SYSTRA appointed Banedanmark to advise on country-wide electrification programme

SYSTRA with joint venture partner COWI has been appointed by Danish state owned rail infrastructure provider Banedanmark to advise on the upgrade of its rail infrastructure. It is Banedanmark’s ambition to electrify its network with a ‘best in class’ system using the latest technology by 2022. The Danish Government has so far allocated 4 billion kroner (£0.46bn) to the electrification upgrade.

The first task for the project team will be to assist Banedanmark with establishing an overall framework and delivery strategy for the electrification programme, which will involve managing suppliers’ contracts through the implementation and commissioning phases. It is expected that the first section to be electrified will be the 114km Lunderskov to Esbjerg line by 2015.

Since 2007, SYSTRA and COWI have been working in partnership in Denmark on several schemes: Copenhagen’s Cityringen metro, the Aarhus tram-train, Aalborg mass transit system and Odense light rail.

Assistant Director at Banedanmark, Soren Thorpstrup Laursen said: “We received very good bids from all five prequalified tenders, but the COWI/SYSTRA partnership was an exceptional one. For Denmark, the electrification programme will mean more environmentally friendly trains and the possibility of shorter travel times. We very much look forward to beginning the first line between Lunderskov and Esbjerg.”

SYSTRA CEO, Pierre Verzat said: “Our 80-strong electrification team comprises highly skilled engineers dedicated to power supply and catenary, with a proven track record of delivering exceptional projects, specific to each country’s standards and specifications. Every project is unique with its own set of challenges and rail electrification enables us to bring together many of the railway systems and railway civil engineering skills for which SYSTRA is renowned.”