The Copenhagen metro cannot currently be used as a bomb shelter without substantial changes, according to correspondence obtained by Danish public broadcaster DR. Emails between Metroselskabet, the company responsible for the network, and Copenhagen Municipality show that the underground stations are not equipped to protect the public during an air attack.
The findings bring a clearer answer to a question Danish authorities began examining in 2025, inspired partly by metro systems used as shelters during Russia’s war against Ukraine. DR’s investigation and confirmation from Metroselskabet indicate that converting Copenhagen’s metro stations into designated shelters would require investment and rebuilding.
Why Copenhagen metro stations cannot serve as shelters
Several stations have skylights that could shatter during an explosion. Ventilation and toilet facilities would also need to be changed. Disaster preparedness researcher Lene Sandberg, who reviewed the emails for DR, said the rail tunnels themselves could not be used as shelters either.
The Danish Resilience Agency (Styrelsen for Samfundssikkerhed) defines civil defence shelters as reinforced spaces designed to protect people from the consequences of air attacks. Being underground does not, by itself, mean that a station meets those requirements.
Some passengers could still receive short-term protection
Metroselskabet told DR that it is working to prepare certain spaces for short-term protection of a limited number of passengers who are already on the network. The company identified underground bicycle storage areas as one possibility.
“This is not the same as turning the stations into shelters.”
That distinction, made by Metroselskabet in its response to DR, means the proposal is not a plan to open metro stations as public shelters for Copenhagen residents.
A year-old study and a decision still to be made
NordiskPost reported in August 2025 that Danish authorities were studying whether Copenhagen’s metro could provide emergency protection. According to DR, a classified assessment was delivered to the transport ministry shortly before Christmas 2025.
Minister of Resilience and Preparedness Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen said the report would inform the government’s broader civil protection work. After DR’s inquiries, the findings were shared with parliamentary emergency preparedness spokespersons, the ministry said.
The question has also reached local politics. On 30 April 2026, Copenhagen’s city council rejected a Conservative proposal to examine shelter functions for future metro stations, by 47 votes to seven. Parties opposing the motion argued that decisions should be coordinated through the responsible emergency services and national authorities.
For now, the Danish Resilience Agency advises people seeking information about their nearest designated shelter to contact their municipality or local emergency services.
