Copenhagen’s underground, judged by sector experts as one of the best worldwide, introduced driverless technology for the first time ever at a global level. Said technology consists in a completely automated system with no drivers, guaranteeing a high service frequency rate and total reliability. The most modern technologies such as TBMs - enormous mechanical moles which excavate and at the same time prepare the tunnels - were employed to construct the 21-kilometre route (13 km of which at ground level) and 22 stations.
The stations also deserve a mention. The outdoor stations were built using glass and steel while for the stations below ground level, the designers attempted to resolve the problem of lighting by placing glass pyramids on the roofs of the stations featuring prisms inside which divide and reflect the light. The result is a pleasantly natural level of lighting which cancels out the grey, gloomy image normally associated with underground stations.
Major focus was also given to the safety issue so as to prevent people and objects from falling on the tracks. The stations below ground level feature sliding doors along the platforms, while the ground level stations are monitored by automatic devices which stop trains if there are any obstacles present on the tracks.
2008 MetroRail Best Metro in the world
The Copenhagen Underground, built as part of a joint venture with other leading international operators, was judged the “best in the world” at the MetroRail Conference attended by leading names in the sector. The reasons for this award were the frequency and reliability of the service (the line is fully automated) and the level of passenger satisfaction.
