M2 (Copenhagen)

M2 is a line of the Copenhagen Metro, colored yellow on the map. It runs from Vanløse to Lufthavnen through the center of Copenhagen, sharing track with the M1 from Vanløse to Christianshavn. The line was built along with M1 as part of the redevelopment of Ørestad. The principle of the line was passed in 1992, and construction commenced in 1998. The line opened in several stages between 2002 and 2007. It is owned by Metroselskabet and operated by Metro Service, and operates with a headway between four and twenty minutes.

The line is long, and runs in a tunnel through the city center between Lindevang and Amager Strand. It connects the western borough of Vanløse and the municipality of Frederiksberg to the city center of Copenhagen, as well as the eastern parts of Amager and Copenhagen Airport. It provides transfer to the S-train at three stations and to DSB trains at two stations.

Its southern end, in the district of Amager Øst, largely follows the same route as a disused railway line, Amagerbanen, along the coast of Øresund.

History

The background for the metro was the urban development of the Ørestad area of Copenhagen. The principle of building a rail transit system was passed by the Parliament of Denmark 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, a joint venture between Copenhagen Municipality (45%) and the Ministry of Finance (55%). Initially, three modes of transport were considered: a tramway, a light rail system that would have seen trams running underground through the city center, and a rapid transit (metro) system. In October 1994, the Development Corporation chose a light rapid transit system, combining elements of a light rail system and rapid transit to form a low-capacity metro network.

The decision to build stage 2, from Nørreport to Vanløse, and stage 3 to the airport, 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. The third stage would be built by Østamagerbaneselskapet I/S, established in September 1995 and owned 55% by the Ørestad Development Corporation and 45% by Copenhagen County. In October 1996, a contract was signed with the Copenhagen Metro Construction Group (COMET) for building the lines, and with Ansaldo for delivery of the trains and operate the system the first five years. COMET was a consortium comprised Astaldi, Bachy, SAE, 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, work commenced at the depot, and in September, COMET started the first mainline construction work. In October and November, the two tunnel boring machines (TMB), christened ''Liva'' and ''Bette'', were delivered. They started digging each barrel of the tunnel from Islands Brygge 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 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, after which the TMBs 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 was 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 TMBs were moved to Havnegade, where they started to grind towards Frederiksberg. From 1 January 2000, the S-train service from Solbjerg to Vanløse was terminated, and work to rebuild to metro started. By February 2001, all tunnels were finished.

In March 2001, the Copenhagen County Council decided to start construction of stage 3. On 6 November 2001, the first train operates through a tunnel section and 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 Vestamager was opened on 19 October 2002. Initially, the system had a 12-minute headway 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. 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 train schedules in Copenhagen took place on 25 May, but to allow Queen Margrethe II 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

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