The discussion about the Lely Line refuses to die down. That line would contribute to broad prosperity in the North. But the discussion also means that there is currently no money available for a good connection between Harlingen via Groningen to Bremen, and thus a real connection to Northern Germany and Scandinavia.
And there will be no money for train connections between Groningen via Veendam to Stadskanaal and Emmen, or from Emmen via Ter Apel to Germany. It is a piece of cake to achieve this technically. There’s plenty of room.
I know the city of Groningen and the surrounding area like the back of my hand. And I wonder where the Lelylijn should enter the city of Groningen: directly into the city along the A7 is really impossible: there is no space there. This leaves branches to the existing railway lines. Either to the Groningen-Leeuwarden line, or to the Groningen-Zwolle line.
The first line has a bottleneck just before the main station, which can hardly be adjusted. If a connection is sought with the Groningen-Zwolle line, the Lely line will have to pass under the A28, which means major damage to the vulnerable landscape in the vicinity of Haren and Paterswolde. I really wonder who seriously wants to destroy that landscape near the Drentse Aa.
Inferiority complex
And is it bad that Leek wouldn’t get a station? I don’t think so: Leek and Roden have an excellent, fast and frequent bus connection with the city of Groningen. And in all honesty, Drachten has nothing to complain about either.
So: what do you mean broad prosperity for us Northerners? This is absolutely not promoted by the construction of the Lely line. We should not let ourselves be fooled by people who have an inferiority complex towards Amsterdam.
And let us immediately work on doubling the track between Zwolle and Meppel.
Johannes Willen Nieuwenhuis, Grijpskerk.
Tags: Broad prosperity Lely line opinion
