The infrastructure in the Fehmarnbelt Region

Density of motorways

Compared to many other parts of Europe, the Fehmarnbelt Region enjoys a high density of motorways. Around the two largest cities, Copenhagen and Hamburg, there are between 50 and 75 km motorway per 1000 km² (2008). In the rest of Zealand and in Schleswig-Holstein, the density is a bit lower, between 25 and 50 km per 1000 km² (2008). Scania and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have an even lower motorway density.

Density of railways

Furthermore, the railway density is also particularly high in the Hamburg area. Regional rail density is highly influenced by economic activity and in the case of Hamburg, the port with all its infrastructure is of great importance. There are between 150 and 200 km railway per 1000 km² in the Hamburg area (2008). The other areas of the Fehmarnbelt region do not have a high railway density. The average here is 50 to 100 km rails per 1.000 km² (2008). This is, however, not the case in Zealand, where the density is even lower – measuring less than 50 km rails per 1.000 km² (2008).

Airports

Copenhagen Airport is the largest airport in the Fehmarnbelt Region with around 21.5 million passengers per year (2010). More than 90 per cent of the flights to and from this airport are international. Hamburg airport is smaller, but still a fairly large airport. Here, around 13 million passengers pass by every year (2008) and a little more than half of the flights are international.

Bridges and Ferries

Scania and Zealand are connected by the Øresund Bridge and by ferries from Helsingborg to Elsinore. More than 23.100 passenger cars and 1.800 lorries pass the two routes every day (2010). Zealand is also connected to Schleswig-Holstein through the ferries from Rødbyhavn to Puttgarden as well as the ferry routes from Gedser to Rostock. More than 5.100 passenger cars and 1.100 lorries travel these two routes every day (2010). On the other side of the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, Jutland has the only land border in the region, connecting Denmark and Germany. More than 48.700 vehicles go by here every day (2010). Scania benefits from four ferry lines to the German part of the Fehmarnbelt Region: Ystad-Swinoujscie, Trelleborg-Sassnitz and Trelleborg-Travemünde as well as the Trelleborg-Rostock route. The Trelleborg route carries more than 700 cars and 1.300 lorries every day (2010).

Ports

Hamburg has by far the largest port in the Fehmarnbelt Region. The port has grown enormously from the start of the new century. In 2001, the port had a freight turnover of 83.000 tons. In 2008, this figure had increased to almost 119.000 tons. Lübeck and Rostock are the second and third largest ports in the region, but are both significantly smaller than Hamburg’s port. Lübeck and Rostock each had a freight turnover of 21.300 tons in 2008. Copenhagen and Malmoe share a common port with an accumulated freight turnover of 18.300 tons in 2008.