| Business | Time |
|---|---|
| Transport & Infrastructure | Start date: 2014 End date: 2019 |
After an invitation to tender, RINA was involved as independent body to assess if the new-built Ringstedbanen infrastructure subsystem (high-speed line between Copenhagen and Ringsted) was compliant with the EU legislation concerning railway safety and interoperability. This provided Denmark with the first high speed safe and interoperable rail infrastructure.
Specifically, this new line allows a fast connection with the East and central part of the Danish Zealand region, by-passing the normal railway traffic that transits through the historical line –currently overloaded. The main beneficiaries are therefore municipalities along the line, people, commuters, freight operators and normal passengers (including tourists).
RINA played the role of Notified Body (NoBo) to check the interoperability of the railway infrastructure subsystem and the role of Independent Assessor to apply the Common Safety Methodology to the infrastructure subsystem and to assess the safe integration of the whole line into the existing railway environment. RINA delivered all the evidences needed to grant the authorization to place in service the railway infrastructure subsystem from the Danish National Safety Authority (NSA) (Trafik-, Bygge- og Boligstyrelsen).
The NLCR project started in 2014 and it represents the first Danish railway ‘mega–project’ to be put in place. The duration of the RINA engagement was 5 years and this job was carried out through a close cooperation between RINA offices based in Italy (Genoa) and the Danish colleagues based in Copenhagen.
The main outcome of this project is the construction of a safe, reliable and interoperable line. An opening ceremony took place at the presence of the Danish relevant Authorities and Crown Prince Frederik was guest of honor, starting the line operations through a railway ‘whistle’.
This line serves as the first part of a corridor (including the Ringsted - Fehmarn line currently in course of development) that will connect Copenhagen with Germany (through the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link railway infrastructure). With the corridor completion, the travel time between Copenhagen and Hamburg will be reduced by approximately one hour, or even two hours for rail freight transport.
