A new proposal submitted to the European Commission will see Groningen connected to Germany and Scandinavia as a part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The new train line, the Lelylijn, will start in Amsterdam, before traveling through Lelystad, Groningen, and eventually destinations in Germany and Scandinavia.
The Lelylijn proposal reportedly passed with overwhelming support in the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives) earlier this year, but the motion saw no official action until the beginning of June. With the motion now officially filed by State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen, the prospective Lelylijn project is open to funding, in the amounts of several billions, from the European Commission.
According to the Lelylijn’s official website, the new train line, alongside its international links, aims to provide numerous additional connections in the northern provinces with the hopes of providing a “socio-economic impulse” to the region. Notably, this includes the town of Drachten which is currently without a train station altogether.
The Lelylijn also aims to drastically shorten the travel time as well as ease of access between the Northern provinces and the Randstad. Ideally, the new train line would allow travelers from Northern cities, such as Groningen and Leeuwarden, to travel to and from the Randstad without relying on a connection in Zwolle.
Upon its completion, the Lelylijn, in addition to the rest of the TEN-T lines, will act as a means of replacing short-distance flights of 750 kilometers or less. This is in line with the ambitions of the European Commission to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions resulting from short-range flights across EU member-states.
While the new line is still seemingly in its infancy, with legal procedures just beginning and research regarding potential routes still underway, the Lelylijn Initiative Group feels that official filing in Brussels is an important step in the right direction.
Looking for more information on the Lelylijn? Check out our previous coverage on the topic here.
