S-Train
Encyclopedia
For the German S-trains, see S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...

.

The S-train network is a combined urban rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 and suburban rail network of Metropolitan Copenhagen
Metropolitan Copenhagen
The term Metropolitan Copenhagen consist of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg municipalities and the former Copenhagen County, except for the municipalities Høje-Taastrup, Ledøje-Smørum, in all, 18 municipalities, and except parts of Ballerup, Greve , Ishøj, former Søllerød and former Værløse, ...

, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

. It connects the city center with the inner suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

s of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

, and has close to half of the stations within the urban city. The first line was opened in 1934. Today the network forms the heart of the public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...

ation infrastructure in the city, serving more than 357,000 passengers a day. It is entirely owned and run by DSB S-tog A/S
Danske Statsbaner
DSB, an abbreviation of Danske Statsbaner , is the largest Danish train operating company, and the largest in Scandinavia. While DSB is responsible for passenger train operation on most of the Danish railways, goods transport and railway maintenance are outside its scope...

.

The system is complemented by the Copenhagen Metro
Copenhagen Metro
Copenhagen Metro is a rapid transit system serving Copenhagen, Frederiksberg and Tårnby in Denmark. The system opened between 2002 and 2007, and has two lines, M1 and M2. The driverless light metro supplements the larger S-train rapid transit system, and is integrated with DSB local trains and...

 and an extensive bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

 network. Although owned by different companies, the systems use interchangeable tickets. The rail systems serve more than half a million people a day, and the city's bus terminals are often located adjacent to an S-train or Metro station. As of January 2009 there are 170 km of dual tracks and 85 S-train stations. At most of the end stations other types of trains are at hand for travel to the most remote suburbs of greater Copenhagen - or for travel across the Øresund to Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...

 and its main city Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...

. These trains are L-tog (diesel driven local trains), Re-tog (trains of the entire island of Zealand) and Oresundtrain
Oresundtrain
Oresundtrain or Øresundståg is a regional rail network serving the Oresund Region. The train consists of multiple units manufactured by Bombardier Transportation in Kalmar, previously known as Kalmar Verkstad and lately in Hennigsdorf by LEW Hennigsdorf...

 (train to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

).

In the city center, the trains run below ground level on some parts (i.e Boulevardbanen, 1.5 km), with one underground station. Outside the inner city it runs in the open, often on embankments. A short section on the ring line
Ringbanen
Ringbanen is an S-train line in Copenhagen. It runs roughly semicircularly around the central part of Copenhagen and connects the S-train radials about 5 km out....

 including one station runs on elevated track. Although the S-trains run parallel to the outer suburban/regional/intercity mainline tracks between Høje Taastrup
Høje Taastrup station
Høje Taastrup station is a railway station in Høje-Taastrup municipality, Denmark, opened on 30 May 1986.The station is one of the largest in Denmark...

 and Klampenborg
Klampenborg Station
Klampenborg Station is an S-train station in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of the Klampenborg radial. It also serves Kystbanen between Helsingør and Malmö...

, they have their own separate trackage all the way with different signalling and power standards from the mainline tracks. A handful of track connections between S-train and mainline tracks exist but are used only in special circumstances (mostly by maintenance diesel powered vehicles).

Network

The S-train rail network consists of a central section that splits into three radial lines at each end, as the lines reach the outer regions of Copenhagen.
The northern radials are:
  • Hareskovbanen
    Hareskovbanen
    Hareskovbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects the city center to a number of northwestern suburbs and the cities of Værløse and Farum, with the terminus placed in the latter.-Stations:...

    (the Hareskov line) to Farum
    Farum station
    Farum station is the terminus of the Hareskovbanen radial of the S-train network around Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located about 1 km east of the old village Farum, but is the center of the modern Farum, which has grown up around the station....

  • Nordbanen
    Nordbanen
    Nordbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects Copenhagen with the city of Hillerød, and with several northern suburbs.-Stations:-Service patterns:...

    (the north line) to Holte
    Holte station
    Holte station is the railway station in Holte near Copenhagen, Denmark. It is served by S-trains on the Hillerød radial....

     and Hillerød
    Hillerød station
    Hillerød station is the railway station in the city of Hillerød north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of four railways lines:* An S-train line from Copenhagen* Frederiksværkbanen, part of the Lokalbanen system...

  • Klampenborgbanen
    Klampenborgbanen
    Klampenborgbanen is the shortest of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It runs parallel to the Kystbanen regional line from central Copenhagen until Klampenborg, and serves residential neighbourhoods in eastern Gentofte as well as popular recreational destinations at Klampenborg such as...

    (the Klampenborg
    Klampenborg
    Klampenborg is a northern suburb to Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in Gentofte Municipality, directly on Øresund, between Taarbæk and Skovshoved. Like other neighbourhoods along the Øresund coast, Klampenborg is an affluent area with many large houses....

     line)
    to Klampenborg
    Klampenborg Station
    Klampenborg Station is an S-train station in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of the Klampenborg radial. It also serves Kystbanen between Helsingør and Malmö...


The southern radials are:
  • Køgebugtbanen
    Køgebugtbanen
    Køgebugtbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center to communities along Køge Bugt and terminates in the city of Køge about 35 km southwest of central Copenhagen.- Stations :...

    (the Køge
    Køge
    Køge Municipality is a municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand approx. 40 km. southwest of Copenhagen. The municipality covers an area of 255 km² , and has a total population of 56,637...

     bay line)
    to Hundige
    Hundige station
    Hundige station is a station on the Køge radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is situated close to the 'Hundige Center' Shopping center....

    , Solrød Strand
    Solrød Strand station
    Solrød Strand station is a station on the Køge radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It serves Solrød Strand, in the northeastern part of the municipality of Solrød, and serves as the extended terminus of service A, with every second train terminating here on weekdays during daytime....

     and Køge
    Køge station
    Køge station is the principal railway station in Køge near Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of an S-train line that connects it to Copenhagen, and of Østbanen which serves the Stevns peninsula...

  • Vestbanen
    Vestbanen (S-tog)
    One of the six S-train radial lines in Copenhagen runs along the long-distance tracks on Vestbanen and provides local train service on its inner parts. The S-trains end at Høje Taastrup about 20 km west of the city center.-Stations:-Service patterns:The principal service is B which stops at...

    (the west line) to Høje Taastrup
    Høje Taastrup station
    Høje Taastrup station is a railway station in Høje-Taastrup municipality, Denmark, opened on 30 May 1986.The station is one of the largest in Denmark...

  • Frederikssundbanen
    Frederikssundbanen
    Frederikssundbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center with a number of Northwestern suburbs and other townships until Frederikssund on the Western coast of the Nordsjælland peninsula....

    (the Frederikssund
    Frederikssund
    Frederikssund Kommune is a municipality on the shores of Roskilde Fjord in the northern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. On 1 January 2007, the municipality was enlarged to include the old Jægerspris, Slangerup, and Skibby municipalities. It now covers an area of 260 km² and...

     line)
    to Ballerup
    Ballerup station
    Ballerup station is a station on the Frederikssund radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is in the middle of the suburb of Ballerup...

     and Frederikssund
    Frederikssund station
    Frederikssund station is the terminus of the Frederikssund radial of the S-train network of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located near the center of the city of Frederikssund...


The six radials are additionally connected by
  • Ringbanen
    Ringbanen
    Ringbanen is an S-train line in Copenhagen. It runs roughly semicircularly around the central part of Copenhagen and connects the S-train radials about 5 km out....

    (the ring line) going between Hellerup
    Hellerup Station
    Hellerup Station is a railway station in Copenhagen, Denmark, serviced by S-trains on the B, C, E, and F services, and by Kystbanen regional trains. The station was designed by V.C.H. Wolf and opened on 22 July 1863, simultaneous with the start of service on the Klampenborg line....

     in the north and Ny Ellebjerg
    Ny Ellebjerg station
    Ny Ellebjerg station is a station on the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It serves as an interchange station between the Køge radial and the ring line....

     in the south


See articles about each of the seven components for station lists and service patterns.

Services

The current timetable (December 2009) organizes the trains on the network into 7 services, each with a letter designation. Most services run from about 5 AM to about 1 AM each day, with a train every 10 minutes in daylight hours and one every 20 minutes in the early morning and evening/night, and on Sundays. Exceptions are service F, which runs twice as often as the others; service H, which runs every 20 minutes all day and only continues to Farum
Farum station
Farum station is the terminus of the Hareskovbanen radial of the S-train network around Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located about 1 km east of the old village Farum, but is the center of the modern Farum, which has grown up around the station....

 during rush hour; and service Bx, which runs in peak hours only.

Some services (E, H and Bx) skip certain stops to provide faster travel time, but no trains skip stops inside the ring line
Ringbanen
Ringbanen is an S-train line in Copenhagen. It runs roughly semicircularly around the central part of Copenhagen and connects the S-train radials about 5 km out....

.
Name | Southern end Runs when | Northern end
All stops to Hundige
Hundige station
Hundige station is a station on the Køge radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is situated close to the 'Hundige Center' Shopping center....

,
every second train continues to Solrød Strand
Solrød Strand station
Solrød Strand station is a station on the Køge radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It serves Solrød Strand, in the northeastern part of the municipality of Solrød, and serves as the extended terminus of service A, with every second train terminating here on weekdays during daytime....

 
Køgebugtbanen
Køgebugtbanen
Køgebugtbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center to communities along Køge Bugt and terminates in the city of Køge about 35 km southwest of central Copenhagen.- Stations :...

Mo–Fr, daytime Hareskovbanen
Hareskovbanen
Hareskovbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects the city center to a number of northwestern suburbs and the cities of Værløse and Farum, with the terminus placed in the latter.-Stations:...

 
All stops to Farum
Farum station
Farum station is the terminus of the Hareskovbanen radial of the S-train network around Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located about 1 km east of the old village Farum, but is the center of the modern Farum, which has grown up around the station....

All stops to Hundige
Hundige station
Hundige station is a station on the Køge radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is situated close to the 'Hundige Center' Shopping center....

 
All other times
All stops to Høje Taastrup
Høje Taastrup station
Høje Taastrup station is a railway station in Høje-Taastrup municipality, Denmark, opened on 30 May 1986.The station is one of the largest in Denmark...

 
Vestbanen
Vestbanen (S-tog)
One of the six S-train radial lines in Copenhagen runs along the long-distance tracks on Vestbanen and provides local train service on its inner parts. The S-trains end at Høje Taastrup about 20 km west of the city center.-Stations:-Service patterns:The principal service is B which stops at...

All week, all day Nordbanen
Nordbanen
Nordbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects Copenhagen with the city of Hillerød, and with several northern suburbs.-Stations:-Service patterns:...

 
All stops to Holte
Holte station
Holte station is the railway station in Holte near Copenhagen, Denmark. It is served by S-trains on the Hillerød radial....

Limited stops to Høje Taastrup
Høje Taastrup station
Høje Taastrup station is a railway station in Høje-Taastrup municipality, Denmark, opened on 30 May 1986.The station is one of the largest in Denmark...

 
Vestbanen
Vestbanen (S-tog)
One of the six S-train radial lines in Copenhagen runs along the long-distance tracks on Vestbanen and provides local train service on its inner parts. The S-trains end at Høje Taastrup about 20 km west of the city center.-Stations:-Service patterns:The principal service is B which stops at...

Mo–Fr, morning (Terminates at Østerport
Østerport station
Østerport station is a railway station in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is served by most S-trains, Kystbanen and other regional trains, as well as some InterCity trains.The station is used by approximately 30,000 passengers each day.-History:...

)
All stops to Ballerup
Ballerup station
Ballerup station is a station on the Frederikssund radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is in the middle of the suburb of Ballerup...

,
every second train continues to Frederikssund
Frederikssund station
Frederikssund station is the terminus of the Frederikssund radial of the S-train network of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located near the center of the city of Frederikssund...

 
Frederikssundbanen
Frederikssundbanen
Frederikssundbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center with a number of Northwestern suburbs and other townships until Frederikssund on the Western coast of the Nordsjælland peninsula....

Mo–Sa, daytime Klampenborgbanen
Klampenborgbanen
Klampenborgbanen is the shortest of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It runs parallel to the Kystbanen regional line from central Copenhagen until Klampenborg, and serves residential neighbourhoods in eastern Gentofte as well as popular recreational destinations at Klampenborg such as...

 
All stops to Klampenborg
Klampenborg Station
Klampenborg Station is an S-train station in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of the Klampenborg radial. It also serves Kystbanen between Helsingør and Malmö...

All stops to Ballerup
Ballerup station
Ballerup station is a station on the Frederikssund radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is in the middle of the suburb of Ballerup...

 
All other times
Limited stops to Hundige
Hundige station
Hundige station is a station on the Køge radial of the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is situated close to the 'Hundige Center' Shopping center....

, then all stops to Køge
Køge station
Køge station is the principal railway station in Køge near Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of an S-train line that connects it to Copenhagen, and of Østbanen which serves the Stevns peninsula...

 
Køgebugtbanen
Køgebugtbanen
Køgebugtbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center to communities along Køge Bugt and terminates in the city of Køge about 35 km southwest of central Copenhagen.- Stations :...

All week, all day Nordbanen
Nordbanen
Nordbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects Copenhagen with the city of Hillerød, and with several northern suburbs.-Stations:-Service patterns:...

 
Limited stops to Holte
Holte station
Holte station is the railway station in Holte near Copenhagen, Denmark. It is served by S-trains on the Hillerød radial....

, then all stops to Hillerød
Hillerød station
Hillerød station is the railway station in the city of Hillerød north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of four railways lines:* An S-train line from Copenhagen* Frederiksværkbanen, part of the Lokalbanen system...

All stops to Ny Ellebjerg
Ny Ellebjerg station
Ny Ellebjerg station is a station on the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It serves as an interchange station between the Køge radial and the ring line....

 
Ringbanen
Ringbanen
Ringbanen is an S-train line in Copenhagen. It runs roughly semicircularly around the central part of Copenhagen and connects the S-train radials about 5 km out....

 
All week, all day Ringbanen
Ringbanen
Ringbanen is an S-train line in Copenhagen. It runs roughly semicircularly around the central part of Copenhagen and connects the S-train radials about 5 km out....

 
All stops to Hellerup
Hellerup Station
Hellerup Station is a railway station in Copenhagen, Denmark, serviced by S-trains on the B, C, E, and F services, and by Kystbanen regional trains. The station was designed by V.C.H. Wolf and opened on 22 July 1863, simultaneous with the start of service on the Klampenborg line....

Limited stops to Frederikssund
Frederikssund station
Frederikssund station is the terminus of the Frederikssund radial of the S-train network of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located near the center of the city of Frederikssund...

 
Frederikssundbanen
Frederikssundbanen
Frederikssundbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center with a number of Northwestern suburbs and other townships until Frederikssund on the Western coast of the Nordsjælland peninsula....

All week, all day Hareskovbanen
Hareskovbanen
Hareskovbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects the city center to a number of northwestern suburbs and the cities of Værløse and Farum, with the terminus placed in the latter.-Stations:...

 
Limited stops to Farum
Farum station
Farum station is the terminus of the Hareskovbanen radial of the S-train network around Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located about 1 km east of the old village Farum, but is the center of the modern Farum, which has grown up around the station....

 (only during rush hour, Mo–Fr)


Before 2007, the timetable followed a principle that each named line would run on a strict 20-minute schedule. In periods where more than 3 trains an hour were needed, the extra trains would be given separate service designations; for example there was a service B+ which ran on the same route as B, but only in the daytime and with its departure times offset 10 minutes from B.

Earlier timetables also had express services that skipped stops inside the ring line.

Night services

Starting November 2009, the S-train system has had distinct night services that depart either once or twice every hour, every Friday and Saturday night. The night services are:
Name | Southern end Runs when | Northern end
All stops to Køge
Køge station
Køge station is the principal railway station in Køge near Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of an S-train line that connects it to Copenhagen, and of Østbanen which serves the Stevns peninsula...

 
Køgebugtbanen
Køgebugtbanen
Køgebugtbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center to communities along Køge Bugt and terminates in the city of Køge about 35 km southwest of central Copenhagen.- Stations :...

Once every hour Hareskovbanen
Hareskovbanen
Hareskovbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects the city center to a number of northwestern suburbs and the cities of Værløse and Farum, with the terminus placed in the latter.-Stations:...

 
All stops to Farum
Farum station
Farum station is the terminus of the Hareskovbanen radial of the S-train network around Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located about 1 km east of the old village Farum, but is the center of the modern Farum, which has grown up around the station....

All stops to Høje Taastrup
Høje Taastrup station
Høje Taastrup station is a railway station in Høje-Taastrup municipality, Denmark, opened on 30 May 1986.The station is one of the largest in Denmark...

 
Vestbanen
Vestbanen (S-tog)
One of the six S-train radial lines in Copenhagen runs along the long-distance tracks on Vestbanen and provides local train service on its inner parts. The S-trains end at Høje Taastrup about 20 km west of the city center.-Stations:-Service patterns:The principal service is B which stops at...

Once every hour Nordbanen
Nordbanen
Nordbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects Copenhagen with the city of Hillerød, and with several northern suburbs.-Stations:-Service patterns:...

 
All stops to Hillerød
Hillerød station
Hillerød station is the railway station in the city of Hillerød north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of four railways lines:* An S-train line from Copenhagen* Frederiksværkbanen, part of the Lokalbanen system...

All stops to Frederikssund
Frederikssund station
Frederikssund station is the terminus of the Frederikssund radial of the S-train network of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located near the center of the city of Frederikssund...

 
Frederikssundbanen
Frederikssundbanen
Frederikssundbanen is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen; it connects the city center with a number of Northwestern suburbs and other townships until Frederikssund on the Western coast of the Nordsjælland peninsula....

Once every hour Klampenborgbanen
Klampenborgbanen
Klampenborgbanen is the shortest of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It runs parallel to the Kystbanen regional line from central Copenhagen until Klampenborg, and serves residential neighbourhoods in eastern Gentofte as well as popular recreational destinations at Klampenborg such as...

 
All stops to Klampenborg
Klampenborg Station
Klampenborg Station is an S-train station in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the terminus of the Klampenborg radial. It also serves Kystbanen between Helsingør and Malmö...

All stops to Ny Ellebjerg
Ny Ellebjerg station
Ny Ellebjerg station is a station on the S-train network in Copenhagen, Denmark. It serves as an interchange station between the Køge radial and the ring line....

 
Ringbanen
Ringbanen
Ringbanen is an S-train line in Copenhagen. It runs roughly semicircularly around the central part of Copenhagen and connects the S-train radials about 5 km out....

Twice every hour Ringbanen
Ringbanen
Ringbanen is an S-train line in Copenhagen. It runs roughly semicircularly around the central part of Copenhagen and connects the S-train radials about 5 km out....

 
All stops to Hellerup
Hellerup Station
Hellerup Station is a railway station in Copenhagen, Denmark, serviced by S-trains on the B, C, E, and F services, and by Kystbanen regional trains. The station was designed by V.C.H. Wolf and opened on 22 July 1863, simultaneous with the start of service on the Klampenborg line....



With this system, there is exactly one service for each of the radials at night, stopping at every station.

Technical overview

The S-trains run on standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

 railway tracks and are powered by overhead wires. The voltage is variously quoted as 1500 or 1650 volts DC (negative overhead wire), indicating that it varies considerably with the loading and distance from a feeder station. Power is drawn from the national grid through 38 feeder stations spread around the network. The feeder stations have to be relatively close to each other because the large current
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...

s in the overhead wires (caused by the relatively low voltage) would lead to unacceptably large transmission losses otherwise.

The primary signalling system is a fixed-block cab signalling
Cab signalling
Cab signalling is a railway safety system that communicates track status information to the cab, crew compartment or driver's compartment of a locomotive, railcar or multiple unit, where the train driver or engine driver can see the information....

 system called HKT which transmits data to the trains through low-bandwidth audio frequency induction loop
Induction loop
Induction loop is a term used to describe an electromagnetic communication- and detection system, relying on the fact that a moving magnet will induce an electrical current in a nearby conducting wire. Induction loops are used for transmission and reception of communication signals, or for...

s between the rails. Different frequency combinations encode different target speeds; when a train enters a block with a lower target speed than its current speed it will initiate a service braking until the two match. This allows blocks to be much shorter than the full-speed braking distance
Braking distance
Braking distance refers to the distance a vehicle will travel from the point where its brakes are fully applied to when it comes to a complete stop...

, but as the braking profile is encoded in the transmitted target speed it only works where all trains have similar braking characteristics.

Lineside light signals are also provided for use in case of HKT failures or the occasional visit of a non-S-train, but the lineside blocks are longer, so capacity in this mode is reduced. Together with the finished ring-line, the exact train positions are now visible on all lines in Byens puls (see links below).

The trains are 8-car articulated units (DSB class SA-SD) supplied by Linke-Hofmann-Busch/Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....

 with prefabricated friction stir welded
Friction stir welding
Friction-stir welding is a solid-state joining process and is used for applications where the original metal characteristics must remain unchanged as far as possible...

 aluminium roof panels made by Marine Aluminium from Sapa
Sapa Group
Sapa AB is a Swedish manufacturer of extruded aluminium profiles. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Orkla Group, and based in Stockholm...

 extrusions. The cars are shorter than conventional railway cars; each has a single axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...

 under one end of the car; the other end is supported by the neighbouring car. (The end cars are exceptions and have two axles each). The units have automatic Scharfenberg couplers at the ends; in peak hours most trains consist of two coupled units, giving a total train length of 168 meters. There are also a small number of 4-car units (class SE-SH) that can run solo in low-traffic intervals. The top speed is 120 kilometres per hour (74.6 mph).

Trains of an older and more conventional design (DSB class MM-FU-MU-FS, built 1967-1978, and FC-MC-MC-FC, built 1985-1986) ran until January 7, 2007. All MM units have been retired and scrapped except for a few set aside for museum use; the MC units are currently being scrapped at Holbæk
Holbæk
Holbæk is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 27,055 . The city is located in the northeastern part of Region Sjælland, Denmark....

 harbour. An official ceremony was held February 3, 2007 with the last ride of the 2nd generation S-trains. One of the spared museum trains will hopefully be prepared by DJK (Danish Railroad Club), who now are the owners of the train, and will eventually make its way to the tracks again on special occasions such as anniversaries.

Origin of the name

The letter S in "S-train" does not abbreviate any particular word. It originates in hexagonal illuminated "S" signs which were put up at stations some time before the opening of the first electrified lines in 1934. These signs may have been inspired by similar signs at the S-Bahn systems in Berlin
Berlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...

 and Hamburg
Hamburg S-Bahn
The Hamburg S-Bahn is a railway network for public rapid mass transit in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Together the S-Bahn, the Hamburg U-Bahn, the AKN railway and the regional railway form the backbone of railway public transport in the city and the surrounding area...

, but their official purpose seems to have been to mark the location of a Station.

In February–March 1934, the newspaper Politiken
Politiken
Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus.The newspaper comes third among Danish newspapers in terms of both number of readers and circulated copies ....

asked its readers to coin a name for the new system of commuter trains. "S-train" was the winning proposal, made independently by several readers. The judges' panel (headed by the director-general of the DSB) cited a long list possible expansions in their motivation, including choices such as "state railways", "city railway", "Greater Copenhagen", "sun", "lake", "forest", "beach", "snow", "skiing", "skating", "sleigh", all of which start with an S in Danish. (It shows that the initial marketing of the S-trains emphasized recreational day trips from the city to the countryside).

External links

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