The Danish rail infrastructure manager Banedanmark has begun preparing the Svendborg Line for the installation of ERTMS Level 2, the new digital signalling system.
The installation of the new signalling system will be carried out between Odense and Svendborg until October 2026. The aim is to replace the worn-out signals along the line with a digital system, which will ultimately result in more efficient traffic and more trains running on time. In the coming period, work will be undertaken at level crossings and stations in preparation for the new signalling system.
Until November, work will take place at seven stations and 22 level crossings along the route. This means that at some level crossings, only one lane will be open at certain times, while others will be completely closed intermittently. On the railway, train services will be suspended on some weekends, and replacement bus services will be provided. In total, seven road closures and 11 train service suspensions are planned until November this year.
Preparations for the Svendborg Line include work at a total of 30 level crossings and seven stations. As part of the preparations for ERTMS, technical equipment is being installed on the tracks and at level crossings. This includes 135 road signals, 87 barrier drives, 105 marker boards, 130 balises, and 128 axle counters. The new signalling system is scheduled to be commissioned in autumn 2026.
“We have broken ground on a new signalling system that will boost train traffic on the Svendborg Line. Initially, we will install some of the equipment necessary to bring the digital signalling system into use. When we finish the work in autumn 2026, passengers will ultimately experience fewer signalling faults and delays on the railway,” said Mads Søndergaard Pedersen, Manager of the Signalling Programme for long-distance railways.
“We cannot work on the track while trains are running, so services are suspended while we replace equipment at the level crossings,” Pedersen added.
GoCollective, which operates the Svendborg Line, will inform passengers of all changes resulting from the works. The operator entered Denmark’s rail market in 2003 after winning the country’s first rail tender, covering regional rail operations in Central and Western Jutland. GoCollective then retained the contract in both 2009 and 2018 and is responsible for rail operations under the current contract until 2028.
Banedanmark will replace its legacy signalling systems with the new ERTMS/ETCS digital system across its network. This means that the number of signalling faults will be significantly reduced, by up to 80% of current signalling errors on the network are expected to be eliminated, allowing more trains to run punctually.
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