SIGNALS AND RAILS CREATE DANISH JOBS

Denmark has recently agreed a contract to replace the entire signalling system of the railway network. The German group Siemens won the contract, but has since created a joint venture with the Danish firm Aarsleff Rail A/S and the Dutch company Strukton Rail.

- Railways are a very interesting business area, which we will now continue to explore at Aarsleff Rail A/S. We have many tasks ahead of us, and we will be attempting to win more contracts. Obviously, we will be trying to engage in similar co-operative projects with other partners, says Ebbe Malte Iversen, CEO at Aarsleff A/S.

More companies will benefit from the investments as subsuppliers and engineers will be required. The additional partners that will contribute to the project will be selected in the autumn.

Denmark is the first country to initiate the replacement of an entire national signalling system, as this is such an important element in the railway infrastructure, according to Peter Sonne, sales director at Bombardier..

- There is no doubt that there is significant interest among both Danish and foreign companies in participating in this project. This particular signalling system is rather unique, seeing as it will be replaced in the entire country. The experiences we gather here can be used when other nations introduce similar projects. This could produce export opportunities if domestic companies manage to get hold of the contracts, says Peter Sonne.

It is estimated that DKK 10 billion a year will be invested in the Danish rail and signalling system between 2015 and 2021, including the Ringsted-Copenhagen link and the Femern belt.