DSB on rail chaos: We will do better.

Hundreds of train passengers were stranded on platforms in Funen and Jylland last night and into the early hours without being told why.

Even though all train services had been suspended, there was no concrete information from DSB or Banedanmark for the waiting passengers for several hours.

DR’s reporter spoke with Nanna Ravn, who waited at Fredericia Train Station from 9 PM until well past midnight.

“I don’t understand why they couldn’t put in some train buses or at least inform people about how to proceed,” she said.

Nanna Ravn waited for over three hours before finally losing patience and calling a taxi. *(Photo: © Johan Skytte Smorawski)*

It was only at 00:35 that DSB posted on its website that train buses would run from Fredericia starting at 00:55.

The following day, DSB’s head of communications, Tony Bispeskov, understands the frustration.

“We understand that this was an unfortunate situation for the passengers who were caught in it,” he says.

According to Tony Bispeskov, passengers should have received earlier information via screens and loudspeakers at the stations.

“In this situation, we should of course do better,” he says.

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**Damaged track switches on Vestfyn**

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The issue was a freight train that had damaged several track switches on Vestfyn, making it impossible to operate trains on the route for three hours.

However, it took time to assess the full extent of the damage, which affected passengers.

“They had to wait so long because Banedanmark first needed to inspect the site and determine the scope of the damage,” explains Tony Bispeskov.

> We obviously have a situation where train buses don’t just stop and wait.

> Tony Bispeskov, head of communications, DSB

“As soon as we realized it would take a bit longer, we of course ordered train buses and did everything we could to secure the necessary buses. But the message was given at 11 PM, and the buses were only ready to run just after midnight. Why did it take so long?”

“We obviously have a situation where train buses don’t just stop and wait, so we contact our supplier, who, by the way, is the largest company in the entire country, with a wide range of subcontractors,” says DSB’s head of communications.

“They did everything they could at that moment, late Friday evening. It was difficult for them, but we will of course evaluate that,” he adds.

DR’s reporter Johan Skytte Smorawski was among the stranded passengers at Fredericia Train Station.

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**Information didn’t reach passengers**

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It is Banedanmark that owns the stations and is responsible for the information displayed on screens and loudspeakers.

According to Tony Bispeskov, DSB and Banedanmark will now evaluate whether passengers could have received information via screens and loudspeakers earlier.

“When Banedanmark needs to call out to stations and update the screens, it’s obviously important that the information they receive is continuously communicated to customers,” says Tony Bispeskov.

“In this situation, we can confirm that was not the case, and we will of course investigate,” he adds.

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**Banedanmark: It takes time to assess the damage**

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Press officer Andreas Hald at Banedanmark can also understand if passengers are frustrated.

“But it simply takes some time to assess the damage, and before we have that overview, it’s difficult to provide a message. We need a clear picture before we have the information that DSB, among others, needs for ordering train buses,” he explains.

DSB’s head of communications emphasizes that passengers should contact DSB’s customer service center if they find themselves in a similar situation. Here, they can receive information, including whether it’s possible to take a taxi at DSB’s expense.

“When there are multiple customers stranded at a station, it’s entirely possible that we may need to call taxis,” says Tony Bispeskov.

“But it’s not necessarily the best solution for all passengers to call taxis themselves, and we also want to assess the demand and determine how to best meet it. So, one should contact DSB’s customer service center before ordering a taxi,” he concludes.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.