At the Train & Rail event in Stockholm, Kirsten Margrethe Christensen of Femern A/S presented an update on the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, an infrastructure project currently under construction between Denmark and Germany. The 18-kilometre undersea tunnel, which began construction in 2020, is a significant undertaking designed to improve cross-border mobility and increase rail capacity between Scandinavia and continental Europe.
Visualisation of the portal and ramp to the tunnel © Femern
In her presentation, Christensen outlined the expected benefits of the connection, as once operational, it will significantly reduce travel times between the nations. Currently, a ferry between Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden takes approximately 1 hour, but will be reduced to just 7 minutes by train. Meanwhile, passenger rail travel time between Copenhagen and Hamburg will reduce from approximately five hours to two and a half hours. Freight services will also benefit, with the new route shortening the rail distance by about 160 kilometres. These improvements are intended to enhance the competitiveness of rail over other modes of transport, particularly short-haul air travel.
