The first truly driverless metro in Europe
Copenhagen is a growing capital and has been reviewing future traffic plans accordingly. In 1996 Copenhagen chose the most sophisticated metro system yet seen in Europe, when the contract was signed with the old Ansaldo Trasporti for a driverless transit system across and under the city.
 
The Copenhagen Metro first opened in 2002. Now the system is complete: 21 km of high technology transportation connecting vital parts of Copenhagen and providing faster, safer and more convenient travel choices than ever before. The two lines with 22 stations take you from the Copenhagen Airport, across the city centre and into the densely populated suburbs, crossing areas of new urban development.
 
The implementation of a new system in the middle of a larger city takes a lot of effort. The planning, construction, integration and testing have been strictly and mutually controlled according to the contract signed between the Danish authorities and Ansaldo. Around 800 contractual milestones and a dedicated, international teamwork lead to the Metro opening as planned which, from the very first day, became an integral and much favoured part of Danish public transport.
 
The overall principles for the Copenhagen Metro are: light trains (39 m long) on an intensive headway (down to 90 seconds) with flexible interior executed with state of the art design. If you add the very high demands on operation, environmental and safety issues, it becomes evident why Copenhagen has become the centre of international interest when it comes to Metro systems.
 
The Copenhagen Metro facts
 

• The Metro lines cover a total of 21 km, with10 km in tunnels and 11 km on elevated tracks and at grade
• 22 stations – 9 underground and 13 above ground
• 34 trains in total. Each train is 39 m long and 2.65 m wide
• Each train carries up to 300 passengers – and has room for wheelchairs, prams and bicycles
• Top speed: 80 km/h. Average speed including stops: 40 km/h
• The trip between two stations takes between 1 and 2 minutes. The trip between the 2 terminal stations, Copenhagen Airport and Vanløse, takes 25 minutes
• Headway down to 2 minutes in rush-hours. 15 minutes during nights
• Driverless
• Safety built-in: open passage and visibility all through the train, and electronic contact points at each door and on platforms to get direct contact with control room
• Video survey of stations and inside trains

 
The Ansaldo STS supply for the Copenhagen Metro includes:
 
All sub-systems:
 

• Rolling stock [a1] 
• Control and Maintenance Center with service vehicles and equipment
• Automatic Train Control (ATC)
• SCADA (Supervision, Control, and Data Acquisition)
• Radio, Communication, PSIS (Passenger Safety and Information System)
• Power supply and Traction power
• Permanent Way
• Platform Screen Doors
• Obstacle Detection System

 
Services and implementation process:
 

• System design
• System and sub-system integration
• System level testing
• Safety assessment
• Operation and Maintenance for 8 years