The M4 metro line to Sydhavn and Valby, supported by Hitachi Rail ’s cutting edge digital signalling, was today inaugurated by His Majesty Frederik King of Denmark accompanied by the Danish Minister of Transport, ambassadors from France, Austria, Italy, Portugal and Japan as well as the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen and the mayor of Frederiksberg.
The M4 South extension is a 4.5 km long metro line that serves five metro stations and a hub for interconnections with the S-train network and regional and national trains. The new metro line connects the traffic hub Copenhagen South with the city centre and the northern part of the city. Along the way it connects with M3 Cityringen on a number of stations and passes Kongens Nytorv, where all four metro lines meet.
Within the M4 South and North extensions, Hitachi Rail designed and supplied the Transportation System including signalling technologies and train supervision as well as the new train fleets.
The system designed by Hitachi Rail combines driverless and communication-based train control (CBTC) technology. The technology reduces the need for physical wayside infrastructure and increases service capacity, enabling trains to run safely at shorter intervals.
With the new south extension of the M4 line, about 75% of citizens in the Copenhagen and Frederiksberg areas will have immediate access to a metro or train station (less than 600 meters).
M4 is the fourth metro project successfully completed by Hitachi Rail in Copenhagen, starting with M1 and M2 opened in commercial service in 2002, followed by M3 (Cityringen) which was inaugurated in September 2019.
Since then, Hitachi Rail has supported Metroselskabet and the municipality’s goal of connecting Copenhagen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with its innovative design and most advanced signalling technologies, developing greener and more sustainable mobility.
Gianluca Guido – Head of Hitachi Rail Denmark, said: “We are grateful to Metroselskabet and the transport authorities for their trust and strong collaboration over the past years and we are proud to share the success of this key step towards the ambitious plan of the Copenhagen city to become the first carbon-neutral capital.”
Hitachi Rail has been present in Denmark for over 30 years through its key partnership with the Copenhagen Metro. On 31 May 2024, Hitachi Rail completed the acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Systems business in a €1.7bn deal, which has seen it expand its presence in Denmark including through its strong collaboration with BaneDanmark for the roll out of ERTMS digital signalling technology on the country’s main line network.
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