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The Copenhagen S-train (), the S-train of
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
,
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, is a key part of
public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...
in the city. It is a hybrid urban-
suburban rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
serving most of the Copenhagen urban area, and is analogous to the
S-Bahn The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...
systems of
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
,
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
and
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. The trains connect the Copenhagen inner city with Hillerød, Klampenborg, Frederikssund, Farum, Høje-Taastrup and
Køge Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a Danish seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland (Zealand), Denmark. In 2025, the ...
. There are of
double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most li ...
with 87 S-train stations, of which eight are in neighbouring towns outside greater Copenhagen. The S-train is run by DSB S-tog A/S while Banedanmark owns the tracks and signals. Rail services are operated by "Fourth Generation" S-trains divided into 104 8-car train sets (Class SA) and 31 4-car train sets (Class SE). The system operates in tandem with the separately owned Copenhagen Metro which operates in the city centre, Frederiksberg and Amager. The two systems carry 700,000 passengers daily with S-tog serving more than 357,000 passengers a day. S-tog is complemented by regional trains, local diesel-powered trains within
Metropolitan Copenhagen The Copenhagen metropolitan area or Metropolitan Copenhagen (, , literally "The Capital Area") is a large commuter belt (the area in which it is practical to commute to work) surrounding Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It includes Copenhag ...
, an extensive bus network, and two lines of shuttle boats called harbour buses. The city's bus terminals are often adjacent to an S-train or Metro station. The different networks use a common system for fare zones and tickets.


History

The lines used by the
Copenhagen S-Train The Copenhagen S-train (), the S-train of Copenhagen, Denmark, is a key part of public transport in the city. It is a hybrid urban rail, urban-suburban rail serving most of the Copenhagen urban area, and is analogous to the S-Bahn systems of Ber ...
suburban rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
system in
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
are six radial and two connecting rail lines, built during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as commuter transport to and from the residential areas around the city centre. The S-line aimed to electrify the existing local rail network around Copenhagen. Preparations for the decision were made in the ''Electrification Commission of 1926'', following several other approaches to plans. The Commission presented a report in 1929, in which it proposed that short-distance lines from Copenhagen to Klampenborg, as well as possibly Frederiksberg-Vanløse-Hellerup, should be electrified first – then the line to Holte, when the double track Holte-Hillerød was taken into use for the ordinary trains. After consideration of the proposal by DSB, the section to Valby was added as the first stage for electrification of the section to Ballerup, and a bill was submitted and adopted in April 1930. The first section opened on 3 April 1934, and ran from Klampenborg to Hellerup and Vanløse to Frederiksberg. It was the first electrically powered railway in Denmark. Stations were marked from the beginning with an "S" similar to those in the Berlin S-train system. There is a debate around the origin of the name ''"S-tog''" ("S-train") with many citing that the name of the system came from a competition in the newspaper '' Politiken''. The judges' panel cited a long list of possible explanations for the "S" in S-tog, including: "state railways" (''statsbaner''), "city railway" (''stadsbane''), "Greater Copenhagen" (''Storkøbenhavn''), "sun" (''sol''), "lake" (''sø''), "forest" (''skov''), "beach" (''strand''), "snow" (''sne''), "skiing" (''ski''), "skating" (''skøjteløb''), and "sleigh" (''slæde''), all of which start with an S in Danish. Larsen and Poulsen, however, challenge that this basis for the system name as an urban myth and that DSB had already determined the name. The names, though, demonstrate that the initial marketing of the S-trains emphasized recreational day trips ''from'' the city ''to'' the countryside. Hellerup-to-Hillerød and Svanemøllen-to-Farum were existing lines reorganized into the new network, as was the line between Frederikssund and Valby. The section Valby – Vanløse opened in 1941, was extended to Ballerup in 1949, and then finally to Frederikssund in 1989. The system had single tracks between Ballerup and Veksø until 2000 and between Veksø and Frederikssund until 2002. New tracks were established along the existing Valby – Høje Taastrup line between Valby – Glostrup, opening in 1953. It was extended to Taastrup in 1963, and then in 1986 to its final destination at Høje Taastrup. A completely new line, the Køge Bay line, was built between Dybbølsbro and Køge in four stages: Dybbølsbro to Vallensbæk opened in 1972; Vallensbæk to Hundige in 1976; Hundige to Solrød Strand in 1979; and then finally to Køge in 1983. The Frederiksberg – Vanløse – Grøndal line was closed with the arrival of the Copenhagen metro. The former Godsbaneringen Grøndal – Ny Ellebjerg route has been converted to an S-line. Originally no letters or numbers were used for the individual lines, but with the introduction of the summer timetable on 14 May 1950, the system moved to line letters. The S-train system has been entirely one-person operated since 1978.


Network

The network consists of a central section through downtown Copenhagen that splits into three radial lines at each end, reaching the outer suburbs and neighbouring towns. The radial sections are connected to each other via that central section. The system is designed so that a train from any southern radial can continue along any of the three northern and vice versa. In the city centre, the trains run underground in two tunnel sections which are also served by regional trains. Elsewhere the tracks are in the open, occasionally above or below street level. The three northern radials are: * Farumbanen (formerly ''Hareskovbanen'') ''(the Farum line)'' to Farum. ''(B & Bx lines)'' * Nordbanen ''(the north line)'' to Holte and Hillerød. ''(A & E lines)'' * The Klampenborg line to Klampenborg. ''(C line)'' The three southern radials are: * Køge Bay Line to Hundige, Solrød Strand and
Køge Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a Danish seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland (Zealand), Denmark. In 2025, the ...
. ''(A & E lines)'' * Vestbanen ''(the west line)'' to Høje Taastrup. ''(B & Bx lines)'' * Frederikssund line to Ballerup and Frederikssund ''(C & H lines)'' The six radials are additionally connected by * Ringbanen ''(the Ring or F line)'' going between
Hellerup Hellerup () is a very affluent district of Gentofte Municipality in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The most urban part of the district is centred on Strandvejen and is bordered by Østerbro to the south and the Øresund to the east. It compr ...
in the north and København Syd in the south. The Ring line is connected to the Nordbanen (north line) and Klampenborg Line at Hellerup, but it is normally only used in connection with the Klampenborg line. The Ring line has an elevated section including
Nørrebro station Nørrebro (, ) is one of the 10 official Districts of Copenhagen, districts of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. It is northwest of the Indre By, city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate (''Nørreport''), which, until dismantle ...
, which offers a view of some of the most populous areas of the city,
Nørrebro Nørrebro (, ) is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate (''Nørreport''), which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current N ...
and Nordvest. The junctions of the Farumbane with the other lines at Ryparken and Svanemøllen include a short elevated section and a short northbound tunnel, respectively. The average distance between stations is 2.0 km, shorter in the city core and inner boroughs, longer at the end of lines that serve suburbs.


Lines

Since December 2020, there have been seven lines running across the network. A, B, C and F run all week, E and H Monday to Friday, and Bx is a support line that operates only during the rush hour. All stations are served at least every 10 minutes until the evening. Train departures occur approximately every two minutes at the stations on the city core route; all lines except the F (Ring) Line use the same path. On most suburban lines the trains depart every five minutes. On Sundays these time intervals are doubled. Originally, no letters or numbers were used for the individual lines, but the timetables from 14 May 1950 for the Klampenborg, Holte and Frederiksberg lines were designated as sections 1a, 1b and 1c. Those lines became A, B and F respectively while simultaneously a new line C was created. In 1963, a subordinate x (for extra) was introduced to rush hour lines with line Bx as the first. From 1979 to 1989, some lines which only ran during daytime on weekdays daytime, were characterized by doubling the line letter, Bb and Cc. From 1989 to 1993, they got ordinary line letters. Then, they switched to a system with a subordinate "+", A +, B + and H +. This system was dropped in 2007 with the introduction of 10-minute operation on the key daytime lines.


Stations

Of the 86 stations, 32 are located within the central ticket fare zones 1 and 2. Another 35 stations are located within the Copenhagen Urban area. Therefore, just 17 stations can be said to be located in suburbs. Forty-six stations are elevated, twenty-one are street level, fifteen are below street, 4 have different levels and one is underground. Within the city core (zones 1 & 2) the stations are either elevated or lower than the street level. Most stations consist of two tracks, each with its own side platform or an upper platform in between. At terminals and hubs, however, there may be several tracks and platforms depending on local conditions. Older stations are often designed with a station building where there used to be ticket sales, but after the 1970s gradually moved to unmanned stations with ticket machines, the design of new stations has typically become simpler. There are still kiosks with the possibility of buying tickets at some stations, but in a number of cases the old ticket sales outlets have been re-purposed, or the buildings have been demolished. At most of the termini other types of train are available for travel to the more remote towns in the metropolitan area (''L-tog'', diesel-powered local trains) or to the rest of Zealand and the other islands between the Great Belt and
Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; ; ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Denmark–Sweden border, Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width var ...
(''regionaltog'', regional trains). Trains across
Øresund Øresund or Öresund (, ; ; ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Denmark–Sweden border, Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width var ...
to
Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...
and its main city,
Malmö Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...
, connect with the S-train network in the city centre.


Facilities

Free
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for Wireless LAN, local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by ...
Internet access Internet access is a facility or service that provides connectivity for a computer, a computer network, or other network device to the Internet, and for individuals or organizations to access or use applications such as email and the World Wide ...
was available in the S-train system. It was shut off on Jan 1st 2020 due to not being popular.


Ticketing

The S-tog along with buses, regional trains, and Copenhagen metro uses Rejsekort, an electronic ticketing system across Denmark. Passengers can also buy paper single-trip tickets at ticket vending machines with cash or credit cards or at 7-Eleven kiosks at the train and metro stations or with the 'DOT Tickets' iOS or Android app. The city is divided into travel zones, and the price of a journey depends on how many journeys are travelled through (minimum 2 zones). The price is the same no matter if you take a bus, train or S-Train, and a 20% discount is applied when traveling outside of peak times if using Rejsekort. Both the City Pass and Copenhagen Card aimed at tourists are accepted on the system.


Future

Since 30 trains per hour per direction now run between Dybbølsbro and Svanemøllen, the construction of a new tunnel, running north–south in densely populated areas, has been discussed. Proposals to extend the Vestbanen ''(West)'' line from Høje Taastrup to ''Roskilde'' along existing tracks, have been discussed on several occasions, and was under investigation as of 2019. Extension from Klampenborg to Elsinore (converting the Kystbane railway to S-train standard) would prove more difficult, but the issue has been mentioned. The major problem is a lack of spare capacity in the central tunnel. Connecting
Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup (, ) is an international airport serving Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, as well as the wider Øresund Region, including Zealand and the southern Sweden, Swedish province of Scania. In 2023 it was the largest ai ...
, Kastrup, to the network has been proposed, although it is already served by both regional trains and the Copenhagen Metro. The Danish Transport Authority (Trafikstyrelsen) has suggested converting the F-line of the S-train network to metro standard as an M5 line, The only current interchange between the F line and the metro network are Flintholm Station and
Nørrebro Station Nørrebro (, ) is one of the 10 official Districts of Copenhagen, districts of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. It is northwest of the Indre By, city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate (''Nørreport''), which, until dismantle ...
. The F line is planned to be driverless and to run 24/7 in 2024/2026.


Technical overview

S-trains run on standard-gauge tracks and are powered via overhead wires. The voltage between 1,500 and 1,650 volts DC (negative overhead wire), as it varies considerably with the load and distance from feeder stations. Power is drawn from the national grid through 38 feeder stations. They have to be relatively close to each other because the large currents in the overhead wires (caused by the relatively low voltage) would lead to unacceptably large transmission losses otherwise. From 1975 until 2022, the primary signalling system was a proprietary fixed-block
cab signalling Cab signalling is a railroad, railway safety system that communicates track status and condition information to the cab (locomotive), cab, crew compartment or driver's compartment of a locomotive, railcar or multiple unit. The information is con ...
system called that transmitted data to the trains via low-bandwidth audio frequency induction loops between the rails. Varying the combination of frequencies allowed up to 15 different instructions or commandssuch as stops and permitted speedsto be indicated to the train. Use of the permitted speed encoding provided full supervision of train speed; when a train running under HKT control entered a block with a lower target speed than the train's current speed it would initiate service braking until the two speeds matched. This, combined with the fact that all S-train stock had similar braking characteristics, allowed the assumption of reduced braking distances and the use of fixed blocks significantly shorter than on conventionally-signalled railways. Lineside signals were provided for use when the HKT system was inoperative or when a non-equipped train needed to be driven on the line, but line capacity was significantly reduced as these signals only protected full-length blocks and had to be placed according to conservative braking distance assumptions. In 2011, infrastructure operator Banedanmark awarded Siemens Mobility a contract to replace HKT with its Trainguard MT
communications-based train control Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accura ...
system (CBTC), on the grounds that the HKT installation was reaching the end of its life and becoming increasingly unreliable. The CBTC system employs the
moving block In railway signalling, a moving block is a signalling block system where the blocks are defined in real time by computers as safe zones around each train. This requires both knowledge of the exact location and speed of all trains at any given t ...
principle, whereby a central controller continuously tracks the precise location and speed of every train on the line and adjusts the instructions issued to drivers accordingly. On the S-train network this has allowed a reduction in minimum separation between consecutive trains ('headway') from 120 seconds to only 90. Hillerød–Jægersborg was the first section to be converted, as its F-HKT installation ('simplified' HKT) had the oldest hardware and did not deliver the same level of train protection as the other parts of the system. The new CBTC system entered service on this section on 29 February 2016. Further conversions continued through to 2022, when in late September the final three routes (Valby–Frederikssund, Valby–Høje Taastrup, and Sydhavn–Køge) were switched over to CBTC operation.


Rolling stock

The S-train has seen four types of rolling stock. Currently, only fourth-generation trains operate, after the retirement of the second and third generation trains in 2007 and 2006 respectively.


First generation (1934-1978)

The first generation (DSB class MM-FM-MM) was introduced in 1934 at the opening of the network, and consisted of three carriages per train set (2 motor cars and 1 trailer car), manufactured from 1934 to 1962. Frichs A/S supplied the electric components while Scandia (now Bombardier Transportation Denmark) supplied the car bodies and non-electric components. They were retired in 1978, and one was used as a heritage train until 2003, when DSB decided to discontinue its use. They are the longest serving S-train rolling stock to date, in continuous service for 44 years.


Second generation (1967-2007)

The second generation (DSB class MM-FU-MU-FS) was built from 1967 to 1978 by Frichs A/S (motored cars) and Scandia (trailer cars). They saw the introduction of the signature red colour that was to characterize subsequent generations of rolling stock. There have been three different formations: the first (2-car), had a motor car with first-class seating (could be converted to second class) and a second-class trailer; the second (2-car), had second-class seating only; and the third (4-car), a motor car with driver's cab, a trailer, a motored trailer and a driving trailer without motor. They ran until 7 January 2007. All have been scrapped except for a few set aside for museum use. An official ceremony was held on 3 February 2007 with the last trip. One train is set to be restored by DJK (Danish Railroad Club), who are now the owners of the train, so it can eventually make its way back to the tracks on special occasions such as anniversaries.


Third generation (1986-2006)

The third generation (DSB class FC-MC-MC-FC) were built by the Swedish industrial firm ASEA from 1979 to 1986. Despite possessing a much improved level of passenger comfort as compared to the previous two generations of rolling stock, it suffered a much higher rate of mechanical failure as compared to its predecessors. Twelve trains in 4-car formation (48 cars) were built (a further 32 4-car trains were not realised), and it first entered service in 1986 on the Vestbane and the Nordbane ( B service) between Holte and Høje Taastrup. They were the first S-train rolling stock to feature electronic chopper control. In 1995, 4 trains (16 cars) were scrapped and the remaining 8 trains (32 cars) were refurbished and reassigned to the Ringbanen ( F service), where they remained in service until an incident where a child was trapped between the doors forced their early retirement in June 2006. When attempts to sell them failed, they were transported to
Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...
on 23 August 2007 in order to be scrapped.


Fourth generation (1996-present)

The fourth generation, in service since 1996, are distinguished by their plump appearance due to their curved sides. Two variants are in use, one of eight cars referred to as (formed of vehicles SA-SB-SC-SD-SD-SC-SB-SA) and one of four cars referred to as (formed SE-SF-SG-SH) These are articulated units supplied by
Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
- LHB and
Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
with prefabricated friction stir welded aluminium roof panels made by Marine Aluminium from
Sapa Sapa or Sapë may refer to: Places * Sapa, Mississippi, a community in the United States * Sa Pa, a district-level town in Lào Cai province, Northern Vietnam ** Sa Pa (ward) ** Sa Pa (ward), Sa Pả (ward) * Sapë, a town in Albania * Roman Cath ...
extrusions, and were manufactured from 1996 to 2007. The cars are shorter than conventional railway cars; each has a single
axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotation, rotating wheel and axle, wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In ...
under one end, the other end being supported by the neighbouring car. (The end cars have two axles each). They have automatic
Scharfenberg coupler The Scharfenberg coupler (, abbreviated ''Schaku'') is a commonly used type of fully automatic railway coupling. Designed in 1903 by Karl Scharfenberg in Königsberg, Germany (today Kaliningrad, Russia), the coupler has gradually spread from tr ...
s at the ends; in peak hours most trains consist of two coupled units, giving a total train length of 168 meters. They have video surveillance to ensure passenger and staff security and to prevent acts of
vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The t ...
. These trains introduced
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
in the interior and regenerative braking to the network, increasing energy efficiency. At present, there are 105 8-car trains (840 cars). An accident involving an 8-car fourth-generation train in 2002 caused it to be scrapped, necessitated the construction of 4-car sets to relieve the shortage of trains. These 4-car units (DSB class SE-SH, also known as Litra SE) can run solo in low-traffic intervals. At present, there are 31 4-car trains (124 cars) serving the S-train network. The top speed of fourth-generation trains is , although on many parts of the network their speed is limited to to due to the limitations of the signalling system, and on the Ringbane they travel at .


Fifth generation (2030- )

The fifth generation of S-trains will be fully automatic. It is planned to introduce them in around 2030, initially on the Ringbanen line. In September 2023, DSB published a shortlist of three prequalified bidders to manufacture the 226 new trains. In 2025 the contract will be awarded to either
Alstom Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional ...
, CAF or a
Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the positi ...
/ Stadler consortium.DSB press release. ''Tre togproducenter kan byde på fremtidens fuldautomatiske S-tog.''
Retrieved 9 September 2023.


Network map


See also

* List of Copenhagen S-train stations *
S-Bahn The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...
* List of DSB locomotives and multiple units * Trams in Copenhagen * List of commuter rail systems for similar S-train systems


References


External links


Official Web Site

DSB website
(In English)
Rejsekort website
for ticketing (in English)
Copenhagen Tourist Card Information and salesS-train network map 2018Geographical map of Copenhagen rapid transitSiemens product specifications pdf
{{DEFAULTSORT:S-Train * Railway coaches of Denmark 1650 V DC railway electrification 1934 establishments in Denmark