Bus replacements extended for train services between Odense and Fredericia

Train travelers between Odense and Fredericia in Denmark face an extended period of disruption, with bus replacements now lasting 51 days instead of the initially planned 47. The track work, originally scheduled to conclude on July 27, will now see services resume on July 31 at 4:00 AM.

The extension, announced by the Danish Road Directorate (Vejdirektoratet), is a consequence of problems encountered earlier in the week with a power supply system affecting track work near Odense. This issue led to acute delays and difficulties in securing sufficient replacement buses, resulting in long queues at several stations.

"We want to avoid that situation again. We have therefore reassessed the schedule with our contractor. This has resulted in us choosing to postpone the opening of the tracks, so we are sure that the system is fully operational," said Søren Andersen, area manager at Vejdirektoratet. He noted that extensive track work across the country is currently straining resources among suppliers.

While intercity and high-speed trains between major cities like Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus, and Aalborg, as well as between Odense and Esbjerg, continue to operate, some intercity services will also be canceled. The decision to extend the bus replacements was made in collaboration with Banedanmark and DSB, the national railway companies. This follows a previous track work incident in week 29 between Ringsted and Slagelse, which also experienced delays and required bus replacements.

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We want to avoid that situation again. We have therefore reassessed the schedule with our contractor. This has resulted in us choosing to postpone the opening of the tracks, so we are sure that the system is fully operational.