Background

De Lelylijn is the proposed rail link between the Northern Netherlands and the Randstad. But De Lelylijn is so much more! De Lelylijn can contribute to connecting regions, strengthening economic structure and broad prosperity in the Netherlands. Broad prosperity is about the well-being of current and future generations, factors such as health, access to services and the environment in which people live.

In the 1960s, there was already talk of building a railroad between the Randstad and Northern Netherlands. Since then, there have been several studies and research on De Lelylijn. Yet the rail link between Lelystad – Leeuwarden and Groningen is still a missing link. In 2019, De Lelylijn received a new boost: a plan by provinces, municipalities and interest groups received government support. State and region decided to explore together whether De Lelylijn is worth exploring further. In this study, we work out how De Lelylijn can contribute to strengthening the economy of the North, opening up newly developed housing areas and better international train connections with northern Germany.

End of 2024: decision on next phase

A final decision for the construction of De lelylijn has yet to be made. The goal of De Lelylijn project is to identify the potential value and associated investment of De Lelylijn. By the end of 2024, we aim to deliver the decision information to administrators so they can decide whether or not De Lelylijn project can move from the study phase to the exploration phase.