Latest Danish News: Overview of the Headlines on a Thursday
The Fehmarn Belt rail link, a highly anticipated project connecting Denmark and Germany, is set to be completed by 2029, according to current plans. However, a delay in the connecting railway infrastructure on the German side threatens to push back the operational date of the rail service.
The core of the project is the 18-kilometer immersed tunnel under the Fehmarn Belt, which will support both road and rail traffic. This part, funded and primarily managed by Denmark, is well underway and aims for a 2029 opening. On the German side, Deutsche Bahn (DB) is responsible for constructing the 2.2-kilometer immersed tunnel and railway connections from Fehmarn to the mainland.
Unfortunately, the German rail link has not yet obtained final approval for construction plans and has not started building as of mid-2025. The German railway authority (EBA) has announced that the German rail link requires approximately six years and five months to complete, pushing its finish date at least three years beyond the 2029 opening of the Fehmarn Belt tunnel itself.
This delay means that the Fehmarn Sound Bridge connecting Fehmarn to the mainland will remain open for road traffic only; rail service will not be possible until the German side infrastructure is completed. As a result, the initial operational years of the Fehmarn Belt link will lack rail service from the German mainland despite the tunnel opening in 2029.
Danish Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen has been informed of the six-year directive issued by the German rail authority and has contacted the German Ministry of Transport to request a detailed clarification about the delay. The full rail link between Denmark and Germany via the Fehmarn Belt will only be operational after this extended timeline.
Meanwhile, unrelated to the Fehmarn Belt rail link, Denmark has been dealing with other issues. For instance, customs officers at Copenhagen Airport have seized 5,000 doping pills and half a litre of liquid doping from a single passenger. The substances were discovered after customs officers became suspicious of the passenger after she arrived at the airport and scanned her bag.
In addition, Denmark has experienced severe weather conditions, with the meteorological agency DMI issuing red alerts for "very dangerous" rain on Monday, the first time such alerts have been issued in Denmark. Despite the heavy downpours, severe damage was largely avoided.
Lastly, the Japanese government has vowed to pursue anti-whaling activist Paul Watson despite Interpol lifting its red wanted notice against him. Watson was arrested and detained in Greenland in 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, but was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request. Tokyo has called the Interpol decision "extremely regrettable" and insists its own arrest warrant remains valid.
- Despite the ongoing delay in the construction of the German rail link for the Fehmarn Belt rail project, Danish Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen is seeking clarification from the German Ministry of Transport about the six-year timeline issued by the German rail authority.
- In a stark contrast to the Fehmarn Belt rail link, Denmark has been grappling with other matters, such as seizing 5,000 doping pills and half a litre of liquid doping from a single passenger at Copenhagen Airport.
- Amidst these events, Denmark has also faced severe weather conditions, with the meteorological agency DMI issuing red alerts for "very dangerous" rain, marking the first time such alerts have been issued in Denmark, despite the heavy downpours causing only minimal damage.
