Three bidders have prequalified for the Transport Systems contract on København's planned metro Line M5, a package covering 14 automated trainsets, traction power, SCADA, radio, signalling, passenger information systems, platform screen doors, and a control centre and maintenance depot at Prøvestenen.

Metroselskabet, the metro authority, announced the shortlist on September 28. It comprises:

• A CAF-Holbøll consortium, with TSO as subcontractor;
• Hitachi Rail STS, bidding alone;
• Stadler Rail, with Aarself Rail, Per Aarself and CG Jensen as subcontractors and Egis as sub-consultant.

The design-and-build contract will be awarded through a competitive dialogue procedure. Metroselskabet spent three years in market discussions before structuring the tender, aiming to attract a larger field of bidders than a conventional process would have drawn.

What does the shortlist mean for the project?

The three prequalified bidders now enter close dialogue with Metroselskabet, which retains the option to adjust the tender documents before final bids are submitted. The authority expects to sign the Transport Systems contract at the end of 2027.

'We are pleased with the strong interest the market has shown in this task. We have received strong and experienced bids for who will deliver the very heart and brain of the new metro line – the trains, the signalling system and everything else needed to get M5 running', said Mikkel Kjær Jensen, Executive Director of Construction at Metroselskabet.

Separate contracts will cover Phase 1 civil works and operations and maintenance, keeping the systems package distinct from construction and running costs.

What will Line M5 actually deliver?

The standalone line will serve existing urban areas on the island of Amager and new developments in the Østhavnen area. It will also add metro capacity across the harbour, where peak demand is already high.

Phase 1, planned to open in 2036, includes:

• A 6·5 km twin-bore tunnel;
• Two underground crossovers and five cross passages;
• 2 km of viaduct plus an elevated junction and short embankment sections;
• Five underground stations and one elevated station;
• A control and maintenance centre.

What about Phase 2?

Civil works for the elevated Phase 2 will be procured separately, and its Transport Systems would be supplied as an option on the Phase 1 contract rather than through a new competition. Phase 2 could open in 2045, nine years after the first phase.

With the systems shortlist in place and contract signature targeted for late 2027, the competitive dialogue phase will determine which of the three suppliers ultimately supplies the rolling stock and signalling that Metroselskabet needs in service for the 2036 opening.