Copenhagen
CNN
—
In Copenhagen, traffic is driven by a variety of two-wheeled vehicles, usually bicycles.
Bicycles were imported from France to Denmark in 1869 and have since become a major mode of transportation in Scandinavian cities. In the 1920s, it was common to see both working class and upper class people roaming the streets. But with the opening of Metro's new M3 Cityring line, commuters have a new way to get around.
Copenhagen's subway has always been efficient, but the lack of stations in many areas makes it inaccessible.
Additionally, with about 10,000 new residents each year, the city is taxing buses and trains already in service. In a city of 650,000 people, about 200,000 people commute by subway every day, sometimes using bicycles on the way.
The Cityring, a 15.5km (approximately 9.63 miles) loop line with 17 new stops, almost double the number of existing stations, now connects the city center with remote outskirts. Residents don't have to rely on their bikes to get around, which is especially helpful during the winter, which brings Copenhagen's hygge vibes.
According to Henrik Ploughmann Olsen, CEO of Copenhagen Metro, the impetus for this project was twofold. “First and foremost, it was a question of improving public transport to make it more efficient and of better quality,” he said. “But it was also about urban development in other areas outside the city center.”
Public squares with 150 benches and 800 trees were built around the 17 new stations. The plaza will not only allow for subway access, but will also encourage more commerce and housing.
“We’ve seen that it attracts not only stores, but also offices and service-oriented businesses,” Olsen said.
Building the line was not without its challenges.
Olson acknowledged that eight years of construction had disrupted traffic and generally disrupted people's daily lives. “We’ve had machines right in front of people’s windows for quite some time,” he said.
Technical issues also presented challenges to tunnel designers. They had to build around old structures with unstable foundations, such as the historic Frederick Church (aka Marble Church) at Marmorkirken station.
Groundwater management was also essential during construction.
“A lot of the houses inside the old city center were actually built on piles of wood from the 17th or 18th century,” Olson said. “If you remove groundwater from those piles, the wood will rot.”
It also required construction companies to deftly maneuver around existing Metro tunnels, but Olsen proudly noted that the expansion work was completed without disrupting the current system.
Line itself is a beautiful thing. As smooth and shiny as a seal swaying in the water, this shiny new railway line runs autonomously and without a conductor.
This system operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is a rare service offered in only a handful of cities around the world, including New York City, Chicago and Melbourne, and it takes 24 minutes to complete the entire route. The average speed is about 40 kilometers per hour (about 25 miles per hour), but when the train reaches its top speed, it can cruise at 90 kilometers per hour (55 miles per hour).
Unlike previous stations, all new stops will have two elevators instead of one, and the stairs will have a reduced gradient, reducing the strain on flights going up and down. In today's iTouch culture, ticket machine screens provide route information and maps to riders.
Not only are they easy to get to, but Cityring's stations are also easy on the eyes.
Glass and lighting are key design elements and the station is designed to integrate with its surroundings. For example, the green interior color scheme of Frederiksberg Allé station separates it from the outdoor park that greets riders when they reach the street.
Cleanliness and efficiency are two principles of the Metro system. Revenue generated from ticket sales is reinvested in maintenance, and quarterly ridership surveys give Metro operators guidance on what's working, what's not working, and where to put money.
Cityring does not want to compete with bicycles, but instead integrates into existing transport infrastructure. “Metro really supports the idea that bicycles can be either last-mile or first-mile transportation, so you can use them in any combination,” Olsen said.
Bicycles are allowed on the subway outside of rush hours, and basements at all stations provide storage for two-wheeled vehicles when not in use. Screens at exit points display nearby bus and train departure times to help you navigate easily.
While these features have gotten residents excited about the new system, Olsen said, “the most important thing is not having to look up timetables.” “The train will come right after the station.” For him, freedom from the shackles of a schedule symbolizes the ease of using the subway.
The new M3 line and overall metro expansion will not only provide services internally to the city, but will also enable Copenhagen to compete at an international level. Olsen cites Hamburg, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden, as nearby competitors, and hopes to attract both businesses and tourists to Copenhagen through the opportunities presented by the Metro.
The opening of the M3 Cityring is expected to increase passenger numbers from 65 million to 122 million by 2020, while two extensions to the existing M4 line are scheduled to open over the next five years.
Although the projections are ambitious, Olsen's definition of success is more modest.
“The less people think about us, the better,” he said. “So if you trust us and don’t have to think much about using the subway, I think we’ve succeeded because the subway is easy to use and you don’t have to plan your trip.”