About this journey

Copenhagen Central Station, where this journey begins, opened in 1911 to a design by Heinrich Wenck in the National Romantic style — brick, slate, and granite forming one of Denmark's most distinctive termini. The station's origins reach back further still: the first Copenhagen station opened on 26 June 1847 to serve what was then the first railway in Denmark.

From Copenhagen the route heads south toward Jutland, eventually joining the Fredericia–Padborg line, which runs 110.6 kilometres through the historical region of Southern Jutland as the southernmost section of the East Jutland longitudinal railway. The line is double track for most of its length, narrowing to single track on the final stretch between Tinglev and Padborg. Padborg station itself opened in 1864, at that time within the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein; it did not become a Danish border station until the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites redrew the frontier. Before 1920, Vamdrup had served as the border crossing point. Today Padborg functions as a critical interchange: the electrical systems of Denmark and Germany differ, requiring locomotive changes for through workings, and since 2019 all Copenhagen–Hamburg rail services have been routed here while the Vogelfluglinie remains closed until 2028. Extensive marshalling yards north of the passenger station reflect Padborg's enduring importance as a freight gateway between the two countries.