// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Assens Line say to its friend? You're on the right track.

Assensbanen
Assensbanen
Overview
Status	Closed
Termini	Tommerup; Assens;
Service
Operator	DSB
History
Opened	1 June 1884
Closed	21 May 1966
Technical
Line length	29.2 km (18.1 mi)
Number of tracks	Single
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Minimum radius	470 m (1,540 ft)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	75 km/h (47 mph) (1953–1966); 45 km/h (28 mph) (1966–);
Maximum incline	10‰
Route map
Route map
	Legend

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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

Tommerup railway station (Tp) in Tommerup Stationsby, transfer to the Funen Main Line
Knarreborg railway station (Kg) in Tommerup
Kivsmose Trinbræt (Kmt)
Nårup railway station (Hp)
Holtegård Trinbræt (Hgt)
Glamsbjerg railway station (Gm)
Koppenbjerg Trinbræt (Kbt)
Flemløse railway station (Fø)
Høed Trinbræt (Høt)
Ebberup railway station (Ep)
Kærum Billetslagssted (Kjæ)
Assens railway station (Ac)

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.^[7]^[8]

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.^[9] 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.^[10]

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.^[11]^[12]

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

In May 1944, a train passed the end of the line and ended up on the street. There were no injuries.^[13]
On 7 January 1948, the morning freight train suffered brake failure on its way into Assens station and crashed through the end of the line, ending up in a building. The train's conductor later died from his injuries.^[14]^[15]
On 1 March 1960, a mixed train crashed through the end of the line at approximately 60 km/h (37 mph) and into two buildings. The conductor and a 14-year-old boy was killed, and another five people were injured, of which one died from his injuries a few weeks later.^[16]^[17]

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.^[18]

References

Citations

1 2 Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 37.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 118.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 112–113.
↑ "Assensbanen". danskejernbaner.dk. Retrieved 2012-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
↑ "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.
↑ Jensen 1976, p. 46.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 124.
↑ Jensen 1976, pp. 45–46.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 75–77.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 77.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 145–146.
↑ "Togkatastrofen ved Tommerup Station" [The train disaster at Tommerup Station]. Danmark på film (in Danish). Danish Film Institute. 1946. Retrieved 2026-09-15.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 145.
↑ Jensen 1976, p. 49.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 146–147.
↑ Jensen 1976, p. 50.
↑ Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 147–148.
↑ "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.

External links

Assensbanen, Tommerup-Assens Jernbane at danskejernbaner.dk

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

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen198437-1] 1 2 Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 37.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen1984118-2] Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 118.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen1984112–113-3] 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.

[FOOTNOTEJensen197646-6] Jensen 1976, p. 46.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen1984124-7] Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 124.

[FOOTNOTEJensen197645–46-8] Jensen 1976, pp. 45–46.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen198475–77-9] Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 75–77.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen198477-10] Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 77.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen1984145–146-11] 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.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen1984145-13] Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, p. 145.

[FOOTNOTEJensen197649-14] Jensen 1976, p. 49.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen1984146–147-15] Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 146–147.

[FOOTNOTEJensen197650-16] Jensen 1976, p. 50.

[FOOTNOTEViinholt-Nielsen1984147–148-17] Viinholt-Nielsen 1984, pp. 147–148.

[18] "Trolley Cycling". Assensbanen. Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-07-26.

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v t e Assens Municipality
Towns & villages (by size)	Assens Glamsbjerg Vissenbjerg Aarup Haarby Tommerup Stationsby Tommerup Brylle Ebberup Verninge Skallebølle Flemløse Skalbjerg
Landmarks	Aarup Windmill Assens station Billeskov Church of Our Lady Krengerup Hagenskov Mano Tommerup Station Søbo
Geography	Bågø Helnæs Bugt Torø
History	Assensbanen

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