Siemens Mobility has been contracted by Banedanmark (BDK) and DSB to upgrade the 170-kilometre-long S-Bane network in Copenhagen with GoA4 technology. This is the highest grade of automation and will enable driverless train operations from 2030.
Under these contracts, Siemens Mobility will supply the necessary onboard signalling equipment for 226 new trains, as well as the wayside equipment.
GoA4 will allow more trains to run on the S-Bane network while enhancing the passenger experience, ensuring reliability and future-proofing the system.
The new contracts have a total value of around 270 million EUR, building on an initial contract from 2011 for Siemens Mobility to equip the Copenhagen S-Bane network with the Communications-Based Train Control System (CBTC).
The new agreements also involve equipping the two depots in Hundige and Høje Taastrup with radio-based communication systems to extend the reachability of all trains.
“We are happy to conclude this contract for the CBTC GoA4 upgrade which is a very important element of our Future S-Bane programme. The Copenhagen S-bane is already a well performing railway system serving the greater Copenhagen area, and with implementation of the programme, it will evolve into one of the world’s largest and most complex fully automated mass transit systems which will provide an even better service to our passengers. This comes not only via higher frequency for increased capacity and improved train services during off-peek operations, but also faster recovery from disturbances and better possibilities to adapt the traffic services to the demand on short term.”
This project will be commissioned in five phases, with full automation scheduled for 2033.
The first phase will cover the F-Line between København Syd and Hellerup, with a trial run scheduled for mid-2030 before the start of passenger operations by the end of 2030.
During this phased approach, existing GoA2 trains and new driverless GoA4 trains will operate together until 2038. By then, the last new driverless GoA4 train will be delivered. These trains will be supported by hybrid wayside technology that will accommodate both GoA2 and GoA4.
“We are very proud to continue and enhance our successful collaboration with Banedanmark and DSB to position the thriving city of Copenhagen as a model for modern rail infrastructure among European capitals. By implementing our best-in-class signalling technology by 2033, trains will be capable of operating automatically and driverless. This will make the new S-Bane the world's largest automatic urban railway.”
The S-Bane’s core network can handle up to 84 trains per hour, transporting over 100 million passengers annually across 88 stations on seven lines.
However, the number of daily commuters in the city is steadily increasing as the metropolitan area around the capital expands. Upgrading the network to support unattended train operations therefore aims to effectively cater to this growing demand.
“We are pleased about the prospect of Banedanmark and DSB continuing our work with Siemens to improve Copenhagen’s S-bane network. The CBTC system has already shown its merits and we hope that this project can lift the S-Bane even further.”
