The Copenhagen Metro was halted by masked men in an underground tunnel in the early hours of Saturday, and Metro Service only filed a police report on Monday—prompting criticism from the network’s owner Metroselskabet. The incident, filmed by a passenger and widely shared on social media, left riders stuck for about 45 minutes while graffiti was sprayed on a train.
What happened inside the tunnel
According to accounts from passengers, masked individuals forced access to the tracks and stopped a metro train in a tunnel to paint graffiti on the carriage.
One rider said the train remained halted for around 45 minutes before service resumed. The Copenhagen Metro incident took place during the Halloween weekend and quickly went viral after video of the episode was posted online.
Delayed police report triggers rebuke
Metroselskabet—which owns the network—said the case should have been reported to police immediately. Mads Thostrup, head of operations and maintenance at Metroselskabet, stated that Metro Service reported the case on Monday, more than two days after the incident, which he described as too late given the gravity. The company has reiterated internally that similar events must be reported at once.
Passenger account: “really creepy”
Passenger Martin Alex Søndergaard-Jensen, who recorded the video, described the situation as “really creepy.”
He said the perpetrators did not shout or present a clear message. A metro employee was on board and in contact with the control centre, which is why the passenger did not himself call the police.
Metro Service’s response and safety procedures
Metro Service said such incidents are rare and that passenger safety is the top priority. The operator explained it focuses first on stabilising the situation before issuing further information.
There was no need to evacuate because passengers were considered safe while the company worked to restart operations. Given the driverless (fully automated) system and closed infrastructure, the operator considers the episode a case of unlawful entry and vandalism.
Political oversight and next steps
Copenhagen Police (Københavns Politi) confirmed it did not receive reports during or immediately after the episode but has since received a complaint and opened an investigation.
Michael Vindfeldt, the Social Democratic mayor of Frederiksberg and deputy chair of Metroselskabet’s board, has requested a formal account of how the episode was handled so the procedure can be tightened going forward.
