SYSTRA wins a new contract for the Copenhagen metro

The M4 line of the Copenhagen metro will be extended to the north of the Danish capital, after having been extended to the south in June 2024. The aim of this extension is to serve new residential areas built in a former port area.

SYSTRA Denmark’s role will be to advise Metroselskabet on land and regulatory issues, alongside Danish consulting firm Vanovis.

We are delighted to continue our fruitful collaboration with Metroselskabet and to contribute with Vanovis to the creation the best solutions for a collective and sustainable infrastructure in Copenhagen.

Thomas Vesterholm, Director, Rail & Metro, SYSTRA Denmark

A sustainability goal

The Danish authorities’ goal is to make this metro extension even more sustainable by reducing its climate footprint by 50% compared to the existing line. A large part of the CO2 savings should be achieved during the design phase using new materials and construction methods for the metro, which will be elevated rather than underground. Once in service, the extension is expected to reduce car traffic around the zones served by the metro by 14%.

Direct access to Copenhagen’s main activity centres

This extension is scheduled to open in 2030. The positive impact for local residents will be significant: 80% will live less than 600 metres from the two new stations, Ydre Nordhavn – Levantkaj and Nordsø Plads, built on a 1.6 km viaduct. In addition, the 40,000 residents of these neighbourhoods will enjoy reduced journey times from the new terminus:

• Around 7 minutes to the city centre and multimodal hubs,
• in Around 14 minutes to Copenhagen Central Station,
• Around 27 minutes to the international airport.

SYSTRA Denmark, a longstanding partner of the Copenhagen metro

The extension of the M4 line is part of the long history between SYSTRA and Metroselskabet. Our teams have been involved in the design of the M4 line, which opened between 2020 and 2024, as well as the M3 Cityringen line, which entered service in 2019.

In 2025, SYSTRA won the contract for the design of the M5 line as part of a consortium.