Copenhagen Metro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Copenhagen Metro
Locale	Metropolitan Copenhagen, Denmark
Transit type	Rapid transit
Began operation	October 19, 2002
System length	21 km (13 mi)[1]
Number of lines	2
Number of stations	22
Daily ridership	115,000
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
Owner	Metroselskabet I/S
Operator(s)	Inmetro

The Copenhagen Metro, also known simply as the Metro, is a rail rapid transit system serving Copenhagen, Frederiksberg and Tårnby, Denmark. The system opened in 2002 and currently has two lines with 22 stations, following the 2007 opening of an extension to Copenhagen Airport.

The technology used by the Metro has inspired some other European cities to build or expand metro networks using the same system. These include Brescia Metrobus, Rome and Milan in Italy, and Thessaloniki in Greece, which all have signed contracts with Ansaldobreda, the supplier of the Metro trains and train systems.^[2]

The system is operated by the Inmetro joint venture of Ansaldo STS and Azienda Trasporti Milanesi.^[3] Until January 1 2008 it was operated by the Metro Service consortium of Ansaldo STS and Serco.

It is owned by Metroselskabet I/S which in turn is owned jointly by Copenhagen (50%), the Danish state (41.7%) and Frederiksberg (8.3%).^[4] The system was originally owned by Ørestadsselskabet I/S (the Ørestad Development Corporation) also tasked with both the construction of the metro service and developing the Ørestad region. In 2007, Ørestandsselskabet was divided into two new entities with Metroselskabet I/S responsible for the metro service and Arealudviklingsselskabet I/S tasked with the development of the Ørestad region.

[edit] History

Metro train arriving at Vanløse station.

The Metro was built largely as a result of a 1992 report on the future of transport in Copenhagen. Large areas of Amager, located to the south of central Copenhagen, were still unused or in agricultural use. 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 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 construction to avoid the disorganisation that often hampers cities that develop organically. The three main proposals for the grid were an at-grade tramway, a driverless metro, and a light-rail system consisting of a tramway that used metro-like tunnels to traverse the city centre.^[5] 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 west 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 further west 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.

Crossing from elevated railway to tunnel near Islands Brygge

The last stretch of the M2 from Lergravsparken to Copenhagen Kastrup Airport was named Phase 3. The stretch is 4.5 km long with five stations, and runs where Amagerbanen did until it was closed in the 1960s. Plans for the extension were met with protests from the local population, who feared that it would split Amager into an eastern and western part. They formed a group called Amager Metro Gruppen (the Amager Metro Group), which tried unsuccessfully to block construction by means of the legal system. In response to these objections, the plans were revised to construct the stretch on ground level with more underpasses and pedestrian bridges than originally intended.^[6] The stretch opened on 28 September 2007, and a trip from the city centre to Lufthavnen takes 14 minutes.

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. That may, however, be affected by the eventual outcome of an ongoing (as of late 2007 - and not scheduled to conclude before 2008/2009) major arbitration between the Metro Civil Works contractor (COMET) and Ørestadsselskabet. 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 Metro Civil Works Contractor (COMET) consortium comprised Astaldi, Bachy, SAE, Ilbau, NCC Rasmussen & Schiøtz Anlæg and Tarmac Construction^[7].

[edit] The network

[edit] Lines

The Metro comprises two lines that follow the same stretch in the city centre and then split into western and eastern branches on Amager. The two lines have a total of 22 stations and a total length of 21.3 km.

The Metro runs underground as well as overground on 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 (50% on elevated concrete viaducts, 50% on reinforced earth embankments), and the stretch from Fasanvej to Vanløse is also on an embankment.

Phases 1 and 2a (Forum to Vestamager and to Lergravsparken, including all the bored tunnels and deep stations) of the metro civil works were delivered as a turnkey design-build project by COMET, a one-off consortium of Danish, British, French, Austrian, and Italian specialist contractors. The contract for transport systems was awarded to Ansaldo.^[8]

Whenever normal service is disrupted, Metro buses running between the normal stations at half the usual time interval are inserted.

[edit] Stations

The 5-metre-tall information column at Kongens Nytorv station.

There are 22 stations on the existing Metro network. Nine of these are underground; of these, six are deep level while three are just below the ground. They all have a timeless and similar design by KHRAS Architects, and can be recognised by a five-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 to allow a link to the previously-existing S-train platforms. All stations have multiple call points that allow passengers to call the Control and Maintenance Centre (CMC) 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.

Elevated station on Amager.

Deep-level station design.

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. 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.

Platform screen doors

The overground stations are built of glass, steel, and concrete, giving them a slightly futuristic look. They do not have screen doors, but sensitive, automatic security measures instantly stop the trains if obstacles are detected on the tracks. Once stopped, the trains must be restarted manually. The overground stations are elevated from ground level on western Amager.

[edit] Tickets

The Metro uses the same zone and ticketing systems as the other public transport networks in Copenhagen. At all stations, there are ticket machines that accept Danish coins and various credit and debit cards.

A new fare system, currently being developed, called Rejsekort, is expected to replace the current system in 2008.

[edit] Trains

Metro train on approach to Flintholm station.

The Metro trains were built by Ansaldobreda and designed by Giugiaro Design. The trains are driver-less, run entirely by a computer system called ATC (Automatic Train Control). There are often Metro stewards on the trains, however, whose 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. Following the completion of phase 3, a total of 34 trains will be in commission.

The interior of a Metro train.

The trains are 39 metres long, 2.65 metres wide, and weigh 52 tonnes. Their top speed is 80 km/h, while the average service speed is 40 km/h with an acceleration and deceleration capacity of 1.3 m/s². Each train consists of three articulated cars with a total of six automated doors, holding up to 96 seated and 204 standing passengers. 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 manually controlled into the siding.

[edit] 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 braking. The system is monitored at all times by five operators at the CMC. 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 on board the trains.

The Copenhagen Metro's ATC System is developed, maintained, and will continue to be upgraded by Union Switch & Signal, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The control room at the CMC in Vestamager.

The ATC system is divided into three sub-systems:

ATP 

The ATP system (Automatic Train Protection) is designed to protect 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.

[edit] Future

Main article: City Circle Line

Diagram of the Copenhagen Metro including the proposed lines M3 and M4. Station names shown in brackets are provisional and likely to change before M3/M4 is completed.

On December 2, 2005, Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities agreed on expanding the Metro network with the City Circle Line (Cityringen) to connect areas of the city centre which are not well-served by the current metro and S-trains. Plans for the new line were approved by the Danish Parliament on 1 June 2007.^[9] The future line will include a total of 17 stations, twelve of which will be new constructions and an additional three will be conversions of existing railway stations to dual railway/metro use.^[10] Construction of this line will increase the number of metro stations to 37.

The Ørestad Development Corporation predicts that the lines M3 and M4 will carry about 275,000 passengers per day. About 25% of these should be people who do not currently use public transport. The new line 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 15 billion DKK (about € 2.0 billion or US$ 3.2 billion), and it is scheduled to finish in 2018.

Future plans to extend the M4 to the suburbs of Brønshøj and Gladsaxe, and to the industrial areas of Nordhavn and Sydhavn on the ends of the harbour are being considered.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Greater Copenhagen Authority (HUR)
• List of Copenhagen metro stations
• Transport in Denmark

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Copenhagen Metro

• Official site (English)
• Article presenting a geographical map for Metro and S-tog (English)
• Copenhagen Metro and S-tog map(English)