Copenhagen completed its 28-kilometre orbital light rail line connecting Ishøj in the south to Lundtofte in the north on August 22, 2026, with the opening of the second phase between Rødovre Nord and Lundtofte. The first 13.1 km phase from Ishøj to Rødovre Nord had opened on October 26, 2025, serving 12 stops.
Construction timeline, budget and contractors
Construction began in 2018, divided into five geographic packages. The northern section, covering three packages, was led by main contractors Per Aarsleff and CG Jensen. Rising costs increased the project budget from an initial DKr5.1 billion to a final approved DKr9.3 billion including reserves. Funding came from
the national government (40%), municipalities (34%), and the capital region (26%).
Service frequency, journey time and fleet details
Off-peak services run every 10 minutes, increasing to every 5 to 8 minutes during peak periods. The full 28 km route requires 58 minutes to traverse end-to-end. After a 3 to 6 month stabilization period, frequency is planned to increase to every 5 minutes throughout the day. The line allows bicycles onboard.
Siemens Mobility supplied 29 four-section Avenio light rail vehicles, each 36.9 meters long with a capacity of 260 passengers, including 64 seated. The initial 27-vehicle order was expanded by 2 options. The line serves residential areas, workplaces,
hospitals, education institutions, and public transport hubs, mainly along the O3 ring road providing orbital connectivity across Copenhagen’s suburbs.
Operations, maintenance and inauguration details
Operations and maintenance for the line will be managed by Metro Services, a subsidiary of Milan transport operator ATM, which also runs the København metro, under a 15-year contract. The Siemens Mobility and Aarsleff Rail consortium is responsible for electrification, signalling, communications, depot equipment, project management, and system integration. Track installation was subcontracted to Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group.
Passenger services were progressively introduced during the inauguration on August 22, 2026, starting at 10:30 from Rødovre Nord, reaching full bidirectional operation by
11:30. Approximately 50,000 passengers used the service free of charge on the opening day.
Official statements, public celebrations and passenger impact
Official celebrations were held at Gladsaxe Rådhus alongside a public festival. The director of Hovedstadens Letbane, the project promoter, stated the capital region now has its full-length light rail, noting the project was a result of cooperation between the capital region, 11 municipalities, and multiple contractors.
The Mayor of Gladsaxe highlighted that the tramway would connect the entire capital city and contribute to reducing noise and road congestion by encouraging more public transport use. The light rail line is expected to carry about 14 million passengers
annually by 2030, providing orbital links that reduce the need to travel through Copenhagen city centre.
