Narrow-gauge railways in Denmark


Denmark made extensive use of narrow-gauge railways using a wide variety of gauges for its industrial and agricultural sectors.
For instance, gauge was used by The Danish Sugar Factories for the sugar beet railways roebane. Other industrial railways carried raw material and other freight such as sugarcane, calcium, limestone, chalk, metals, steel, wood, stone, clay, bricks, oil, timber, coal, sand, gravel, peat and meat, fish, salt, minerals, lignite, dirt, stone caol and brown coal, water and other kinds of materials. Some railways was used for personal use and passengers and some for construction use and military use.

Industrial railways

Industrial railways,, included the following railways and gauges:

1000 mm

About of gauge lines were constructed by ten companies, three on the island of Bornholm, the rest in the peninsula of Jutland. Among these railway lines were the Skagen Line, Amtsbanerne på Als, Apenrader Kreisbahn, Haderslebener Kreisbahn, Horsens-Tørring, Horsens-Bryrup and Kolding-Egtved and also the Århus Tramways and Skjoldenæsholm Tram Museum, and Ringsted which had mixed-gauge and tracks.
The Bornholm railways were all gauge. It was not relevant to sail goods wagons to and from Bornholm, and there was the advantage that you could take over equipment from other narrow-gauge railways that were converted to standard gauge, e.g. The Skagen railway in 1925. When the last county railways in Southern Jutland were closed down in 1939, the Bornholm railways were the only ones remaining in Denmark with narrow gauge.
  • Rønne-Nexø Railway
  • Nexøbanen Rønne H-Nexø, length
  • Aakirkeby-Almindingen, length
  • Rønne-Allinge Railway
  • Allingebanen Rønne Nord-Allinge-Sandvig, length including the Allinge Harbor Lines
  • Alminding-Gudhjem Railway
  • Gudhjembanen Almindingen-Gudhjem, length
The Railway Act of 1918 allowed the construction of two railways on Bornholm, neither of which were built: Nexø-Østermarie and Gudhjem-Rø. Together with the Gudhjembanen and Allingebanen, these lines would have provided a continuous railway along Bornholm's east and north-east coast between Nexø and Sandvig.
Construction of the Nexøbanen began in 1899 under the direction of engineer Joachim Fagerlund, who was the line's operations manager until 1929. In the 1930s, the three companies together transported 100,000 passengers annually. But competition from cars led to the railways' results getting worse. The Nexøbanen survived after the other two lines were closed at the beginning of the 1950s, but by the mid-1960s the railbus equipment was wearing out. In 1965, Helge Vejrup replaced the track's long-time director C. Milner. Vejrup was on leave from DSB and took over the management of DSB's scheduled bus operation on Bornholm in 1968. At a general meeting in February 1968, it was decided that rail operation should cease that year. The last ordinary train on the last Bornholm railway ran from Rønne to Nexø on 28 September 1968.
DBJ for shunting between Nexø station and Nexø Gasworks.
One diesel locomotive from DBJ on Stormosebanen.. The locomotive convened from to.
The Voldbanen military railway at Vestvolden, south-west of Copenhagen used,, and standard gauges. Vestvolden is part of Copenhagen's fortifications and the railway runs from Lyngby to Køge and connected to the Frederikssund railway. A gunpowder factory in Frederiksværk supplied gunpowder for this military facility and for other military facilities in Denmark.
The Voldbanen closed down, but a small section of the railway has been reconstructed.
Danish Sulfuric Acid and Superphosphate Factory, Fredericia

940 mm

  • A/S Frederiksholm Brickworks, Copenhagen,.

900 mm

  • Great Belt Tunnel, used to transport the tunnel tubes during the construction of the Great Belt Tunnel. This narrow gauge was also used for major construction works. MT locomotives and.
  • The Danish Steel Rolling Mill
  • Petri & Haugsted, Copenhagen. Heusinger control.
  • Coal mining on Bornholm for Alex I. Hansen.
  • Finsensvej, Frederiksberg for Nielsen & Høst and Stürup & Prosch Jensen
  • * Mixed / gauge
  • Klagshamns Cement factory no. 3 and one train converted from to.
  • Faxe Limeworks, Faxe, Faxe Ladeplads and

820 mm

  • Frederiksholms Tiglværker, Copenhagen.

810 mm

  • Lime transports for New Lime Kiln and Clay transports for Bloustrød Brickworks.
  • Blovstrød brickworks for Petersen & Frimodt. 1911–1926: Blovstrød brickworks for Frederiksholm brickworks- & lime works.

785 mm

  • Nørresundby Portland cement factory. In 1906, ØK built a portland cement factory in Nørresundby and laid a gauge railway between the factory and the harbour. Fuel and gypsum were carried to the factory, and cement was sent to the harbour. The factory closed in 1932. A branch to a nearby chalk pit crossed Gl. Kongevej and Hjørringvej in tunnels. The factory was taken over by Aalborg Portland-Cement-Factory and closed in 1935. The chalk pit and part of the track were taken over by Nørresundby chalk work in 1935 and chalk was dug for several more years. The chalk works closed after 1954.
  • The sulfuric acid factory in Nørresundby: the factory was built by ØK 1913–14, but taken over by Danish Sulfuric acid before opening. Approx. 500 m lane for transporting potash from Nørresundby harbor to the factory. They had two steam locomotives and three motor tractors at their disposal. The gauge of the factory tracks was 785 mm, the same gauge as the cement factory. A large number of tipper trucks ran between the factory and the port. The harbor line was shared with the cement factory. During all the years at the factory, these small machines were used. They were built by Arnold Jung in 1914 and lasted until steam was phased out in 1975 at the factory. The two machines are preserved at Hedeland veteran railway. The factory also had standard-gauge industrial tracks as a side track from the Sæby Railway.
  • Lindholm brickworks, Brickworks on Lufthavnsvej. Approx. 500 m track between factory and clay pit.
  • Lundergaarde, Track from Gug lime factory, which was north of Sdr. Trandersvej down to Hadsundbanen. There was an automatic loading system so that lime could be poured directly into the railway carriages. It seems that the tipper line was closed around 1951, because at that time they sold approx. 2 km of rails and 1-2 engine locomotives. Remains of the impressive cargo facility can still be seen in the terrain. Today, no remains of the industrial railway between the chalk pit and the Hadsund Railway.
  • Aalborg Harbor Railway and Aalborg-Hadsund Railway and Aalborg Private Railways.
  • Danish Sulfuric Acid and Superphosphate Factory
  • Aalborg Portland
  • Hedehusene Skærvefabrik A/S
  • Hoffmann & Sons. Heusinger control.
  • Overground and lignite driving at Fiskbæk Briketfabrik)
  • Allerød Brick Works /

780 mm

  • The Water Works Agency.

760 mm

  • Copenhagen's water supply, Ballerup

750 mm

  • Rømøbanen, Kongsmark – Lakolk (Rømø island). Horse powers, Horsecar 1899–1939.
  • Danish Sulfuric Acid and Superphosphate Factory, Nørresundby.
  • The contractors Christian & M. C. Jørgensen, Ulstrup. Heusinger control.
  • Rail transport from Skagen Nordstrand to construction of Skagen Havn for Gunnerson & Elzelingen.
  • Knabstrup Brick Works
  • Construction of the Storstrøm connection at Vordingborg for Carl Nielsen.
  • The construction company Højgaard & Schultz, Copenhagen

720 mm

  • Frederiksholms Tiglværker, Copenhagen. 1919: Clay transport at Bloustrød Tile Works for various owners, 2 feet 4 11/32.

700 mm

Sugar beet was often transported on narrow-gauge railways, from the field to the factory. In order to shorten the route, some of the sugar factories had built juice station where beets were pressed and the sap was taken to the factories in pipelines. The sugar factories in Stege and Nakskov had five juice stations, Assens Sugar Factory had four, and Maribo Sugar Factory had one. The first Danish sugar beet factory was Højbygaard Sugar Factory in Holeby on Lolland, which was founded in 1872. The factory's last beet harvest was in 1960, after which the buildings were converted into a paper factory. In 2007, the old sugar factory was named one of Denmark's 25 industrial monuments by the Cultural Heritage Agency.
  • The Danish Sugar Corporation used gauge railways to transport juice in purpose-built "juice stations" to its sugar factories. Around of sugar lines existed in 1941, all of which closed in the 1960s. A few locomotives survived at Bloustrød-banen, and one locomotive was on static display at Assens park until the mid-1990s. Several towns on the Danish islands had sugar factories. In total, there were nine beet sugar factories in Denmark.
  • Assens Sugar Factory
  • Gørlev Sugar Factory
  • Højbygaard Sugar Factory
  • Maribo Sugar Factory
  • Nakskov Sugar Factory
  • Nykøbing sugar factory
  • Odense Sugar Factory
  • Sakskøbing Sugar Factory
  • Stege Sugar Factory
  • The Store Vildmose railway doesn't exist anymore, only a few materials and only one train remains for preservation on Hedeland veteran railway,. Store Vildmose and Lille Vildmose, now a nature reserve, part of Natura 2000 near Vildmosegaard. The railroad was dismantled in 2012, but a museum railway has been established at the Vildmosemuseet.
  • Kinnerup mergelleje, Hjallerup and the surrounding area's Mergelselskab built this track with support from Hedeselskabet. The locomotive was supplied by Hedeselskabet and was a converted Ford car used before and after at other marl deposits. The line was built in 1930 and closed in 1936; it ran from Kinneruplejet up to Uggerhalne station, where the marl was loaded into railcars on the Vodskov – Østervraa railway.
  • Tylstrup. Between 1917 and 1922 and 1940–48, the Aalborgense cement factories operated a gauge peat railway from Tylstrup station to Store Vildmose. Peat was loaded at Tylstrup station onto mainline railway wagons for shipment to gas and electricity plants in Aalborg-Nørresundby. Temporary tracks were laid on the bog, and were used as marl tracks after the end of the First World War. A branch ran to the engine house in Toughton, where there were workshop, repair and depot facilities. Inbound and outbound trains passed at Gammel Vrå. In the autumn of 1917, DSB gave permission to build an underpass under their tracks. In 1920 coal prices had fallen so much that the peat digging was no longer economical, and it stopped. During the Second World War, a number of small steam locomotives fitted with spark arrestors were used. Between 1 August 1940 to 31 December 1941, 4338 railway wagons were loaded with peat at the station, with wagons marshalled by horses. The tracks were lifted between 1949 and 1950.
  • Assens sugar factory
  • Sjelle Mergelselskab.
  • Peat transport for the Andelstørveværket in Vejen Mose for manufacturer Svenning, Vejen
  • Lignite transports for the United Lignite Beds in Snejbjerg
  • Svendstrup Brickworks
  • Stenkjær Brickworks & peat transport from Boest Mose to Nr. Snede Brickworks.
  • Sdr Felding Brown coal lease for Brøchner-Larsen and Th. Andersen.
  • Surface and lignite transports for Carl Jensen in Ahler Lignite for Fiskbæk Briketfabrik.
  • Peat transport for Viggo Berg for Vorbasse Østermose Peat Factory.
  • Marl transport from St. Fjestervang Mergelleje for Vorgod-Fjestervang Mergelselskab.
  • Agent Chr. Petersen in Maribo to Roebaneselskabet Abed – Vilhelmshøj – Stokkemarke. Boiler pressure 12 atm. At one point named Ellen and Beet transport for the Abed – Vilhelmshøj – Stokkemarke beet company, Maribo.
  • Peat driving for A/S Fugdal Peat Factory.
  • Overground transport in Rindum Marl for West Jutland's Marl supply.
  • Rødovre for the construction company Stürup & V. Prosch-Jensen.
  • Peat transport at Ellingværket for Engesvang Peat factories for Ernst & Jensen.
  • Ruds Vedby brick works
  • The Danish Heating Society

682 mm

  • Aalborg sulfuric acid factory Danish sulfuric - & Superphosphate factory A/S at the port of Aalborg. Production from 1930 to 195?, Locomotives from Pedershåb.

600 mm

  • Hvorupgaard brickworks. Built before 1908, on the west side of the DSB line between Nørresundby and Brønderslev. In 1925, a track was laid in a tunnel under the DSB to a clay pit east of the track. The plant closed in the 60s. 600 mm track gauge.
  • Nr. Uttrup brickworks at Nørre Uttrup, Approx. track from clay pit east of the factory to brickworks. Track closed around 1969 due to the construction of a motorway between the factory and the clay pit. Replaced by bridge over motorway. 600 mm track gauge.
  • Aalborg Municipality's renovation works, Aalborg Municipality. Dano incineration plant built in 1952 and closed in connection with the closure of the factory in the early 70s and construction of Reno Nord. The line ran between the renovation works and the current Østeraadal, via a bridge over the Østeraa. In the northern part of Østeraadalen, the forest is planted on incineration waste from the waste disposal factory and brought out via the narrow-gauge railway. Locomotives from Pedershåb. 600 mm track gauge.
  • Ringsted brickworks. 600 mm track gauge.
  • The Water Works Agency, Thyborøn.
  • Moselauget, Moselundgård's bog at Bølling lake
  • Esbjerg Municipality's Renovation Facility
  • Sigersted Brickworks
  • Skrydstrup airport
  • Danish Contractor Equipment
  • Product dealer Løvgren, Tønder.
  • Defense forces in Denmark.
  • Christensen & Pretzmann.
  • Peat transport for Filskov Peat factory.
  • Peat transport for Peat factory Phønix.
  • Rail transport from Skagen Nordstrand to construction of Skagen Havn for Gunnerson & Elzelingen.
  • Valby Gas Works
  • Holmegaard Glasworks A/S.
  • Stenstrup Brickworks.

500 mm

  • Rørdal cement factory, Aalborg Portland – Cement – Factory A/S – Cement-factory in Rørdal The cement factory Rørdal, both and gauge have been used on this cement factory. Second narrowest used on Danish industrial tracks, i.a. at the cement factory Rørdal in Aalborg. Already from the opening in 1891, there were tracks on the factory premises, and they seem to have been tracks of 500 mm gauge. This gauge also existed in 1969. Originally 500 mm tracks with horses, from 1907 several electric lines to pits. From the 20s also 785 mm tracks, just as the track for the chalk pit was rebuilt to 785 mm with 500 V direct current. Until 1945, the track network grew, after which it fell to approx. 30 km in 1965 and approx. 20 km in 1970. The area was also traversed to an equally infiltrating degree by 785 mm gauge tracks. This track system once went all the way to the filling station in the east, but ended in 1970 at the sewage works approx. 800 m east of the factory itself. In the vicinity there were countless track cuts and other track curiosities. There were dual gauge tracks, but not all three gauges combined under one. During the Second World War, a more extensive 785 mm track network existed, as a larger track network was laid for the huge peat storage areas. The standard gauge harbor track to Rørdal airfield also branched off from the track in the Rørdal area and continued as a defense track towards the island-lake. :During the years 1907–29 Portland Cement A/S acquired at least 10 Krauss steam locomotives with gauge 785 mm. More have been used at the factory in Rørdal. All these machines were of the wheel arrangement and Electric locomotive in the chalk pit in the 1920s. In 1970, the gauge tracks were removed. The gauge tracks are preserved as a point-to-point track until the mid-70s. The rails for this come from the Sæbyrailway, whose stock of rails etc. was bought by Rørdal. It was a considerable track area the factory had in 1965, it was approx. 30 km and in August 1969 approx. 20 km. At the same time, 33 locomotives were ready for operation.
  • Danish Cooperative cement factory, The factory was located on the site of the current Siemens quay in Nørresundby. Docks and a single silo can still be seen. DAC's harbor in Nørresundby 1931. Coal is unloaded at the quay on the right, an accumulator locomotive used on the 500 mm track. The barrels on the left are presumably cement barrels. 3 separate track systems in clay pit, chalk pit and factory with port. Graves and factory were connected by conveyor belts. DAC has not been associated with dump trucks for graves. There were dump trucks in the chalk pit and the first clay pit, but not to the factory. Air bridge for chalk and a channel with natural run for clay. Later replaced by ribbons for chalk and trucks for clay. 3 separate track systems in clay pit, chalk pit and factory with port. The factory also had normal gauge sidings from Nørresundby station.
  • Århus Stone- & Gravelcompany

400 mm and 310 mm

O&K locomotive N° 11420 made in July 1927, 90 hp, 700 mm gauge, C1t, Sakskøbing Sukkerfabrik N° B2, preserved at Blovstrødbanen, Hilleröd, Denmark ex Dansk Jernbane-Klub, Maribo CRJ 111-17. Sakskøbing Sugar Factory train.

Faxe Jernbane, gauge unclear

The Faxe Railway, long, was built in 1864 for the transportation of limestone.
Mixed gauge:,, and, Dual gauge.
The limestone quarry at Faxe has been known since the Middle Ages. From olden times it was owned by the surrounding estates and their tenant farmers had to drive a certain number of wagonloads of limestone per year. year by horse-drawn carriage to the place of shipment. Later, the limestone quarry owners themselves took over this transport, but the difficult horse transport on bad roads made it difficult to meet the increasing demand for limestone.
In 1863, Lieutenant C. F. Garde was therefore given permission, at his own expense, to construct and operate a foot wide rail road for the transport of limestone from the quarry to the loading yard at the beach – a stretch of 6.5 kilometres. The track was ready the following year and functioned in such a way that, due to the difference in height, the loaded wagons themselves rolled down to the loading area, after which the empty wagons were pulled back to the quarry by horses that had been driven down to the loading area in special horse wagons.
There is confusion about the track gauge used as various sources mention a track gauge of, but some Krauss steam locomotives delivered in 1927 had the gauge of. Two Schöma locomotives delivered in 1970 had the gauge of and standard gauge, Dual gauge. The railway is now closed.
Freight trains
Steam locomotives

Skælskør

Skælskør Station in Denmark. The station was the endpoint of the Railway from Dalmose and was served by passenger trains 1892–1950. It was served by freight train until 1975 and after that by heritage trains and trams until 2011. The tracks was removed in 2011.

Southern Jutland

  • Apenrader Kreisbahn; 86 km, closed
  • Haderslebener Kreisbahn; 18,5 km, closed.
  • Kreisbahn auf Alsen ; 19 km, converted to standard gauge in 1933.

Active industrial railways

Industrial railways: peat, fish, timber, coconut waste, plant waste, sphagnum, wood, plants, calcium, limestone, chalk, coal, lignite, stone coal, brown coal, clay, sand, gravel, stone and other industrial railways remain as well.
  • Østerbygård Dambrug
  • Fuglsø mose
  • Pindstrup Mosebrug A/S in Pindstrup
  • The former Boesdal Kalkbrud and Holtug Kridtbrud, Stevns Kridtbrud
  • Gelsbro Fiskeri.
  • Hastrup Mørtel- & Singelsværk
  • Hulkær Dambrug
  • Hvilestedgård Dambrug
  • Karlsgårde Dambrug
  • Langelund Dambrug
  • Møborg Dambrug
  • Præstkær Fiskeri
  • Uhre Dambrug
  • Ådal Dambrug
  • Vester Åstrup Dambrug
  • Copenhagen Energy, Copenhagen
  • Hofor, Copenhagen, Christianshavn and Frederiksberg, Dragør and Tårnby
  • CTR Centralkommunernes Transmissionsselskab I/S, Frederiksberg
  • Hydrema A/S, Støvring
  • Ørbyhage Casting sand bed
  • Hastrup Mortar and Shingle Works

600 mm

Amusement park railways

Former amusement parks:
  • Damhus Tivoli
  • Fun Park Fyn, Aarup
  • Karolinelund
  • Sommerland Syd, Tinglev
  • Varde Sommerland
  • Velling Koller Fairytale Gardens, Brørup – now used as a camping site

Preserved narrow gauge railways

785 mm and 791 mm

  • Hjerl Hede Frilandsmuseum, steam operated peat railway in an open-air museum. and used here at this railway.

765 mm

700 mm

600 mm

  • Mosebrugsbanen, Stenvad Mosebrug, peat museum railway at a peat museum in Stenvad, Vinderup.
  • Bunkermuseum Hanstholm museum, MuseumsCenter Hanstholm, on a former ammunition railway. Featured in the film The Olsen Gang in Jutland
  • Engesvang Sogns Tørve- & Egnsmuseum
  • Cathrinesminde Teglværk
  • Denmarks technical Museum
  • Danish Motor and Machine Collection
  • Lilleskov Teglværk
  • Moselauget
  • Eventyrhaven, Sorø, Sorø Municipality

550 mm

  • Mønsted Kalkgruber, in a former limestone quarry at Mønsted. Also Daugbjerg Kalkgruber, Tingbæk Kalkgruber and Thingbæk Kalkminer. One train from The Jutland Lime works at Mønsted and Mønsted Kalkgruber on.

Private railways

1000 mm

  • Hofor, Copenhagen, Christianshavn and Frederiksberg, Dragør and Tårnby

800 mm

  • Private Railway Hydrema

785 mm

700 mm

  • Private Railway Brønshøj
  • Private Railway Hoby

650 mm

  • Private Railway

600 mm

Minimum and ridable miniature railways

400 mm

  • Sugar factory, Sakskøbing. ', ', and standard gauge has also been used here at the sugar factory of The Danish Sugar Corporation.

310 mm

This gauge was used at the sugar factory in Sakskøbing for internal transport.

311 mm

145 mm

Brandhøjbanen, at Hedeland veteran railway, Hedeland, Hedehusene, Høje-Taastrup. Mixed gauge:
, in, in and gauges are all in use on this model-miniature railway. There is also one at Denmark's railway museum in Odense, one at the Tramway Museum Skjoldenæsholm, Jystrup, Ringsted and many other model-miniature railways in Denmark and Model lane Europe, Hadsten, Favrskov and many others.