Greater Copenhagen Light Rail

The rapid transit network of greater Copenhagen consists of a metro system serving the city centre, south-eastern suburbs and one western suburb, and a well-developed S-train network consisting of radial lines and one inner ring line relatively close to the city centre. Further from the city centre, transport between the radials consists of bus lines. Since the suburbs along the radials were expected to grow, a better quality public transport solution between them was thought to be needed.^[2] Furthermore, some high passenger volume destinations such as the Technical University and two hospitals were not yet directly accessible through rail transit.

Procurement for the project was structured into five civil works packages and three packages covering equipment, operations, and maintenance. In 2018, Danish construction companies MJ Eriksson, Per Aarsleff, and CG Jensen were awarded the civil works contracts, with CG Jensen additionally commissioned to construct the line’s operations control and maintenance centre.^[7]

The transport systems contract, covering both railway infrastructure and rolling stock, was awarded to a consortium comprising Siemens and Aarsleff Rail. Siemens was contracted to deliver a turnkey solution involving electrification, signalling, communications, workshop equipment as well as overall management of the project.^[7][8] A 15 year operations and maintenance contract was awarded to Metro Service, a subsidiary of ATM Milano, which also operates the Copenhagen Metro.^[5]

Ridership is expected to reach 14.7 million passengers per year by 2030.^[9]

Trains will depart every 5 minutes from both terminals, and every 10 minutes on evenings, Sundays and public holidays.^[2][9] The trip between the terminals will be completed in 58 minutes.^[10]

Since the southern section opened on 26 October 2025, trains are operating at 10 minute intervals. This will be reduced to 5 minutes when the 15 km northern section to Lundtofte opens in summer 2026.^[5]

In total the line will have 29 stations, six of which will have a connection to the S-train network.^[11]

More information Municipality, Station ...

Municipality	Station		S-train connections/ Train and bus connections	Travel time
	Name	Code[12]		Southbound	Northbound
Lyngby-Taarbæk	Lundtofte (Lundtofteparken / Lundtoftegårdsvej)	LUT	Bus Lines: Blue 150s. Green: 40E. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	0	58
	Rævehøjvej (DTU)	RHØ	Bus Lines: Blue 150s. Green: 15E, 40E. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	1	57
	Anker Engelunds Vej DTU	ENG	Bus Lines: Yellow: 190. Blue: 400S. Green: 30E, 40E. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	3	55
	Akademivej DTU (Akademivej Øst / Akademivej Vest)	AKV	Bus Lines: Yellow: 180, 181. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	5	53
	Fortunbyen (Lundtoftegårdsvej / Klampenborgvej)	FOB	Bus Lines: Yellow: 388. Blue: 150s. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	7	51
	Lyngby Centrum (Klampenborgvej)	LYC	Nærum line local train. Bus Lines: Green: 40E. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	10	48
	Lyngby	LY	Bus Lines: Yellow: 68, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 388. Blue: 400S. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	11	47
Gladsaxe	Gammelmosevej	GMO	Bus lines: Yellow: 68, 192. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	15	43
	Buddinge	BUD	Bus lines: Red: 4A, 6A. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	17	41
	Gladsaxe Rådhus (Buddingecentret shoppingcenter mall & Gladsaxe Town Hall)	GXR	Bus lines: Yellow: 68, 160, 164, 165. Red: 4A, 6A. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	18	40
	Gladsaxevej	GXV	Bus lines: Yellow: 68, 165. Red: 4A. Blue: 250s. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	20	38
	Gladsaxe Trafikplads (Gladsaxe Ringvej / Gladsaxe Møllevej)	GXT	Bus lines: Yellow: 68, 160, 164, 165. Blue: 200s, 250s. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	21	37
	Dynamovej	DYV	Bus lines: Yellow: 168. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	23	35
Herlev	Herlev Hospital Sløjfen (Hyldemorsvej) / (Herlev Ringvej)	HEH	Bus lines: Yellow: 165, 168. Blue: 350S. Turquoise: 5C. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	25	33
	Herlev Bymidte (Herlev Bymidte shoppingcenter mall & Herlev Town Hall)	HEM	Bus lines: Yellow: 165, 168. Blue: 350S. Turquoise: 5C. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	27	31
	Herlev	HER	Bus lines: Yellow: 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 165, 167, 168. Light-Green: 811, 840, 841, 844, 845. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	28	30
	Herlev Syd (Lyskær)	HEY	Bus lines: Yellow: 167, 168. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	30	28
Rødovre	Rødovre Nord (Islevbro)	RØD	Bus lines: Yellow: 130, 131. Red: 7A. Green: 55E. Light-Green: 848. Blue: 300s until August 2026.	31	27
Glostrup	Glostrup Ejby (Ejbydal)	GLJ	Bus lines: Yellow: 141, 142, 166.	33	25
	Glostrup Nord (Hersted Industripark)	GLN	Bus lines: Yellow: 149. Blue: 500s.	36	22
	Glostrup Hospital (Rigshospitalet Glostrup)	GLH	Bus lines: Yellow: 141, 149. Blue: 500s.	38	20
	Glostrup	GL	Bus lines: Yellow: 19, 22, 123, 135, 141, 149. Blue: 500s. Light-Green: 847.	43	15
Brøndby	Kirkebjerg (Søndre Ringvej)	KIR	Bus lines: Yellow: 22, 166.	46	12
	Brøndbyvester (Søndre Ringvej)	BRV	Bus lines: Yellow: 13, 135, 166. Blue: 500s.	48	10
Vallensbæk	Delta Park (Vallensbækvej)	DEP	Bus lines: Yellow: 135. Blue: 500s.	51	7
	Vallensbæk	VLB	Bus lines: Yellow: 130, 143,144.	51	6
	Strandhaven (Vejlebrovej / Bækkeskovvej)	STN	Bus lines: Yellow: 135. Blue: 500s.	54	4
Ishøj	Ishøj Strand (Ishøj Strand ARKEN)	ISS	Bus lines: Yellow: 128, 135. Blue: 400s. Grey: 87.	55	3
	Ishøj	IH	Bus lines: Yellow: 127, 128, 225. Blue: 400S. Grey: 87.	58	0

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In February 2018, 29 Siemens Avenio 4-car low floor trams (27 base order and 2 options) were ordered. The contract includes options for up to 30 trams and maintenance of the trams for 15 years. The trams are light green, distinguishing them as a new and "eco-friendly" mode of transport. The trams have 6 x 100W motors and weigh approximately 48 tonnes each. They have a capacity of 258, including 64 seats. The entrance height is 350 mm above the rail. The trams are 36.9 m in length and 2.65 m wide. They are equipped with LCD information screens.^[13] They were built at the Siemens factory in Kragujevac, Serbia.^[14] They were tested at the Siemens Wegberg-Wildenrath Test and Validation Centre and the depot, where they are maintained, in Glostrup.^[9]

The trams have step-free boarding and level-access inside, with 4 areas for bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs.^[9]

• 
  Presentation of Siemens Avenio tram after delivery, Islev workshop
• 
  Mock-up of tram interior

The line is be owned through the Ringby-Light rail cooperation by the Ministry of Transport, Capital Region of Denmark and the municipalities of Lyngby-Taarbæk, Gladsaxe, Herlev, Albertslund (no station;in Glostrup, bordering Albertslund), Rødovre, Glostrup, Brøndby, Hvidovre (no station), Vallensbæk, Ishøj and Høje-Taastrup (no station). The Danish state will contribute 40% to the construction, the municipalities 34% and the Capital Region of Denmark will contribute 26%.^[2]

Originally estimated to cost 6.2 billion kr. and later 8.2 billion kr. in 2022, the final cost is expected to be 9.6 billion kr. ($1.48 billion).^[5]

Possible extensions beyond the Ring 3 line have been examined in official planning studies. Preparatory material for the Ring 3 project referred to a possible second stage from Park Allé to Brøndby Strand and Avedøre Holme.^[15]

In 2013, the Capital Region of Denmark analysed possible light-rail links between Glostrup Station and Copenhagen Airport. The study considered a southern corridor via Avedøre Holme, Ørestad Station and Løjtegårdsvej, a northern corridor via Hvidovre Hospital, Ny Ellebjerg and Bella Center, and a possible first stage of the northern corridor between Glostrup Station and Ny Ellebjerg.^[16]

In 2018, a separate study by the Copenhagen Municipality examined a possible light-rail corridor from Nørrebro Station to Gladsaxe Trafikplads via Tingbjerg and Frederikssundsvej, intended to improve links between the M3 City Circle line and the Ring 3 light rail.^[17]

In 2021, following a decision by the Regional Council of the Capital Region, Metroselskabet prepared a screening-level analysis of five possible extensions: Lundtofte-Nærum Station, Lundtofte-Gammel Holte, Lundtofte-Kokkedal Station, Gladsaxe Trafikplads-Avedøre Holme, and Glostrup Station-Avedøre Holme.^[18] The Glostrup Station-Avedøre Holme option was described as a branch from the Ring 3 line at Kirkebjerg via Park Allé, Brøndby Town Hall, Brøndby Stadium and Brøndby Strand Station to Avedøre Holme.^[18] For the northern corridor, the same report noted that a later branch from Hørsholm to Rungsted Kyst Station could be considered, although its economic and ridership effects were not assessed.^[18]

The 2021 analysis found that Gladsaxe Trafikplads-Avedøre Holme would generate the largest increase in light-rail boardings, while Lundtofte-Kokkedal Station would have the highest forecast ridership among the northern options.^[18]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hovedstadens Letbane.

• Aarhus Letbane
• Transport in Copenhagen
• Stockholm Tvärbanan - a similar orbital line operating in Stockholm since 2000
• Helsinki light rail line 15 - a similar orbital line operating in Helsinki since 2023
• List of town tramway systems in Denmark
• Odense Letbane

• Project website
• The line in the Copenhagen region rapid transit network (in yellow) Archived 2016-03-10 at the Wayback Machine
• Planned course of the line