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The Copenhagen Metro, known simply as the Metro, is a rail rapid transit system serving Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, Denmark. The system opened in 2002 and currently has two lines with 17 stations.
The Metro has inspired other European cities with plans to build or expand metro networks. These include the Italian cities of Brescia, Rome, and Milan and Greek Thessaloniki, and all have signed contracts with Ansaldo, the provider of the Metro. [1]
The system is owned by Ørestadsselskabet (Ørestad Development Corporation) and operated by Metro Service A/S, which in turn is owned by the Serco Group.
History
The Metro was built largely as a result of a report from 1992 on the future of transport in Copenhagen. Large areas of Amager, slightly to the south of central Copenhagen, were still unused or in agricultural use. They were so valuable, however, that the city decided to develop them as part of the Ørestad Project in conjunction with the construction of the Øresund Bridge. Since the areas were and are not served by the S-Train network, it was decided that an efficient transport grid should be built in advance of or in conjunction with new buildings in order to avoid the disorganisation that often hampers cities that develop organically. The three main proposals for the grid were a tram system, a light-rail system, and a driver-less metro. The metro was chosen because it was thought to have the highest capacity, speed, and security while not hampering the city environment. This was the most expensive solution, however, which was one of the reasons that the original budget was exceeded.
The final plans in 1996 for the initial construction of the Metro consisted of two lines that would follow the same stretch from the Vanløse district through the centre of the city and out on Amager, where they would split into a western line (M1) going to Vestamager and an eastern line (M2) going to Copenhagen Airport. The plan was split into three phases. Phase 1 was the stretch from Nørreport to Lergravsparken and Vestamager. Construction of the phase began in 1997 and was opened by Queen Margrethe II on October 19 2002.
The second phase was split into two projects. Project 2a covers the distance from Nørreport to Frederiksberg, and it was completed on May 29 2003. The second project, 2b, opened the same year on October 12 and extended the Metro from Frederiksberg to Vanløse. The stretch is exactly where the S-Train F service ran from Vanløse to Frederiksberg. Upon completion of phase 2, Flintholm station was still under construction. The Metro started servicing the station once it was completed on January 24 2004.
The last stretch of the M2 from Lergravsparken to Copenhagen Airport was named Phase 3. The stretch is 4.5 km long with five stations, and will run where Amagerbanen did until it was closed in the 1960s. Initial plans to build the line on an embankment were criticised by the population along it because it was thought that it would split Amager into an eastern and western part. Therefore, the plans were revised to construct the stretch on ground level with more underpasses and pedestrian bridges than originally intended. [2] The stretch is expected to open in October 2007, and a trip from Lergravsparken to Lufthavnen will take nine minutes.
On December 2, 2005, Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities agreed on expanding the Metro network with a circle line that is scheduled for completion in 2017.
The cost-benefit ratio of the Metro was debated years after service had commenced. Paying off the debt of the Metro has, however, begun three years ahead of schedule, and it will be paid off nine years earlier than expected. [3] A number of technical problems, especially with the automated doors, caused delays during the first years of the Metro, with between 85% and 95% of the trains being on schedule. Most of these problems have now been resolved, and the average reliability is usually between 98% and 99%, as of 2006. Overall, the Metro, carrying about 120,000 passengers a day, has been well-incorporated into the existing public transport grid that consists of S-Trains and buses.
The Network
Lines
The Metro comprises two lines that follow the same stretch in the city centre and then split into a western and eastern line on Amager. The two lines have a total of 17 stations and a total length of 16.8 km.
| Line | Colour | Stretch | Opened | Length | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Green | Vanløse – Vestamager | 2002 | 14.3 km | 15 |
| M2 | Yellow | Vanløse – Lergravsparken | 2002 | 10.2 km | 11 |
The Metro runs on underground as well as overground standard gauge tracks, and it operates at 750 V DC provided by a third rail. Most of the tracks on Amager and some of the tracks towards Vanløse are run overground, but the Metro runs underground in the city centre. The tunnels have been built using three different methods: Boring using tunnel boring machines (TBM), Cut-and-cover, and the New Austrian Tunnelling method (NATM). There are extraction points every 300 metres in the tunnels, and GSM signal repeaters are installed, allowing the use of mobile phones. The tracks are elevated from ground level on western Amager, and the stretch from Solbjerg to Vanløse is on an embankment.
Whenever normal service is disrupted, Metro buses running between the normal stations at half the usual time interval are inserted.
Stations
There are 17 stations on the existing Metro network. Nine of these are underground stations, and of them six are deep level and three are just below the ground. They all have a timeless and similar design by KHRAS Architects and can be recognised by a 5-metre-tall information column in front of the stations. All the stations are 60 metres long and 20 metres wide, with the exception of Nørreport station which is 80 metres long due to the connection to the rest of the station. All stations have mulitple call points that allow passengers to call the CMC (Control and Maintanence Centre) for information or in the case of an emergency. Since there is no gap between the station platforms and the trains, wheelchair users can use the Metro without help from other people.
The deep level stations are situated 20 metres below ground. All of them have escalators and a lift. The underground stations have platform screen doors to prevent people from walking on the tracks and entering the tunnels, as well as insulating the stations from the tunnels. There are glass pyramids on the roof of the stations permitting daylight to enter. Inside the pyramids, there are prisms refracting and splitting the light, sometimes resulting in rainbows on the walls. Therefore, the light on the stations is automatically regulated to make best use of the daylight and maintain a constant level of illumination of the stations at all times.
The overground stations are built of glass, steel, and concrete giving them a slightly futuristic look. They do not have screen doors, but there are sensitive, automatic security measures instantly stopping the trains if obstacles are identified on the tracks. Once stopped, the trains must be restarted manually. The overground stations are elevated from ground level on western Amager.
Tickets
The Metro uses the same zone system as the other public transport networks in Copenhagen, and they all use the same tickets and cards. A two-zone ticket or punch card is valid on the entire network, regardless of the amount of zones travelled in, because it is so small. There are ticket machines that accept Danish coins and various credit and debit cards on all stations.
A new fare system called Rejsekort that will replace the current, is currently being developed. It is expected that the new system will be introduced in 2008.
Trains
Like the stations the Metro trains are designed by Giugiaro Design. The trains are driverless and run entirely by a computer system called ATC (Automatic Train Control). There are often Metro stewards on the trains, however. Their job is to provide the passengers with information and to check tickets, as well as to handle any emergencies. If no steward is present in the train, passengers can call the CMC using the call points in the trains. As of 2006, there are 26 trains in commission. Once phase 3 is finished, there will be 34 trains in commission.
The trains are 39 metres long, 2.65 metres wide, and weigh 52 tonnes. Their top speed is 80 km/h, and the average service speed is 40 km/h with an acceleration and deceleration capacity of 1.3 m/s². Each train consists of three cars with six automated doors. They can hold 96 seated and 204 standing passengers combined. There are four large "flex areas" in each train with folding seats providing space for wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles. Since the trains are comparatively small, they are meant to transport people quickly over short distances with very short time intervals (two minutes during rush hours in the city centre).
The trains are maintained at the CMC in Vestamager. A train can automatically go to the centre, be washed on the outside by a machine, and return to service. If special maintenance is required, the train can be taken out of service and controlled into the siding manually.
The automated train system
The entire Metro system is run by a fully-automated computer system called ATC. By letting a computer run the system, human errors are eliminated, and a low time interval between the trains can be maintained because of precise acceleration and breaking. The system is monitored by five operators at the CMC at all times. In the event of a failure of the ATC system, the trains can either be controlled remotely from the CMC by the operators or by Metro stewards in the trains.
The Copenhagen Metro's ATC System is developed, maintained, and will continue to be upgraded by Union Switch & Signal, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
The ATC system is divided into three sub-systems.
ATP
The ATP system (Automatic Train Protection) is designed to protects passengers, personnel, and equipment. It ensures that junctions are set correctly, and that trains adhere to speed limits to avoid delays and derailment. Since the lines are divided into sections, the system also makes sure that only one train is in one section at all times, and that trains do not enter blocked sections with maintenance or objects on the tracks, for instance.
ATO
The ATO system (Automatic Train Operation) is the substitute for the train driver. The system makes sure that the trains stop at the correct stations, open the doors, wait for passengers to board and leave the train, and start the train again. The system cannot change vital functions like the position of a junction.
ATS
The ATS system (Automatic Train Supervisory) controls the routes and destinations of the trains. The system can run the network under different scenarios: normal service, single-track service, or when a stretch is under maintenance, for instance. It maintains an overview over the entire Metro network with information about junctions, all trains, and other equipment for the operators at all times. The system also gives a list of alarms, errors, and other events for all equipment on the lines no matter if they are controlled by the ATC or manually.
Future
An expansion to M2 is currently under construction, and is scheduled for completion in October 2007. It will extend the M2 from Lergravsparken along the eastern coast of Amager to Copenhagen Airport in Tårnby
The Danish government has accepted a proposal for a Metro circle line (The City Ring) to connect areas of the city centre which are not well-covered by the S-Trains or the existing Metro lines. The Ørestad Development Corporation predicts that the lines M3 and M4 will carry about 275,000 passengers per day. About 25% of these would be people who do not currently use public transport, meaning that rush hour traffic congestion should become much less severe in central Copenhagen. It will use the same station design and train types as the two existing Metro lines, but, unlike the M1 and M2 lines, will run entirely underground. Construction costs are expected to be around €2 billion, and it is scheduled to finish in 2017.
Future plans to extend the M4 to the suburbs of Brønshøj and Gladsaxe, and to industrial areas in the northern and southern end of the harbour are being considered.
See also
External links
- Official site (en)
- HUR (English summary)