Trains and other things: Lübeck to Copenhagen (and Trelleborg)

Today I'm leaving Germany and the continent and going back to Scandinavia, Malmö.

I'm taking ICE-TD (DB Class 605) from Lübeck to Copenhagen. The service which is operating the Vogelfluglinie is operated by this train since 2007 and unfortunately only until end of 2016, so it may be the last time we see this train.

ICE-TD is a diesel version of the tilting ICE-T train. The reason for this train type taken out of service is the high cost of maintenance and operation as well the need to go through a major overhaul procedure. DSB was offered to buy these trains from DB, but so far they are still for sale.

My seat reservation

Vogelfluglinie (bird flight line) is a transport corridor between Hamburg and Copenhagen, in the same way at it is also an important bird migration route between arctic Scandinavia and Central Europe.

Oldenburg

During all my trips this summer, I have never seen such a crowded long distance train.

All seats and empty space on the floor was occupied. There is definitely a need for a faster and better connection between Germany and Denmark, and it is being built starting from next year as a project named Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link.

The line on the German side is Lübeck–Puttgarden railway, which is single track and non-electrified. Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link, will include the tunnel replacing the ferries, the railway on both sides will be electrified and the capacity will increase with double tracks.

Approaching Fehmarnsundbrücke bridge

The bridge opened 1963 and it is a combined rail and road bridge

Arriving to Puttgarden, the last stop in Germany

The ferry terminal in Puttgarden opened 1963 together with the Fehmarn Sound Bridge, because the traditional ferry from Germany to Denmark between Rostock-Warnemünde and Gedser was at the time beyond the Iron Curtain.

Today the station is serving both international trains to Denmark (to the right) and Regional services (to the left).

It is time to board the ferry. Our ferry today is M/F "Prins Richard".

The boarding is made rather quick. Train ferries can handle one ICE-TD DMU (four coaches), or two DSB IC3 DMUs, the plan is to use these trains from 2017, thus the number of seats available may increase from 196 to 276.

Service Rødby-Puttgarden is operated by Scandlines ferries. Service is frequent, with four ferries giving one connection every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, and the trip takes 45min.

ICE-TD trains were leased by DSB, hence the logotype is from Danish railways.

It is not allowed to stay in the train during the ferry trip, so the passengers have to enter the passenger area of the ferry.

If the weather is good, it is nice to be outside.

The newest ferries from Scandlines are from 1997, here is "Prinsesse Benedikte". There are four diesel electric hybrid ferries on this line, by a combination of traditional diesel power and electric battery power the fuel consumption is decreased by 15%.

Fehmarn Belt is a strait connecting the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland, and it is 18km wide.

"Deutschland" ferry

Approaching Rødbyhavn in Denmark

It is time to get back to the train.

The train is driving out of the ferry together with other vehicles.

We are in Denmark

Billboard for the upgraded line Ringsted-Fehmarn, it will be electrified and upgraded for speed up to 200km/h.

In 2016 Denmark introduced border controls together with Sweden. The police is checking ID for all passengers in the train. The process is made quick as the train has only 4 coaches.

Some passengers are entering the train here.

Rødby Færge Station

There are totally 19 ICE-TD, 13 of them are leased by DSB and approved to operations in Denmark.

DWA (Bombardier) produced the end cars and Siemens produced the middle cars for ICE-TD trains

The railway between Ringsted and Nykøbing Falster is called Sydbanen

Nykøbing Falster is the end stop for regional trains from Copenhagen

This regional train is operated with diesel locomotive DSB Class ME and double deck coaches of type Bk and ABs. After electrification to this railway is finished, DSB will replace ME locomotive with new Bombardier electric locomotives.

The double deck coaches are almost identical with the German one's.

DMU train IC2 is operated here on Lollandsbanen railway between Nykøbing F–Nakskov

The line is operated by Regionstog (now merged with Lokalbanen to form the company Lokaltog A/S). IC2 is a further development of IC3, the difference is that IC2 is a regional version, while IC3 may be used for long distance services.

In Nykøbing our ICE-TD four coach train were coupled with another one. Hence the passengers that did not get any seat in the overcrowded train, could have a seat for the rest of the journey.

The process is quick

And exciting

Another ICE-TD is passing, some coaches are painted in DSB livery.

Nørre Alslev Station

We are now passing on the Storstrøm Bridge. The new bridge will replace this old one from 1937.

The bridge is 3,2km long and it is connecting islands of Falster and Masnedø

Vordingborg Station

Næstved Station

Regionaltrain class MR is the Danish version of German DB Class 628.

New bridge over Sydbanen near Næstved

The part of Sydbanen that is allowing highest speed is between Ringsted-Vordingborg, here it is restricted to 160km/h. The rest of the railway Vordingborg-Rødby Færge has maximum speed of 120km/h

Roskilde. From Ringsted the train is attaching to the electrified Vestbanen (between København and Korsør).

Høje Taastrup Station

Bombardier TRAXX F140 AC2 from DB Schenker Rail Scandinavia A/S

DSB S-tog (Commuter train in Copenhagen area).

Passing by Brøndby

After 4h16min journey from Lübeck we are finally in Copenhagen.

ICE-TD in Copenhagen

Next train is X2 from Copenhagen to Malmö. Even though there are a more frequent service of Öresundståg to Malmö, I choose X2 this time due to ID controls and the increased travel time by Öresundståg (with a necessary change of trains in Kastrup).

SJ have decided to not make any stops in Denmark (in Kastrup), hence the ID control can be performed already when boarding the train, thus no increased travel time. Specially dedicated track 26 is used separated from the rest of the station.

SJ is encouraging passengers to arrive to the train at least 30min before departure here in Copenhagen due to a longer passage to track 26 from the main station building.

SJ was using track 26 before 2010, but between 2010-2015 the regular tracks were used in that way the X2 trains were continuing to Østerport. It was also possible to use X2 in double traction from Copenhagen, since 2016 is not possible anymore when using track 26.

By taking SJ instead of Öresundståg, I'm saving at least 30min of travel time and there is no need to change trains in Kastrup. The difference in ticket price is 144SEK för SJ or 111SEK for Öresundståg.

Peberholm island in Öresund strait

We are in Sweden, in Malmö

SJ train is not supposed to stop in Hyllie - first stop in Sweden. But the Swedish police is making random ID controls on the Swedish side as well. This time, they were absent, so the train could continue after slowing down.

Malmö Central is my final destination for today. As a bonus I will also take the recently opened line Malmö-Trelleborg.

12 of the 41 SJ X2 train sets are approved for operation in Denmark, these sets are indicated as X2K (K for Köpenhamn).

X2K at Malmö C

X31K at Malmö C

X61 Skånetrafiken train at Malmö C. The train does not have "K" in its initial, hence operations can only be made in Sweden. Since December 2015 the trains are operating Continental Line between Malmö and Trelleborg.

The Continental Line is a 32km long railway that was built in 1898, and the ferry service from Trelleborg to Sassnitz in Germany opened in 1909. The passenger trains to Trelleborg were in service until 1973, so the line has been re-opened for passenger traffic after 42 years.

The railway has been modernised and new station have been built.

Västra Ingelstad is one of the three stations along this line.

The old station building is still in place. The station had a different name before 1973, it was named Jordholmen.

The railway has single track, with double tracks at the stations. In the background is the Östra Grevie church.

Hököpinge church far away

615km from Stockholm

The frequency of the train service is one train each 30min during weekdays.

Other trains operating this line are the cargo trains from Green Cargo, and a seasonal night train service to Berlin named Berlin Night Express operated by Snälltåget (Veolia Transdev).