Border Crossings: Denmark - Germany
(Nykøbing –) Gedser BDK – Warnemünde DB (– Rostock) {train ferry}
[D] Freight traffic ceased in 1994 and the passenger service between København and Berlin via this route was withdrawn in 1995. The track at Gedser station has been lifted and the station building converted into part of the ferry terminal. Track still exists as far as the railway museum in Gedser.
(Nykøbing –) Rødby Færge BDK – Puttgarden DB (– Lübeck) {train ferry}
[D] Temporarily closed as train ferry has been withdrawn. The København – Hamburg service, the sole remaining trains using this ferry, ceased running by this route from 15 December 2019 and were diverted via the Padborg border crossing.
Passenger trains via this route (København – Hamburg) were operated jointly by DSB and DB, and worked by Danish IC3 diesel units equipped with DB Indusi signalling equipment. Following withdrawal of the DB ICE-TD units in December 2016, service frequency was only two-hourly as the DSB IC3s were the only units available to operate the service.
Since opening of the fixed line between Korsør and Nyborg in 1997, all freight trains between Germany and Denmark, as well as overnight passenger trains, have run via Padborg.
Work has started on the Fehmarnbelt Fixed Link, which includes the world's longest immersed tube tunnel and will provide a double track railway and four lane road. Completion is due in mid 2029. Ceremonies were held on 1 January 2021 to mark the start of construction at Rødbyhavn at the Danish end of the tunnel and on 29 November at Puttgarden at the German end.
(Tinglev –) Padborg BDK – Flensburg DB
[E*] DSB and DB operate Aarhus – Hamburg trains jointly, with IC3 diesel multiple units, since the line is not electrified between Fredericia and Aarhus. Since 15 December 2019 all services between Hamburg and Danish cities have used this border crossing as train ferry operation via Rødby - Puttgarden ceased.
DSB also operates diesel multiple unit InterCity services as far as Flensburg. Regional trains on the German side have from time to time run as far as Padborg, but currently do not continue beyond Flensburg.
The few hundred metres of track between Padborg and the border are the property of Banedanmark but electrified with German 15 kV 16.7 Hz (Padborg's southern station limit is actually slightly south of the border). Most freight trains are worked with dual voltage electric locomotives.
Tønder BDK – Süderlügum NEG (– Niebüll DB)
[D] The infrastructure between Niebüll and the border with Denmark is owned by Norddeutsche Eisenbahngesellschaft Niebüll GmbH (NEG). Passenger trains Esbjerg – Tønder – Niebüll are operated by Arriva Tog A/S in cooperation with NEG, with a change of driver in Tønder.
CFL Cargo Danmark used to operate freight traffic via this crossing, but there are reports that they now run via Padborg instead.