‘Brussels’ supports Lelylijn – European recognition for fast connection to Groningen

In a final vote yesterday, the European Parliament finally approved the addition of the Lely line as an important new rail connection on the European rail network. The EU is asking the Netherlands to realize the Lely Line by 2050 at the latest. This means that the Netherlands must also reserve sufficient resources for this.

Better connections with other regions ensure a healthy and secure future for residents in the Northern Netherlands. Last week it was announced that the outgoing Cabinet wants to spend resources from the reservation for the Lely line on other rail projects in the Spring Memorandum.

Deputy Matthijs de Vries, deputy for the province of Fryslân and chairman of the Northern Mobility Cooperation, responds happily: “This decision by the European Parliament fills a missing link in European connections. By adding the Lely line to the TEN-T network, the Northern Netherlands can even better fulfill its role as a gateway between Western and Northern Europe. Both Northern Netherlands and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management have committed themselves to including the Lely line on the European rail map.”

European Commission

During the recent European rail days Connecting Europe Days, the European Commission called for member states to continue investing in new rail and better international connections, including a corridor via the Lely line to Bremen, Hamburg and Scandinavia.

The countries north of the Netherlands are already investing heavily in new rail connections. The Northern Netherlands calls on the Cabinet to continue investing in new rail.

Now that all steps in the European legislative process have been completed, the new regulation will appear in the EU Official Journal and the revised TEN-T network, with associated obligations, will come into force. This means that in the coming years applications can be made for European financing for connections on the TEN-T network.

In addition to the Lely Line, many other connections in the Northern Netherlands have also been added to the network at an earlier stage. This applies to, among others, the rail connections Leeuwarden-Groningen and Zwolle-Emmen, the N33 and the Van Harinxmakanaal.

The provinces of Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe and Flevoland are working together with the government on the Northern Netherlands Delta Plan. The commitment from Northern Netherlands for the formation can be found here.