Don’t let the Northern Netherlands dangle from a single railway line, come quickly with the Lelylijn
The Northern Netherlands has just as much right to good access through modern infrastructure as the rest of the country. Therefore arrange the Lelylijn, argues Wim van Wegen, one of the founders of the Lelylijn Initiative Group.
From the perspective of the mapmakers, the north of the Netherlands is at the top of our territory. If it were the other way around, a glance at the rail map would simply make it clear that the area north of Zwolle is only slightly attached to it. Like a kind of dangling thread, just strong enough to hold onto the rest of the country. Vulnerable, yes.
This is also apparent from the dispatch and other consequences, especially around Zwolle and Meppel, as the train connection is regularly interrupted. With major consequences, because when the trains do not run on this route, in practice this means that the three exports by rail are cut off from the rest of the Netherlands.
Completely unacceptable
A railway map from 1889, the railway network of the Hollandsche IJzeren Spoorweg-Maatschappij, shows us that more than 130 years later, the way in which the North is connected to the other countries has actually changed.
For those other parts of the country, the meager connection today would be regarded as completely unacceptable and undesirable, but for some reason it has never been an objection from The Hague’s point of view for our later region.
For several years now, the discussion about the usefulness and necessity of a new rail connection to the North has been revived. The Lelylijn, as that railway has come to be called, has even ended up in the coalition agreement of the current government.
Three billion euros is too little
An amount of three billion euros has already been earmarked for the construction of the railway. Wonderful, of course, and an important first step, but three billion euros is still too little to realize the new connection.
The cabinet hopes for billions from Brussels, which in December decision the Lelylijn should become part of the Trans-European Transport Network. And on a financial contribution from the provinces. But it is certain that sufficient least possible results to proceed to the construction.
In short, the discussion about the Lelylijn threatens to turn into a money issue. And if that means that the plans get bogged down in endless squabbling to eventually fail, that would be really realistic.
The North is badly needed for the Netherlands to have a sustainable future, with sufficient jobs, a green economy, (affordable) housing for everyone and a wealth that is fairly distributed. But quite apart from that: the Northern Netherlands has just as much right to good access through modern infrastructure as the rest of the country.
1889 the Dutch railway map has not been developed since the coming years finally updated? This depends purely on the political will to realize the Lely Line. There is complete support in the House of Representatives for its creation. Now the pennies. It is actually quite simple: where there is a will, there is a (rail)way.
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Northern provinces can solve a large part of the total housing shortage, if The Hague pulls out the wallet
The cabinet believes that building, building and building again is the solution to the housing crisis. The user provinces want that, but then The Hague will have to pay for faster train connections, according to the drivers.
With the Lelylijn you can be in Hamburg in no time. That offers advantageous opportunities
Think of the north no longer as a remote corner of the Netherlands, but as a bridge to Bremen and Hamburg, says Groningen mayor Koen Schuiling, along with Senator Michael Westhagemann (Hamburg) and Senator Kristina Vogt (Bremen). An investment in the Lely line will then certainly pay for itself.