Assens Line

Assensbanen
Overview
StatusClosed
Termini
Service
OperatorDSB
History
Opened1 June 1884
Closed21 May 1966
Technical
Line length29.2 km (18.1 mi)
Number of tracksSingle
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius470 m (1,540 ft)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed
  • 75 km/h (47 mph) (1953–1966)
  • 45 km/h (28 mph) (1966–)
Maximum incline10‰
Route map

Legend
km
towards Jutland
0.0
 Tommerup
 towards Odense
3.3
 Knarreborg
5.6
 Kivsmose
7.0
 Nårup
8.6
 Holtegård
11.3
 Glamsbjerg
13.3
 Koppenbjerg
16.1
 Flemløse
18.8
 Høed
22.1
 Ebberup
24.9
 Kærum
29.2
 Assens

The Assens Line (Danish: Assensbanen) is a closed railway line on western Funen, connecting Tommerup Stationsby on the Funen Main Line with Assens.

The line opened on 31 May 1884 and was closed to passenger traffic on 21 May 1966. After freight traffic had lost its importance, the Minister of Transport decided to close the line completely.

In March 2025, Banedanmark sold the line to Assens Municipality at zero cost; it is intended to partially convert the line to a rail trail whilst preserving the Tommerup–Glamsbjerg segment for railbike use.

Route

Stations

Somewhat confusingly, the station in Tommerup Stationsby is referred to as "Tommerup" owing to its earlier opening, whereas the now defunct station in the nearby town of Tommerup was named Knarreborg to avoid ambiguity.

Connections to other lines

Between 1923 and 1950, Assens station was partly dual gauge, with a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge track connecting the sugar factory in Assens with the Assens–Årøsund ferry, allowing transfers of metre-gauge sugar beet wagons from Årøsund.

In 1901, a connection between Assens and Ringe (on the Svendborg Line) was proposed to the Folketing. However, this project never found sufficient support, and was largely abandoned when the Odense–Nørre Broby–Faaborg Line became a reality. Additionally, a proposal to connect Assens with a railway line to Ejby (on the Funen Main Line), and possibly onwards to Bogense, was prepared by Sydfyenske Jernbaner in 1907. Such a line also never materialized.

Accidents and incidents

On 21 October 1946, a delayed freight train on the Funen Main Line was mistakenly guided into the Assens Line's bay platform at Tommerup station. The train crashed into a parked freight wagon and on into the waiting hall of the station building, killing three people and injuring another four.

On multiple occasions, serious accidents have involved overshooting the end of the line in Assens:

Trolley cycling

In the summer time, from 5 April to 21 October, it is now possible to ride the tracks the entire distance, about 30 km, on trolley cycles available for hire.

Possible starting points are Tommerup St., situated only 13 minutes by train from Odense, Glamsbjerg, situated 30 minutes by bus from Odense, and Assens situated 1 hour by bus from Odense.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 37.
  2. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 118.
  3. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 112–113.
  4. ↑ "Assensbanen". danskejernbaner.dk. Retrieved 2012-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ "Assens Kommune køber den gamle banestrækning mellem Tommerup Stationsby og Assens" [Assens Municipality buys the old railway line between Tommerup Stationsby and Assens] (in Danish). Assens Municipality. 2025-03-27. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
  6. ↑ Jensen 1976, p. 46.
  7. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 124.
  8. ↑ Jensen 1976, pp. 45–46.
  9. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 75–77.
  10. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 77.
  11. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 145–146.
  12. ↑ "Togkatastrofen ved Tommerup Station" [The train disaster at Tommerup Station]. Danmark på film (in Danish). Danish Film Institute. 1946. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
  13. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 145.
  14. ↑ Jensen 1976, p. 49.
  15. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 146–147.
  16. ↑ Jensen 1976, p. 50.
  17. ↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 147–148.
  18. ↑ "Trolley Cycling". Assensbanen. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-07-26.

Bibliography

  • Jensen, Niels (1972). Danske Jernbaner 1847–1972 [Danish railways 1847–1972] (in Danish). Copenhagen: J. Fr. Clausens Forlag. ISBN 87-11-01765-1.
  • Jensen, Niels (1976). Fynske Jernbaner [Railways of Funen] (in Danish). Copenhagen: J. Fr. Clausens Forlag. ISBN 87-11-03736-9.
  • Viinholt-Nielsen, Lars (1984). Assensbanen 1884-1984 [The Assens Line 1884-1984] (in Danish). Odense Universitetsforlag. ISBN 87-7492-479-6.

55°16′43″N 10°06′17″E / 55.2786°N 10.1048°E / 55.2786; 10.1048