WE ARE MANY.
WE ARE RAILFANS.
Railfan-Joe
July 15th, 2021
Another fortnight and another episode of the We Are Railfans Podcast! After our chat with driver Ian about the iconic HST, we've moved across the English Channel to talk about trains on the European continent and who better to discuss that with than a driver who has experience in both the Netherlands and Denmark? Sam sat down with Saskia, a driver of the LINT 41 units on the island of Sjælland (or Zealand) which is the largest and most populous of Denmark's main territory.
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Image courtesy of Saskia's Instagram account.
The LINT 41 is a diesel powered railcar that was first introduced to Denmark in 2004, but the LINT family of trains goes well beyond there and in the last few years has been introduced to services in Canada. Variants of the trains, made by Alstrom, are built and used under different names in France and Germany and the first LINT trains saw use back in 1999. In Denmark, the local lines that Saskia drives are the kind that the LINT 41 is well suited to, particular as they are light and fuel efficient units with plentiful space inside and large, wide windows for passengers to admire the scenery. The units can travel at up to 120 km/h (or 75mph).
Lokaltog, who Saskia drives for, operate 41 of the 97 two-car LINT 41 trains in Denmark and have modified the interiors of their trains to differ from those operated by Arriva elsewhere in in the country. Lokaltog's trains prioritise room for prams and bicycles, with on board toilets making way for these facilities on local lines where they are not as essential. Low floors further add to the ease with which prams and bikes can board.
Despite having origins in the 1990s, LINT trains are actually at the forefront of technology and in Germany some units under the iLINT moniker have been fitted to use Hydrogen power in a bid to make them even more sustainable on lines that have not seen electrification. In the future it is possible that these hydrogen trains will see use elsewhere in Europe and who knows? Maybe even one day in Denmark.
Alstom Coradia LINT 41 on the Trillium Line northbound at Mooney's Bay Station, Ottawa, Canada. Photo by Ahunt. CC0 1.0 Public Domain Image
Arriva, familiar in other European nations and the United Kingdom, are the other Danish operator of the LINT 41 train. Here they are pictured at Varde Station. Photo © Kurt Rasmussen.
Nykøbing Sjælland will no doubt be familiar to Saskia as a location on one of the routes she may operate in Denmark. Here a LINT 41 is seen at Nykøbing Sjælland Station. Photo © Kurt Rasmussen.
NWB Lint 41 operating as a 4-car train between Varel and Jaderberg, Germany. Photo by JoachimKohlerBremen CC BY-SA 4.0
A LINT 41 at Fakse Ladeplads, Denmark in 2009. Photo © Kurt Rasmussen
To see more of what it is like to operate these unassuming but important trains, you can follow Saskia on Instagram @sasjeeh1 and of course hear what she has to say about the LINT 41 in the latest episode of our podcast.
