COPENHAGEN — A head-on collision involving two local trains occurred north of Copenhagen on Thursday, resulting in injuries to 18 individuals, with five in critical condition, according to emergency services.

At the scene, two trains, distinguished by their yellow and grey colors, were visibly damaged at the front and positioned directly opposite one another on a wooded section of the track. Rescue teams described the situation inside the carriages as “chaotic.”

Christoffer Buhl Martekilde, a leader in fire and rescue services, reported that the impact caused significant damage and shattered glass to scatter throughout the trains.

Early morning crash

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collision on the Gribskov line, which connects the towns of Hillerod and Kagerup. A police spokesperson indicated that it is premature to determine the reason behind the crash, noting that a thorough investigation will be conducted.

Police reported that there were approximately 37 passengers on the trains during the incident, which took place shortly before 6:30 a.m. (0430 GMT).

While medical teams attended to the injured, those who were not physically harmed received support services, as stated by Movia, the parent company of the rail operator Lokaltog.

“The serious train accident on the Gribskov Line deeply affects ‌us at ⁠Movia, and our thoughts go out to the injured, their relatives, and Lokaltog’s employees,” Movia board Chair Kenneth Gotterup said in a statement.

Emergency services scrambled 18 vehicles and 47 rescue workers to the crash site.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he had contacted acting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to offer assistance.

Danish ​police said they had declined ​the Swedish offer to ⁠assist as local resources were sufficient.

“There are injuries among the passengers. Everyone is out of the trains, so no one is trapped… Large resources have been dispatched ​to the scene,” a spokesperson told Reuters earlier.

Denmark’s worst railway disaster this century ​occurred in ⁠2019, when a high-speed train hit an obstacle on a bridge during a storm, killing eight people and injuring many more in what police said was a difficult rescue operation.

While such accidents are rare in Denmark, one ⁠person was ​killed, and several others were injured in 2025 when a train hit ​a vehicle and derailed in the south of the country.