The M3 line opening time is maintained
In connection with the latest briefing to the owners on progress and risks, Metroselskabet has announced that the opening date for the M3 line will be maintained. This means that The Company expects to open for passengers on 29 September, as previously announced to the public.
The owner briefing states that one of the very important construction milestones has been achieved and that the safety documentation has been sent to the authorities for their assessment.
‘Over the past year, Metroselskabet has regularly informed the owners about progress and risks on the M3 line. In the latest briefing, we have informed our owners that the opening date will be maintained - subject, of course, to the authorities being able to approve the submitted safety documentation,’ says Jørn Neergaard Larsen, Chairman of the Board of Metroselskabet.
As part of the completion of the M3 line, the so-called Operational Trial Run is now being carried out to test that the M3 line can be operated and maintained properly when the M3 line opens for passengers. This work forms part of the basis for the Danish Transport, Construction and Housing Authority's approval and is being carried out in parallel with the independent assessor's evaluation and the authorities' final safety assessment of the overall system.
The Company's briefing states that in the coming weeks, general clean-up and repair work will be carried out at the M3 line's 17 underground stations, while work will also be carried out at the street-level stations right up to the opening - and in some places also after the opening.
In addition to the tracks and stations, the M3 line also includes a number of pedestrian tunnels and stairs that will create particularly good connections for passengers travelling between the Metro, S-trains and regional trains, for example at Copenhagen Central Station and Østerport station. These works have proved more complicated than expected and will therefore not be completed in time for the opening of the M3 line. However, this will not affect the opening or passengers' ability to switch between Metro and train during the temporary period until the final connections are completed. However, it will be a little more inconvenient for passengers for a while.
Facts about the M3 line
- The 17 new metro stations will connect the bridge neighbourhoods with Frederiksberg and the M3 line, while the City Ring will also be expanded with connections to both Nordhavn and Sydhavn.
- Once the M3 line is open, the number of journeys on the Metro is expected to double with approximately 122 million passengers in 2020.
M3 line is a huge and complicated system, and it is impossible to avoid irregularities in operations during the initial period. It is therefore quite natural that in the first months after the M3 line opens, there may be minor disruptions when the system meets customers. The Metroselskabet and the operator will of course have full focus on preventing and limiting possible inconvenience to passengers and solving the problems that will inevitably arise during the initial period.
After the opening of the M3 line, test runs will start on the new M4 metro line to Nordhavn. This will affect the operation of the M3 line and will therefore be organised to take place at night and some weekends to minimise inconvenience to passengers before they can also travel on the new line to Nordhavn in early 2020.