DANISH State Railways has launched a five-year programme to expand and upgrade its passenger services, including new rolling stock, routes and stations. Director-General Henrik Hassenkam says the Good Trains for All programme will help DSB win more traffic with comfortable trains and more cost-effective operations. By 2006 DSB will be operating 25% more trains than today outside the capital’s S-bane network. All stations in Sjaelland will have at least two trains an hour, with four on the trunk routes.

Spearheading the GTA programme will be a fleet of 83 four-car DMUs, ordered from AnsaldoBreda in December at a cost of DKr5bn. Due for delivery between March 2003 and July 2005, the Pininfarina-designed IC4s will carry 225 passengers per set. Destined to take over inter-city services between København and Jutland, the 200 km/h units will each be powered by four 20 litre Iveco Aifo V8 engines through ZF transmissions with electronic controls. The deal includes options for up to 67 more sets.

The IC4s will allow redeployment of the present IC3 DMUs and IR4 EMUs to increase frequencies on other inter-city and inter-regional routes. With DSB’s 24 Øresund EMUs to be delivered by June 2001, the fleet will comprise 243 main line units and 120 new S-bane sets.

S-bane improvements include double-tracking from Ballerup to Frederikssund, completed last November, new stations, and new links now under constuction to enable a Ringbane service from Hellerup to Ny Ellebjerg. All S-bane routes will have a minimum 10min interval service.

Investment is planned to develop regional routes around Odense, Århus, Aalborg and Esbjerg, with new stations to be served by at least two trains/h. n

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