City chiefs in Denmark and Sweden are looking at spending up to €4 billion on what is thought to be the world’s first international metro. Copenhagen and Malmo are investigating the construction of a 22-kilometre tunnel under the Oresund River to link the two metropolises.
This week a new working group — called the Oresundsmetro Executive and featuring representatives from the two cities, industry and researchers — was established to firm up the proposals.
They plan to use high-speed, driverless trains to transport passengers underground between the cities in 20 minutes.
Train passengers can already travel between Copenhagen and Malmo over the Oresund Bridge, which takes around 35 minutes.
But capacity on the crossing is expected to be squeezed when another major infrastructure project comes online in the next decade.
Continue, with maps (EuroNews)
The proposed metro line between København H and Malmö C would run in a 22·1 km tunnel under the Øresund strait separating Denmark and Sweden. It would have a design capacity of 36 trains/h per direction, with headways of 2 min in the peaks and 5 min off-peak. A maximum speed of 120 km/h would provide an end-to-end journey time of 20 min, and there would be five stations.
Construction could begin in 2028 for opening in 2035. The project is estimated to cost €4bn, which includes a 50% risk premium. This would be mainly financed through fare revenue, with possible support from the EU, Denmark and Sweden. Both countries have the option to apply toll revenue from the Øresund Bridge from 2035, once the cost of building the fixed link has been paid off.
Lets hope trains between København and Malmö than are more reliable than those between Bedford and Brighton.