Hareskovbanen (English: the Hareskov line) is one of six radial S-train lines in Copenhagen. It connects the city center to a number of northwestern suburbs and the cities of Værløse and Farum, with the terminus placed in the latter.

History

Lygten Station, the original terminus in Copenhagen
Vangede station in 1953
Bagsværd station in 1953
DSB MO 1999 entering Farum station in 1970

The line was opened in 1906 as part of the private København-Slangerup Jernbane which went to Slangerup, about two thirds from Farum to Frederikssund. Its terminus in Copenhagen was København L, close to present day Nørrebro station on the S-train ring line - the station building of this station still stands. This was quite a bit from the city center, but the station was supposed to be temporary until the exact routing of the various new railways near Copenhagen that were in planning around the turn of the century had been finalized.

For the first many years, a large part of the traffic consisted of leisure trips by the large working population of Nørrebro to the Hareskoven forest.

Over the years, the economy of the private railway company declined, and in 1929 most of the private investors sold their shares to the municipalities along the line. After World War II the railway was so run down that the state railways DSB had to take it over in 1948. A few years later, in 1954, the outer end of the line between Farum and Slangerup was abandoned as it was unprofitable.

Plans to convert the line to S-trains had been discussed for decades, and in 1961 an act authorizing DSB to electrify the line. However, the act was not followed by sufficient allocations of public money, and it would take until 1977 until S-trains could begin running on the line.

Originally the plan was to extend the line as an underground line directly from København L to the center of the city, but over the course of the 1960s it became clear that the funding environment would not support metro construction in the foreseeable future. Therefore, in the eventual S-train conversion the innermost few kilometers in the line were abandoned and replaced by a large S-curve that connected it to the existing S-train trunk at Svanemøllen. A new overpass and interchange with the ring line was built at Ryparken. København L was abandoned and the terminus of the diesel trains moved to Svanemøllen in early 1976, and a year and a half later the conversion to S-trains were complete. This was the longest single addition to the S-train network so far.

This indirect approach means that the travel time between this radial and the city center is relatively high, which makes it less attractive relative to more direct buses. Several of the stations on the line are among the least patronized S-train stations.

The few hundred meters of track between the platforms at Farum and the bridge across Fiskebæk valley is the only remaining piece of single-tracked railway on the S-train network.

NameKmS-trainConnections
Lygten station (København L) until 25 April. 19760.0
Svanemøllen stationB, BxNordbanen & Klampenborgbanen
Ryparken station, until 1972 called LyngbyvejB, BxRingbanen
Emdrup as station until March 1948. Som step board from 25 September 19772.7B, Bx
Dyssegård as step board from 22 May 19323.7B, Bx
Vangede station4.9B, Bx
Kildebakke as step board from 15 May 19356.0B, Bx
Buddinge station6.9B, Bx
Stengården as step board from 15 May 19298.6B, Bx
Bagsværd station10.4B, Bx
Skovbrynet as step board from 1 October 193011.7B
Hareskov station13.5B
Syvstjernen as step board from 22 May 1932 until 197415.2
Værløse station16.7B
Furesø Station[da] as step board from 22 May 1932 until 23 May 197119.8
Farum station20.5B
Nymølle (Allerød Kommune)[da] Vassingerød station until 23 May 195425.2
Lynge (Allerød Kommune)[da] Lynge station until 23 May 195427.8
Uggeløse Skov Trinbræt[da] as step board from 1 October 1933 until 23 May 195429.9
Lindholm Station (Slangerupbanen)[da] until 23 May 195431.5
Slangerup Station[da] until 23 May 195434.2
  • Vassingerød: Bøgevangen 12
  • Lynge: Stationsvej 11
  • Lindholm: Lindholm Stationsvej 2
  • Slangerup: Stationsvej 4

Sections where disused railway lines have been preserved

Hareskovbanen and some of the remaining’s of Slangerupbanen

Of the 13.7 km route of the line, 2½ km is preserved and accessible. In addition, the eastern part of Ryttergårdsvej in Farum is built on the railway route.

  • Gl. Jernbanevej in Farum Lillevang
  • Cross-section east of Langkæret in Lynge
  • Jernbanevej in Uggeløse Forest
  • Slangerup Line route west for Lindholm Station
  • Slangerup Line route west for Lindholm Station
  • Between Lindholmvej and Slangerup Overdrev

Stations

NameServicesOpenedS-trainsComments
København HB30 November 191115 May 1934Central station; also all other radials; bus terminal; cross-link express bus 250S
VesterportB15 May 1934Also all other radials
NørreportB1 July 191815 May 1934Also all other radials; transfer to metro; bus terminal; cross-link express buses 150S and 350S
ØsterportB2 August 189715 May 1934Also all other radials; named Østerbro until 1934
NordhavnB15 May 1934Also Hillerød and Klampenborg radials
SvanemøllenB15 May 1934Also Hillerød and Klampenborg radials
RyparkenB25 April 197625 September 1977Transfer to ring line; bus terminal; cross-link express bus 150S
EmdrupB25 September 1977
DyssegårdB22 May 193225 September 1977
VangedeB19 April 190625 September 1977
KildebakkeB15 May 193525 September 1977
BuddingeB19 April 190625 September 1977Bus terminal; cross-link express buses 200S, 250S & 300S
StengårdenB15 May 192925 September 1977
BagsværdB19 April 190625 September 1977Cross-link express bus 400S
SkovbrynetB1 October 193025 September 1977
HareskovB19 April 190625 September 1977
Syvstjernen15 May 1930Closed since 1974
VærløseB19 April 190625 September 1977Cross-link express bus 500S
Furesø22 May 1932Closed since 23 May 1971
FarumB19 April 190625 September 1977Bus terminal; cross-link express bus 500S

Service patterns

Diagram of the Copenhagen S-train network.

The basic service is the all-stops service B between København H and Farum. In the rush hours on Monday through Friday it is supplemented by the limited-stop service Bx.

Before 2007 the line was mainly served by service H (from 1972 to 1979 and again from 1993 to 2007 — then being the all-stop service on this line), and B (from 1979 to 1993).

See also

Citations

Bibliography

External links