DANISH State Railways (DSB) has awarded a contract for at least 226 driverless commuter trains for the Copenhagen S-Bane network to a consortium of Siemens and Stadler. The contract is worth DKr 23bn ($US 3.58bn).
The first next-generation EMUs for the 170km S-Bane network, which will be fully automated at Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4), are due to enter service in 2032. The 56m-long four-car trains, with seating for 156 passengers and level boarding, will have a maximum speed of 120km/h, with up to three trains able run in multiple.
Siemens and Stadler prequalified to bid for the new trains in summer 2023, alongside CAF and Alstom. Siemens had already been awarded contracts worth a total of €270m in April 2024 to upgrade the S-Bane network to GoA4, supplying lineside equipment and onboard equipment for 226 trains.
DSB expects that full automation will allow services to run at a frequency of up to 7min 30sec on each line at peak times, with a frequency of up to 1min 30sec on the central section, enabling an additional 10 million passenger-journeys a year.
The rolling stock contract stipulates that the consortium will have overall responsibility for maintenance for 30 years, while DSB staff will carry out maintenance work.
The first new S-Bane trains are expected to run on Line F, between Copenhagen South and Hellerup, in 2032, with the whole S-Bane network due to be fully automated by 2040.
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