Høje Taastrup

Zealand, Denmark

Høje Taastrup is a large suburb located on Copenhagen’s western fringes, through which runs one of two main lines that link the Danish capital with the rest of the country. The second main line is the 60-KM double-track electrified high-speed route between Copenhagen and Ringsted via Køge, which officially opened on Friday, 31st May 2019 (ref: Copenhagen to Ringsted, Banedanmark, 2019). In 1968, major development of Høje Taastrup was announced as part of official expansion plans for Copenhagen. The project included building one of Europe’s largest shopping centres, the creation of office buildings and restaurants — all covering an area of 460,000 square metres — and completion of the entire scheme was envisaged as being as far away as 1990 (ref: International Commerce, Bureau of International Commerce, US Department of Commerce, 22nd April 1968). The first part of the project was scheduled to be finished by 1975 at a cost of $65 million and cover an area of 150,000 square metres. In 1968, there were 85,000 dwellings in Høje-Taastrup; by 1985, that number was expected to have increased to 230,000 (ref: International Commerce, Bureau of International Commerce, US Department of Commerce, 22nd April 1968). The raison d’etre of the scheme was to relieve overcrowding in the city and, by the early 1980s, it was planned to move a series of Government institutions out to Høje-Taastrup (ref: American Institute of Architects, Volume 72, 1983).

In 1977, the firm of Danish architect Jacob Blegvad won a competition to design a new quarter in Høje Taastrup, which included a railway station. At that time, the suburb was chosen to be the traffic junction for the Greater Copenhagen area, which included proposals to move the city’s main passenger station and freight depot there (ref: Guide 2 to Danish Architecture, 1960-1995, Danish Architectural Press, 1995). Jacob Blegvad A/S designed the station in collaboration with DSB's Building Services department (ref: Arkitektur, Volume 32, Issue 7, Arkitektens Forlag (Architects' Publishing House), 1988).

Due to years of planning delays and cost-cutting, the station that eventually emerged at Høje Taastrup was completely different to the design which was part of the original 1977 plan (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, November 1986). The final version included a "high-level" station building upon a bridge, straddling eight tracks and three island platforms located within a cutting. From a British perspective, the symmetrical design comprising a trio of barrel-vaulted roofs seemed to be a scaled-down modern take on the gigantic Crystal Palace — the latter was originally erected in London’s Hyde Park in 1851, re-located and rebuilt in the South London suburb of Sydenham Hill from 1852 to 1854, and then burned down in 1936.

Track plan of Høje Taastrup Station, including connections with the container terminal and "S-Train" depot. Click the above for a larger version. © David Glasspool

Construction

The bridge across the tracks, carrying the main station building, was handed over by the contractor to DSB on 17th September 1985 (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). This bridge measured 120-metres long by 60-metres wide, and 16-metres of the width was taken up by cycle paths and walkways (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, November 1986). Construction of buildings upon the bridge, such as the main hall, was undertaken by multiple contractors (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). As previously mentioned, three "low-level" island platforms were built here: thus, a total of six platform faces. Two of these islands were intended for use by stopping regional and long-distance trains, each measuring 320-metres in length; the third island served the S-Train network and extended for 170-metres (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, November 1986). The S-Train is Copenhagen’s suburban passenger railway network, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DSB that provides services over 172-KM of independent lines electrified to 1.5kV DC (ref: Jane’s World Railways 2011-2012, Ken Harris, IHS Global Limited).

1986

An eastward view from "Halland Boulevard", shortly after the station opened, shows the distinctive symmetrical triple-arch "high-level" main building straddling the tracks. The brick structures flanking either side of the main building, above the edges of the cutting, are part of the "townhouses" built by contractor "Larsen & Nielsen". On the left, served by electrified tracks, is the island platform dedicated to S-Train services; the "long-distance" island platforms are in the centre and on the right and had yet to receive wires. Class "ME" diesel-electric No. 1530, one of 37 built for DSB by Henschel in West Germany from 1981 to 1985, is seen with a stopping regional service. © David Glasspool Collection

By February 1986, the S-Train island platform was reported as being complete, although the installation of the canopy roof and waiting shelters was continuing, and construction of the "long distance" platforms was also ongoing (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). Erection of the overhead wires for the S-Train tracks was underway and the connection between these and the power grid was expected to be completed on 1st April 1986 (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). A road bridge at the western end of the station, carrying Halland Boulevard across the tracks, was reported as being complete by February 1986, as was a footbridge linking a footpath running along the northern side of the cutting with the S-Train island platform. On northern and southern flanks of the station hall, "townhouse" buildings were erected by firm Larsen & Nielsen under a special contract with DSB, and these were expected to be completed on 1st April 1986 (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). The station hall comprised an area of 1,100 square metres, with artwork by Bjorn Norgärd (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, November 1986).

The then new Høje Taastrup station was fitted with a security system, for which a relay house in the basement behind the station bridge’s outer end pillar was provided (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). By February 1986, the installation of electrical equipment in the relay house was reported as being underway, as was the laying of cables for the security systems of S-Trains and long-distance services (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). The budget of the Høje Taastrup railway project was approximately DKK 250 million, of which about DKK 150 million had been spent by early 1986 (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986).

1986

A view looking west from "Halland Boulevard", towards Roskilde, shows a pair of "MX" diesel-electrics, led by No. 1005, hauling a mixed freight that includes loaded car-carriers. The train is about to pass by the northern side of the southern-most "long-distance" island platform. On the far right are electrified berthing sidings for "S-Train" stock. Electrified quadruple track between here and Roskilde was brought into use for scheduled traffic with the summer 1988 timetable. © David Glasspool Collection

Opening

From the outset, the plan was to open Høje Taastrup station with the summer 1986 timetable for S-Train and stopping regional services only; the long-distance trains would follow two years later when tracks 3 and 4 were put into use between there and Roskilde (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, February 1986). The station was officially opened to traffic by the Queen of Denmark on 31st May 1986 (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, November 1986).

1986

Approaching from the Copenhagen direction is "MZ" diesel-electric No. 1451, one of 61 built for DSB by "Nydkvist & Holm AB" of Sweden between 1967 and 1978, divided across four different variants. In 2006, sixteen were sold for re-use in New South Wales, Australia, as seen here. Station name boards at the end of platforms, perpendicular to the rails, is common on mainland Europe; as seen here, an alternative spelling of the station is "Høje-Tåstrup", where "å" replaces "aa". On the left is the overhead catenary of the electrified "S-Train" tracks, and beyond the bridge in the background is a huge depot for "S-Train" stock that predates Høje-Taastrup station by several years. © David Glasspool Collection

On the introduction of DSB’s summer timetable on 29th May 1988, the additional two tracks between Høje-Taastrup and Roskilde were ready for use and the section of line between the latter and Copenhagen electrified (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, December 1987). At this time, long-distance trains started calling at Høje-Taastrup.

1986

A westward view from the middle island platform shows the rear of the train depicted in the previous photograph, hauled by "MZ" No. 1451, whilst on the far right is "S-Train" stock. Beneath each barrel-vaulted roof are three sets of escalators linking the concourse with the platforms. © David Glasspool Collection

Høje Taastrup Freight Terminal

As touched upon earlier, in addition to creating a passenger hub in Høje Taastrup, plans included moving the city’s main rail freight depot there. That became a reality when, on 27th September 1992, a combined rail-road transport terminal was opened by DSB at Høje Taastrup (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, August/September 1992), located south west of the station and built around a 1.70-KM branch sprouted by the main line. Capable of handling 50,000 transport units per year from the outset, the terminal had officially been inaugurated by Kaj Ikast, Denmark’s then Minister of Transport, and had cost a total of DKK 75 million (ref: Rail International, Volume 24, International Railway Congress Association, 1993). The construction project had encountered setbacks caused by heavy rain in autumn 1991 and dust problems in 1992, the latter linked to a drought (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, August/September 1992). The crane used for lifting container bodies at the terminal was supplied by Aarhus Maskinfabrik (ref: Jerbanen, The Journal of the Danish Railway Club, August/September 1992).

DSB’s freight business was sold to the Railion Group, a subsidiary of Deutsche-Bahn (DB), in 2001, the deal being finalised on 27th June of that year. The DKK 170 million proceeds were used by DSB to buy back a 2% stake in this group (ref: Jane’s World Railways 2011-2012, Ken Harris, IHS Global Limited).

In 2011, a DKK 66 million project was completed that resulted in the extension of the freight terminals at both Taulov (Jutland, 8-KM south west of Fredericia) and Høje-Taastrup, Banedanmark spending most of the budget on the latter (ref: Rail Freight in northern Denmark, K. Jakobsen, Aalborg University, June 2018)). Banedanmark is responsible for railway infrastructure in Denmark; the organisation was originally known as Banestyrelsen when created in 1997 (after which DSB ran the trains only) and received its present name in 2004 (ref: Jane’s World Railways 2011-2012, Ken Harris, IHS Global Limited).

Track plan of Høje Taastrup Freight Terminal, located south west of the station. Click the above for a larger version. © David Glasspool

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