New report: Metroselskabet delivered mega project on time, on budget and with far more passengers than expected
The report aims to identify how Metroselskabet succeeded in delivering a megaproject worth over DKK 8 billion on time, on budget and with the expected value creation of twice as many passengers as expected by 2024 - a rarity for public construction projects of this size.
Five key factors behind successful project delivery
Based on 22 interviews with internal and external key stakeholders, the report highlights five
key elements that have been crucial to the success of the project:
- A trust-based collaboration between Metroselskabet and the contractors
- A flexible and solution-oriented approach by all parties involved
- Strong experience and competences of Metroselskabet and theother parties
- An appropriate company structure and clear incentives
- A solid governance model
Facts:
M4 to Sydhavn and Valby
- The M4 extension to Sydhavn and Valby opened in June 2024 and consists of five new metro stations: Havneholmen, Enghave Brygge, Sluseholmen, Mozarts Plads and København Syd.
- Construction work began in 2018 and took almost six years.
- The total construction costs were DKK 8.6 billion and the original construction budget was DKK 10.4 billion including reserves.
- The metro extension is 5.7 kilometres long (from Copenhagen Central Station to København Syd).
Contractors and consultants on the project:
TUNN3L JV: Construction of the five new metro stations and tunnels.
Rhomberg EFACEC JV: Construction of track and power supply.
Hitachi: Supply of control system, cabling in tunnels and trains.
Metro Service: Operation and maintenance as subcontractor to Hitachi.
COWI and Systra: Metroselskabet's advisors on the project.
Aarsleff Rail: Construction of the joint transfer area between Metro, S-trains and long-distance and regional trains at København Syd.
General information about the Metro:
- The total metro network consists of 44 stations and 43 kilometres of track.
- The first metro stations opened in 2002 and the newest stations opened in 2024.
- In January 2025, tendering started for the next two stations, which will be located in Ydre Nordhavn and
expected to open in 2030. - Here you can find photos of the Metro and more facts.
Passenger numbers for the entire metro network:
- 2024: 126 million passengers
- 2023: 120 million passengers
- 2022: 108 million passengers
‘The metro extension to Sydhavn and Valby is proof that we as a client can deliver large and complex infrastructure projects efficiently and with high quality. It is also an expression of great flexibility and good collaboration skills among our contractors on the project. The conclusions will now be used to strengthen future projects and shared in dialogue with the industry,’ says Metroselskabet's CEO, Mikkel Kjær Jensen.
Implement Consulting Group has been responsible for preparing the report, which maps the experiences of the many stakeholders:
‘The Metro project is a great example of successful project management in large infrastructure projects. The Company and its partners have demonstrated how a strategic yet flexible approach to collaboration, governance and planning can ensure that mega projects are delivered on time, on budget and with the desired benefits,’ says Mikkel Gram Colding, Senior Consultant at Implement Consulting Group.
Trustful collaboration and flexibility were prioritised
The report identifies the factors that have been important for such a large project to be delivered to expectations. For example, Metroselskabet invested significantly in building a trust-based collaboration with the contractors - through close dialogue, regular 1:1 meetings and social events. This created a common understanding of objectives and workflows, making it easier to find solutions to challenges.
During the corona pandemic, Metroselskabet also chose to show flexibility and support the contractors - for example, by establishing facilities that enabled testing of all workers with a response time of a few hours, so work could continue despite challenges with international labour.
‘We drew on valuable lessons learned from the M3 line that we opened in 2019, including both the good and not so good experiences, and prioritised planning. We set aside time for the processes that are known to take a long time, and the thorough planning resulted in a shorter and smoother construction phase. It also gave the authorities better opportunities to plan their part of the work,’ Mikkel Kjær Jensen continues.
Metroselskabet will now use the report's conclusions to improve future projects, both its own and in the industry in general.
Definition of a megaproject
A megaproject is an investment project that typically costs more than one billion US dollars. Megaprojects attract a lot of public interest regarding their environmental impact and budget size, for example. Megaprojects can include tunnels, motorways, railways, airports, etc. However, the most common megaprojects are hydro and nuclear power plants and large public transport projects (Source: Wikipedia).
About Metroselskabet
Metroselskabet is responsible for the development and operation of the Metro in Copenhagen and works to ensure efficient, sustainable and future-proof transport solutions.
Reports
Curious to read more?
You can download our executive summary and the full report for free