Aarhus Light Rail Project Profile

The Aarhus Light Rail (Aarhus Letbane) project represents a significant advancement in sustainable urban mobility, modernizing Denmark’s transport infrastructure by integrating legacy regional rail with a new city-center Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. This case study analyzes the engineering, rolling stock, and strategic outcomes of creating a unified 112.5 km network designed to enhance public transit accessibility and reduce environmental impact. The project’s success provides a valuable blueprint for future brownfield rail modernization initiatives worldwide.

Project Fact Sheet

Technical Specifications

The core of the project involved the electrification and modernization of two existing regional railway lines: the 70 km line to Grenaa and the 30.5 km line to Odder. A new 12 km double-track LRT line was constructed to bridge these routes, creating a seamless connection through Aarhus’s city center from Nørreport to Lystrup. This new segment required significant civil engineering works, including two tunnels between Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital and the construction of eight bridges, highlighted by the 347-meter Egådalen bridge over the Egaa valley.

The network operates a dual-fleet of Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) supplied by Stadler Rail to meet varied operational demands. The Stadler Tango model, a high-capacity tram-train with a top speed of 100 km/h and space for 266 passengers, serves the long-distance regional route to Grenaa. For the inner-city and southern Odder route, the smaller Stadler VarioBahn tram is utilized, featuring a capacity of 224 passengers and a maximum speed of 80 km/h. The entire network is managed by an advanced signaling, control, and maintenance system delivered by Ansaldo STS, ensuring high levels of operational safety and efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• Successful Integration Model: The project serves as a key case study for integrating legacy regional rail lines with a modern LRT system, creating a unified, efficient, and user-friendly network that maximizes the value of existing infrastructure.
• Collaborative Governance and Funding: Its financing structure, a partnership between the City of Aarhus, the Danish State, the Central Denmark Region, and the European Investment Bank, demonstrates a viable collaborative model for funding large-scale sustainable infrastructure.
• Quantifiable Environmental Impact: The system delivers significant and measurable benefits, including projected annual energy savings of 47 GWh and a CO2 emission reduction of 7,300 tons, validating LRT technology as a powerful tool for achieving urban climate and sustainability goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Aarhus Light Rail?

The Aarhus Light Rail, known as Aarhus Letbane, is a modern transit system in Denmark that combines a new 12-kilometer city-center light rail line with over 100 kilometers of upgraded, electrified regional railway lines. It creates a single, integrated network connecting the city of Aarhus with the surrounding towns of Grenaa and Odder, providing a fast and sustainable public transport solution.

Who built the Aarhus Light Rail?

The project was developed and is owned by Aarhus Letbane I/S, a special purpose company jointly owned by the City of Aarhus, the Danish State, and the Central Denmark Region. Several key technical partners were critical to its construction, including Stadler Rail, which supplied the trams; Ansaldo STS, which provided the signaling and control systems; and a consulting group led by COWI and Systra for engineering support.