M1 of the
Copenhagen Metro
The Copenhagen Metro ( da, Københavns Metro, ) is a 24/7 rapid transit system in Copenhagen, Denmark, serving the municipalities of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, and Tårnby.
The original system opened in October 2002, serving nine stations on t ...
, colored green on the map, runs from
Vanløse
Vanløse is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It lies on the western border of the municipality. Vanløse covers an area of 6.69 km², and has a population of 36,115, making Vanløse the smallest district of Copenhagen ...
to
Vestamager
Vestamager most often refers to Kalvebod Fælled, but is also the name of one of the 15 administrative, statistical, and tax city districts (''bydele'') comprising the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark. It lies on the south border of the munic ...
. It connects the
Ørestad
Ørestad () is a developing city area in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the island of Amager.
The area was developed using the new town concept, closely linked with the M1 line of the Copenhagen Metro. Economically, income for the plan would be generate ...
neighborhood of
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
, Denmark, to the city center. The line is elevated while traveling through Ørestad, while it runs in a tunnel below the city center. From
Christianshavn
Christianshavn (literally, "ingChristian's Harbour") is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of th ...
to Vanløse, the line is shared with
M2.
History
The background for the metro was the urban development of the
Ørestad
Ørestad () is a developing city area in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the island of Amager.
The area was developed using the new town concept, closely linked with the M1 line of the Copenhagen Metro. Economically, income for the plan would be generate ...
area of Copenhagen. The principal of building a rail transit was passed by the
Parliament of Denmark
The Folketing ( da, Folketinget, ; ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral List of legislatures by country, national legislature (parliament) of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark—De ...
on 24 June 1992, with the ''Ørestad Act''. The responsibility for developing the area, as well as building and operating the metro, was given to the
Ørestad Development Corporation The Ørestad Development Corporation ( da, Ørestadsselskabet I/S) was a company responsible for urban redevelopment of Ørestad south of Copenhagen, Denmark. The company was authorized by the Ørestad Act passed in 1992, and was established in 1993 ...
, a joint venture between Copenhagen Municipality (45%) and the
Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance.
Lists of current ministries of finance
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Finance and Eco ...
(55%). Initially, three modes of transport were considered: a
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
way, a
light rail and a rapid transit. In October 1994, the Development Corporation chose a light rapid transit system.
The decision to build stage 2, from Nørreport to Vanløse was made by parliament on 21 December 1994. Stage 2 involved the establishment of the company Fredriksbergbaneselskapet I/S in February 1995, owned 70% by the Ørestad Development Corporation and 30% by Fredriksberg Municipality. In October 1996, a contract was signed with the Copenhagen Metro Construction Group (COMET) for building the lines, and with
Ansaldo
Ansaldo Energia S.p.A. is an Italian power engineering company. It is based in Genoa, Italy. The absorbed parent company, Gio. Ansaldo & C., started in 1853. It was taken over by Leonardo S.p.A. In 2011, Leonardo S.p.A. sold 45% stake in An ...
for delivery of the trains and operate the system the first five years.
COMET is a consortium comprised
Astaldi
Astaldi S.p.A. is an Italian multinational major construction company based in Rome. The group is active in the fields of civil engineering, hydraulic engineering, Electromechanical Engineering and transportation.
Significant subsidiaries incl ...
,
Bachy,
SAE
SAE or Sae may refer to:
Science and technology
:
* Selective area epitaxy, local growth of epitaxial layer through a patterned dielectric mask deposited on a semiconductor substrate
* Serious adverse event, in a clinical trial
* Simultaneous Auth ...
,
Ilbau, NCC Rasmussen & Schiøtz Anlæg and
Tarmac Construction.
Construction started in November 1996, with the moving of underground pipes and wires around the station areas. In August 1997, construction started at the depot, and in September, COMET started the first mainline construction work. In October and November, the two
tunnel boring machine
A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a "mole", is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They may also be used for microtunneling. They can be designed to bore throu ...
s (TBM), christened Liva and Bette, were delivered. They started digging each barrel of the tunnel from
Islands Brygge
Islands Brygge (English: Iceland's Quay) is a harbourfront area in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the north-western coast of Amager. The neighbourhood is noted for its waterfront park Havneparken, which is one of the most popular areas ...
in February 1998. The same month, the
Public Transport Authority gave the necessary permits to operate a driverless metro. The section between
Fasanvej and
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is formally an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the City of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of ...
is a former S-train line, and was last operated as such on 20 June 1998.
The first section of tunnel was completed by September 1998, and the TBMs moved to Havnegade. By December 1998, work had started on all the initial nine stations. Plans for M2 were presented to the public in April 1999, with a debate emerging if the proposed elevated solution is the best. In May, the first trains were delivered, and trial runs began at the depot. In December, the tunnels were completed to Strandlodsvej, and the TBMs were moved to Havnegade, where they started to grind towards Frederiksberg. From 1 January 2000, the S-train service from
Solbjerg
Solbjerg is a south-western suburb of Aarhus in Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign ...
to Vanløse was terminated, and work to rebuild to metro started. By February 2001, all tunnels were finished.
On 6 November 2001, the first train operates through a tunnel section. On 28 November, laying of tracks along stage 1 and stage 2A completed. An agreement about financing stage 3 was reached on 12 April. By 22 May, the 18 delivered trains had test-run .
The section from Nørreport to Lergravsparken and Vesterport was opened on 19 October 2002. Initially, the system had a 12-minute
headway
Headway is the distance or duration between vehicles in a transit system measured in space or time. The ''minimum headway'' is the shortest such distance or time achievable by a system without a reduction in the speed of vehicles. The precise defi ...
on each of the two services. From 3 December this was reduced to 9 minutes, and from 19 December to 6 minutes. Operation of the system was subcontracted to Ansaldo, who again subcontracted it to Metro Service, a subsidiary of
Serco
Serco Group plc is a British company with headquarters based in Hook, Hampshire, England. Serco primarily derives income as a contractor for the provision of government services, most prominently in the sectors of health, transport, justice, i ...
. The contract had a duration of five years, with an option for extension for another three.
Trial runs on the next section of metro, stage 2A from Nørreport to Frederiksberg, began on 24 February. It opened on 29 May 2003. All changes to bus and tin schedules in Copenhagen took place on 25 May, but to allow
Queen Margrethe II
Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...
to open the line, the opening needed to be adapted to her calendar. This caused four days without a bus service along the line. Stage 2B, from Frederiksberg to Vanløse, opened on 12 October.
Forum Station was nominated for the
European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture
The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award is a prize given biennially by the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona, 'to acknowledge and reward quality architectural production in Eu ...
in 2005. In 2007, the Ørestad Development Corporation was discontinued, and the ownership of the metro was transferred to Metroselskabet I/S.
Route
M1 starts at Vanløse, where there is transfer to the
S-train
The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban- suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble co ...
's lines
C and
H.
The line starts elevated and is located in fare zone 2.
The borough of
Vanløse
Vanløse is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It lies on the western border of the municipality. Vanløse covers an area of 6.69 km², and has a population of 36,115, making Vanløse the smallest district of Copenhagen ...
is mostly a residential area.
The line then runs into the enclave municipality of Frederiksberg, running parallel to the
Frederikssund Line of the S-train. At
Flintholm, there is transfer to the C,
F and H-lines of the S-train. Flintholm is the country's third-largest public transport hub. The station is located at the
Grøndal Park, and is the borderline between the urban and suburban Copenhagen. The area around
Lindevang is a redeveloped industrial area, that now is mostly residential, in addition to hosting the
Copenhagen Business School
Copenhagen Business School (Danish'': Handelshøjskolen i København'') often abbreviated and referred to as CBS (also in Danish), is a public university situated in Copenhagen, Denmark and is considered one of the most prestigious business schoo ...
.
After Lindevang, the line dives into the tunnel that it is follows through the city center.
At
Fasanvej is another campus of the Copenhagen Business School.
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is formally an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the City of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of ...
serves the center of the municipality, that in addition to many public offices and cultural facilities, serves the University of Copenhagen's
Frederiksberg Campus and another campus of the Copenhagen Business School. The station is located in both fare zone 1 and 2.
Frederiksberg became a transfer station to M3 when the
City Circle Line
The City Circle Line ( da, Cityringen) or M3 is a loop line of the Copenhagen Metro. It has been claimed by COWI A/S that the City Circle Line is the largest construction project to have taken place in Copenhagen during the last 400 years. was opened on 29 September 2019.
Forum is the last station in Frederiksberg Municipality, but located only a few blocks from the Copenhagen borough of
Nørrebro
Nørrebro (, ) is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate (''Nørreport''), which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station ...
. The Forum area is a residential area from the 1930s and 1940, built in
functionalism, and hosts the
Royal Danish Academy of Music
The Royal Danish Academy of Music, or Royal Danish Conservatory of Music ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium), in Copenhagen is the oldest professional institution of musical education in Denmark as well as the largest, with approxima ...
.
Nørreport lies within
Indre By
Indre By (lit. English, "Inner City"), also known as Copenhagen Center or K or Downtown Copenhagen, is an administrative district (''by'') in central Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It covers an area of , has a population of 26,223, and a po ...
—the city center of Copenhagen. It is the main intersection with
DSB DSB may refer to:
Science, technology and devices
* DsbA, a bacterial member of the Dsb (disulfide bond) family of enzymes
* Double strand break, a break in both DNA strands, part of DNA repair
* in telecommunications, double-sideband transmission ...
's intercity and regional trains, as well as the S-train, serving lines
A,
B, C,
E and H.
Kongens Nytorv
Kongens Nytorv ( lit. "The King's New Square") is a public square in Copenhagen, Denmark, centrally located at the end of the pedestrian street Strøget. The largest square of the city, it was laid out by Christian V in 1670 in connection with ...
lies at the heart of the commercial and cultural center of Copenhagen. When the City Circle Line opened, the station serves as the transfer to lines M3 and M4.
Christianshavn
Christianshavn (literally, "ingChristian's Harbour") is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of th ...
is located on an island, a former navy base that has been redeveloped into residential and commercial mix. It is the last station served by both lines, with M1 branching off towards
Islands Brygge
Islands Brygge (English: Iceland's Quay) is a harbourfront area in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the north-western coast of Amager. The neighbourhood is noted for its waterfront park Havneparken, which is one of the most popular areas ...
.
![Amagerfaelled](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Amagerfaelled.jpg)
Islands Brygge
Islands Brygge (English: Iceland's Quay) is a harbourfront area in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the north-western coast of Amager. The neighbourhood is noted for its waterfront park Havneparken, which is one of the most popular areas ...
is the first station to lay within the redeveloped area of Ørestad. Located in the borough of
Amager Vest
Amager Vest (English:West Amager) is one of the ten administrative districts of Copenhagen Denmark. It located on in the north-western part of the island of Amager, the largest island in the Øresund. The district is bordered by Amager Øst t ...
, it is located adjacent to the
Faculty of Humanities
A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In American usage such divisions are generally referred to as colleges ...
of the University of Copenhagen and the
IT University of Copenhagen
The IT University of Copenhagen (Danish language, Danish: ''IT-Universitetet i København'', abbreviated ITU) is a public university and research institution in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is specialized in the Academic discipline#Multidisciplinary, ...
. The station is the last located underground.
DR Byen
DR Byen (; literally: "the DR City") is the headquarters of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR, located in Copenhagen, Denmark.
DR moved all employees from Radiohuset in Frederiksberg and TV-Byen in Søborg to DR Byen during 2006 and 2007. ...
is located at the southern end of the campus. It is named for
DR Byen
DR Byen (; literally: "the DR City") is the headquarters of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR, located in Copenhagen, Denmark.
DR moved all employees from Radiohuset in Frederiksberg and TV-Byen in Søborg to DR Byen during 2006 and 2007. ...
, the headquarters of the national broadcaster
DR. Copenhagen Concert Hall is located adjacent to the station.
Sundby is located close to a large recreational area to the west, a residential to the east and the psychiatric division of
Amager Hospital
Amager Hospital is located in Denmark on the island of Amager in Copenhagen. It was founded on 1 April 1997 with the merger of Skt. Elisabeth Hospital and Sundby Hospital. Administratively, Amager Hospital is maintained by Region Hovedstaden a ...
.
Bella Center
Bella Center (abbreviated BC) is Scandinavia's second largest exhibition and conference center (after Messecenter Herning), and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Located in Ørestad between the city centre and Copenhagen Airport, it offers an in ...
is located in a traditional housing area, but is also adjacent to Scandinavia's largest convention center,
Bella Center
Bella Center (abbreviated BC) is Scandinavia's second largest exhibition and conference center (after Messecenter Herning), and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Located in Ørestad between the city centre and Copenhagen Airport, it offers an in ...
.
Ørestad
Ørestad () is a developing city area in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the island of Amager.
The area was developed using the new town concept, closely linked with the M1 line of the Copenhagen Metro. Economically, income for the plan would be generate ...
is located in the heart of the new urban development area. In addition to numerous corporate offices and educational institutions, the area hosts
Field's
Field's is a shopping centre in Ørestad, Copenhagen, close to the E20 motorway and Ørestad Station on the Copenhagen Metro. At 115,000 m2, it is the second-largest mall in Denmark after Waves, and one of the largest in Scandinavia. It is own ...
, the Nordic Countries' largest shopping center. The metro station is located above the
DSB DSB may refer to:
Science, technology and devices
* DsbA, a bacterial member of the Dsb (disulfide bond) family of enzymes
* Double strand break, a break in both DNA strands, part of DNA repair
* in telecommunications, double-sideband transmission ...
regional
Oresundtrain station, that has international services to Sweden.
Vestamager
Vestamager most often refers to Kalvebod Fælled, but is also the name of one of the 15 administrative, statistical, and tax city districts (''bydele'') comprising the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark. It lies on the south border of the munic ...
is the
terminus
Terminus may refer to:
* Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination
* Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination
Geography
*Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...
of M1. It is located close to the
Kalvebod Commons.
Service
The system operates continually (24/7) with a varying
headway
Headway is the distance or duration between vehicles in a transit system measured in space or time. The ''minimum headway'' is the shortest such distance or time achievable by a system without a reduction in the speed of vehicles. The precise defi ...
throughout the day. During rush hour (07–10 and 15–18), there is a four-minute headway. During Thursday through Saturday night (24–05), the headway is fifteen minutes, and other nights it is twenty minutes on all sections of the metro. At all other times, there is a six-minute headway. On the section shared with M2, there is half the headway (except during night on weekdays). Travel time along the whole line is 23 minutes, with the section from Vestamager to Nørreport taking 14 minutes and from Nørreport to Vanløse taking 9 minutes.
Two stations, one north and one south of Ørestad, are planned and will be opened when
Ørestad
Ørestad () is a developing city area in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the island of Amager.
The area was developed using the new town concept, closely linked with the M1 line of the Copenhagen Metro. Economically, income for the plan would be generate ...
is fully developed. They will be located approximately halfway between Bella Center and Ørestad, and Ørestad and Vestamager. Possible names are Ørestad Nord and Ørestad Syd.
References
External links
Video from front of train of ride on length of line
{{Copenhagen Metro
Railway lines opened in 2002
2002 establishments in Denmark