The Dutch government has allocated a casual couple billion to fund the cost of extending railway and bus services to new towns and estates across the Randstad.
The plans to extend railway lines come after the Dutch cabinet announced the building of 900,000 new homes. More than half of these houses will be built in the Randstad and North Brabant, reports de Volkskrant.
Amsterdam finally gets a win
After years of debate, a decision has finally been made, or as the Dutch say: de Kogel is door de Kerk (the bullet is through the church). ⛪️
Amsterdam will finally see the extension of the North-South metro line. And, the line will soon go all the way to Hoofddorp.
What does that mean? Well, it means there will finally be a direct metro connection between Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport. 🎉
NS cancelled your train again? Don’t you worry, schat; the GVB’s got your back! 🚇
Amsterdam Zuid is also to receive extra tracks, with the total cost of all the improvements coming to a whopping €5.4 billion.
Improvements all over the country
In Suikerzijde, a new neighbourhood in the sprawling city of Groningen, there will be a new bus and train station built.
A new bus station in Eindhoven will be built below the train station, which will also get a make-o Well, the tracks are being revamped to accommodate international trains from Antwerp, Aachen and Düsseldorf.
In Overijssel, improvements will also be made to the tracks. Here, they will be electrified, creating a much more efficient train connection to Germany.
80,000 houses to be built on the ‘old line’
Along the railway lines from Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam and Dordrecht, 80,000 houses will be constructed. By 2040, four new stations will be built to accommodate the thousands of commuters sure to move into these homes. 💼
Not only will there be new stations, but the track will also be widened to allow for more frequent trains to run along the lines. The cost of all this?
€1.56 billion. 😲
Delays? The NS has a degree in those
The new train lines have only just been announced, but there are delays to the plans already. The delays seem to be due to a nitrogen problem with storing current projects.
“We remain committed to accessibility and water safety, because this is not a luxury but a condition for a country where it is pleasant to live and live,” Dutch MPs have said about the issues in a letter to the House.
What do you think about the plans to improve the Dutch railway system? Tell us in the comments below!