Study to decide whether Denmark sticks by the IC4

DSB has commissioned a new study to find out if it is financially feasible to invest more money into its ill-fated IC4/2 train fleet.

Originally due to be delivered from 2003, completion of the order was delayed by eight years, with the last of the 82 trainsets ordered only arriving in Denmark in October last year.

Although many of the IC4 sets are now in operation, a question mark still hangs over the reliability of AnsaldoBreda’s rolling stock following a serious of technical faults and failures.

Following an earlier study by DB Systemtechnik, which found that several key components were not up to high enough standard, DSB has ordered a further investigation.

Togfonden – a new rail infrastructure funding model based on the taxation of North Sea oil extraction – will generate €3.82 billion over the next 10 years to fund a programme works, including a substantial electrification programme.

DSB needs to weigh up whether its worth spending more money bringing the diesel IC4/2 stock up to a satisfactory level of operational reliability or whether focus should turn to its growing electric train fleet.