Latest news with #ThomasDanielsen
Time Out
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time Out
You'll soon be able to get a direct sleeper train between Scandinavia and Central Europe
You might have thought the resurgence of night train travel was a bit of a trend, but with more and more announcements pouring in of shiny new services launching all over Europe, it seems like more of a permanent change in the tides. The latest? A service that could soon run all the way from Malmö in Sweden to Basel in Switzerland, via the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Travellers would fall asleep in Scandinavia and wake up in Central Europe, without all the faff of an airport. In theory, it would be a joint initiative between Germany's Railroad Development Corporation and Swiss rail operator SSB, and would be the first direct night train connecting Scandinavia and Switzerland in over a decade. The plans still require regulatory approval, cross-border cooperation between national operators as well as a proper financial plan, however, Danish transport minister Thomas Danielsen has shown interest in expanding the country's international rail services, and demand for nighttime rail travel only seems to be growing, according to Euro Weekly News. After all, train travel emits up to 20 times less Co2 per passenger kilometre than flying, according to the European Environment Agency, and while low-cost flying saw the decline in sleeper trains over the last 20 years or so, climate-friendly alternatives are growing in popularity. If plans go ahead, the new service could be launching around this time next year. Stay tuned for updates.
BBC News
06-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Denmark postal service to stop delivering letters
Denmark's state-run postal service, PostNord, is to end all letter deliveries at the end of 2025, citing a 90% decline in letter volumes since the start of the century. The decision brings to an end 400 years of the company's letter service. Denmark's 1,500 post boxes will start to disappear from the start of June. Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen sought to reassure Danes, saying letters would still be sent and received as "there is a free market for both letters and parcels". Postal services across Europe are grappling with the decline in letter volumes. Germany's Deutsche Post said on Thursday it was axing 8,000 jobs, in what it called a "socially responsible manner". Deutsche Post has 187,000 employees and staff representatives said they feared more cuts were to come. Denmark had a universal postal service for 400 years until the end of 2023, but as digital mail services have taken hold, the use of letters has fallen dramatically. PostNord says it will switch its focus to parcel deliveries and that any postage stamps bought this year or in 2024 can be refunded for a limited period in 2026. Fifteen hundred workers facing losing their jobs, out of a workforce of 4,600. "It's a super sad day. Not just for our department, but for the 1,500 who face an uncertain future," employee Anders Raun Mikkelsen told Danish broadcaster DR. Denmark ranks as one of the world's most digitalised countries. There's an app for almost everything: few people use cash, and Danes even carry drivers' licences and health cards on their smartphones. Bank statements, bills, and correspondence from local authorities are all sent electronically. Public services send communications via a Digital Post app or other platforms and PostNord Denmark says the letter market is no longer profitable. Letter numbers have fallen since the start of the century from 1.4 billion to 110 million last year. The decision will affect elderly people most. Although 95% of Danes use the Digital Post service, a reported 271,000 people still rely on physical mail. "There are many who are very dependent on letters being delivered regularly. These include hospital appointments, vaccinations or decisions regarding home care," Marlene Rishoj Cordes, from Aeldre Sagen (DaneAge) told Denmark's TV2. PostNord has weathered years of financial struggles and last year was running a deficit. Danish MP Pelle Dragsted blamed privatisation for the move and complained the move would disadvantage people living in remote areas. The introduction of a new Postal Act in 2024 opened up the letter market to competition from private firms and mail is no longer exempted from VAT, resulting in higher postage costs. "When a letter costs 29 Danish krone (£3.35; $4.20) there will be fewer letters," PostNord Denmark's Managing Director, Kim Pedersen, told local media. He said Danes had become increasingly digital and the decline in letter volumes had become so pronounced that it had fallen by as much as 30% in the past year alone. PostNord also operates in Sweden. It is 40% Danish-owned and 60% Swedish-owned.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denmark's national postal service to stop letter carrying
March 6 (UPI) -- Sending and receiving letters in Denmark will take a big hit by 2026 as its national postal service will stop letter deliveries when 2025 comes to a close. The Nordic nation has had a national postal service since 1624, but the current state-run postal service PostNord says that due to a 90% drop-off in letter volume since 2000, it's ending its letter-carrying services. "We will continue to deliver letters throughout the year, before delivering the last letters at the turn of the year in 2026." CEO of PostNord Denmark Kim Pedersen said in a press release. PostNord will begin to remove Denmark's current 1500 red mailboxes starting in June. Letters can continue to be received and sent however, according to Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen who says "a free market for both letters and parcels" will remain in place. More than a thousand workers will lose their jobs as a result of the change. "It's a super sad day. Not just for our department with 20-30 people, [which is] closing down at the end of the year. It's for 1,500 people who face an uncertain future," PostNord employee Anders Raun Mikkelsen said. The move is also a result of Danes moving to digital communication, as they typically keep all personal identifications and information on their cell phones, and the use of cash has also become uncommon. Public services utilize a Digital Post app, and local authorities send all alerts electronically. However, it is estimated that 271,000 Danes still rely on physical mail, especially for medical correspondence. TV2 reports that the distribution company Dao will take over the remainder of the letter services in 2026, and those looking to send a letter will need to drop it off at one of the company's Daoshop outlets to do so.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denmark postal service to stop delivering letters
Denmark's state-run postal service, PostNord, is to end all letter deliveries at the end of 2025, citing a 90% decline in letter volumes since the start of the century. The decision brings to an end 400 years of the company's letter service. Denmark's 1,500 post boxes will start to disappear from the start of June. Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen sought to reassure Danes, saying letters would still be sent and received as "there is a free market for both letters and parcels". Postal services across Europe are grappling with the decline in letter volumes. Germany's Deutsche Post said on Thursday it was axing 8,000 jobs, in what it called a "socially responsible manner". Deutsche Post has 187,000 employees and staff representatives said they feared more cuts were to come. Denmark had a universal postal service for 400 years until the end of 2023, but as digital mail services have taken hold, the use of letters has fallen dramatically. Fifteen hundred workers facing losing their jobs, out of a workforce of 4,600. "It's a super sad day. Not just for our department, but for the 1,500 who face an uncertain future," employee Anders Raun Mikkelsen told Danish broadcaster DR. Denmark ranks as one of the world's most digitalised countries. There's an app for almost everything: few people use cash, and Danes even carry drivers' licences and health cards on their smartphones. Bank statements, bills, and correspondence from local authorities are all sent electronically. Public services send communications via a Digital Post app or other platforms and PostNord Denmark says the letter market is no longer profitable. Letter numbers have fallen since the start of the century from 1.4 billion to 110 million last year. The decision will affect elderly people most. Although 95% of Danes use the Digital Post service, a reported 271,000 people still rely on physical mail. "There are many who are very dependent on letters being delivered regularly. These include hospital appointments, vaccinations or decisions regarding home care," Marlene Rishoj Cordes, from Aeldre Sagen (DaneAge) told Denmark's TV2. PostNord has weathered years of financial struggles and last year was running a deficit. Danish MP Pelle Dragsted blamed privatisation for the move and complained the move would disadvantage people living in remote areas. The introduction of a new Postal Act in 2024 opened up the letter market to competition from private firms and mail is no longer exempted from VAT, resulting in higher postage costs. "When a letter costs 29 Danish krone (£3.35; $4.20) there will be fewer letters," PostNord Denmark's Managing Director, Kim Pedersen, told local media. He said Danes had become increasingly digital and the decline in letter volumes had become so pronounced that it had fallen by as much as 30% in the past year alone. The company said it would switch its focus to parcel deliveries and that any postage stamps bought this year or in 2024 could be refunded for a limited period in 2026. PostNord also operates in Sweden. It is 40% Danish-owned and 60% Swedish-owned.
The Guardian
06-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Danish postal service to stop delivering letters after 90% drop in numbers
The Danish postal service has said it will no longer deliver letters from next year and will cut a third of its staff. 'At the end of the year, PostNord will deliver its final letter ... to focus on its role as the premier parcel delivery service in Denmark,' the company announced in a statement. PostNord said the restructuring was due to digitalisation leading to a huge decrease in the number of letters sent, with a 90% reduction since 2000. A total of 1,500 out of 4,600 jobs would go, it said. 'In 2024, the number of letters fell by more than 30% compared with the previous year and this trend will continue,' the company added. PostNord lost its obligation to deliver post to the whole of Denmark last year in a move towards market liberalisation, meaning the company also lost much of its financial support. The distributor DAO, which won the contract to deliver public service mail last year, has said it is ready to strengthen its letter distribution service. 'We can still send and receive letters everywhere in the country,' the tranport minister, Thomas Danielsen, told the Ritzau news agency. Many postal services are struggling across Europe due to digitalisation. The German postal service, Deutsche Post, also announced on Thursday that it would cut 8,000 jobs in Germany to reduce costs. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion The core letters business of Britain's Royal Mail has also been ravaged. The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has proposed Royal Mail deliver second-class letters on alternate weekdayspotentially saving the company hundreds of millions of pounds.
