Banedanmark is fully engaged in the final stage of the Ringsted-Fehmarn railway. As FemernReport recently reported, the last of 3,400 wagon loads of ballast gravel and sleepers are about to be delivered. And now, the railway contractor Strukton Rail is gradually getting ready to lay the actual tracks that about ten trains per hour will run on.
9,000 tons of tracks
And when it comes to the tracks, big numbers are in play. A total of just under 1,100 tracks of 120 meters length each are needed. And with a weight of around 70 kilos per meter of track, that’s nearly 9,000 tons of tracks to be laid.
Banedanmark has a contract with Strukton Rail for the work, and the price tag on that is just under 75 million Danish kroner. But first, the tracks need to make their way to Lolland, and that’s no simple task either:
– We get the tracks delivered via freight transport to Nykøbing Falster. The tracks are 120 meters long, so we need to have them delivered and transported further at night to minimize disruption, explains Asmat Ziraki, project manager at Banedanmark.
Cheaper without heavy machinery
Even though the Ringsted-Fehmarn Line is one of the largest construction projects in Danish history, Banedanmark is building the new line on Lolland without the large machinery typically seen when Banedanmark constructs and renews. Not because haste makes waste, but because it’s the most economically viable solution:
– It’s the cheapest solution to build without the large machines. We have the time for it because the surrounding projects need to be completed before trains can run – therefore, we have a longer deadline than usual for track renewal projects. However, we will have a tamping machine on the project at the end. It’s exciting to try this method, explains Asmat Ziraki.
In addition to the many tracks, Strukton Rail will also establish 18 track switches on the section.
Completion by the end of the year
Work begins at the end of March, and Banedanmark expects that the line between Nykøbing Falster and the Fehmarn tunnel will be laid by the end of the year.
