to experience a Metro that runs all the time and on time, Metroselskabet is working on a major investment programme that will, among other things, help create space for more travellers in the Metro, especially during rush hour when passenger volumes are highest.
One of the programme's projects has already had an impact: an upgrade of the trains' control system has enabled more efficient operation, for example by shortening the time between the trains stopping and the doors opening. Together with a number of technical optimisations, the more efficient operation has improved operational stability and created space for more departures.
At the same time, Metroselskabet's new operations and maintenance contract with the operator Metro Service A/S has resulted in 31 trains running during the majority of rush hour instead of 30, which was previously the maximum number of trains in operation.
‘Our most important core task is to give customers a fast and easy journey. Therefore, it is crucial that the trains run on time. The upgrade of the operating system and the 31 trains during rush hour has meant that in January, February and March we have had about 7 per cent more departures, which corresponds to about 250 extra daily departures during rush hour. This makes room for more customers in the Metro and ensures shorter waiting times on the platforms,’ says Henrik Plougmann Olsen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metroselskabet.
Last year, the Metro set a new passenger record with 64.7 million passengers, representing growth of almost two per cent compared to the previous year. At the same time, 99.2 per cent of all trains ran on time for the third year in a row. Later this year, the M3 line (M3) will open, which is expected to double passenger numbers in the Metro.
‘It is very gratifying that so many people choose to use the Metro. To make room for even more passengers, we have launched a number of initiatives in 2018 to increase capacity. These include new seating arrangements in Metro trains, more frequent departures during rush hour and campaigns to help customers adopt more appropriate behaviour so that the high operational stability can be maintained and space can be created for the many new passengers,’ explains Henrik Plougmann Olsen.