Although DSB (Danish State Railways) has reported a profit of 101 million Danish kroner in the first quarter of the year, they will not roll back the planned price increases for train journeys. These price adjustments were first announced in January and have already taken effect. According to an interview on TV 2 with DSB’s CEO, Flemming Jensen, the profit is due to a combination of an increase in the number of passengers and lower energy prices. However, DSB has also raised prices on several of their routes. For example, the price of a single ticket from Copenhagen to Aarhus has increased from 429 kroner to 469 kroner.
Flemming Jensen explains that the price hikes are necessary due to inflation and generally rising costs that affect the entire transport sector. He emphasizes, though, that even though ticket prices have increased, the average price for a journey has only gone up by one kroner since last year. The CEO also points out that the price of train journeys over the past five to eight years has increased at a slower rate than the general inflation. This means that train journeys, relatively speaking, have become cheaper compared to other goods and services in society.
DSB’s decision to maintain the price increases has received a mixed response from passengers, with some expressing understanding for the necessity while others are frustrated by the increased costs of their daily commutes. DSB encourages passengers to check the new prices, which were announced on January 21, in order to plan their journeys as effectively as possible.