19 December 2023
Lelylijn Definitely on European rail map
In Brussels an agreement has been reached on adding the Lelylijn as a major rail link on the European rail network. In it, the EU asks the Netherlands to realize the Lelylijn by 2050 at the latest.
This will fill a missing link in European connections. With the addition of the Lelylijn to the TEN-T network, the northern Netherlands can even better fulfill its role as a gateway between Western and Northern Europe.
Matthijs de Vries, deputy for the province of Fryslân and chairman of the Northern Mobility Cooperation, is pleased with the news: “The construction of the Lelylijn is in the interest of developing a strong and sustainable European rail network. It is good news that both the European Parliament and Member States confirm this with the agreement they reached on this yesterday. In addition, there is a real chance that in a few years the Lelylijn will be upgraded to the expanded core network, making the Lelylijn part of the European high-speed rail network. The challenge is still that funding for the Lelylijn must be arranged during the formation in order to be able to take the launch decision, previously promised by the Cabinet, in 2024.”
In December 2022, all European member states already expressed support for adding the Lelylijn to the TEN-T network, and in April this year the European Parliament, on the initiative of a group of Dutch, German, Danish and Swedish MEPs, voted in favor of this as well. The European Parliament also endorsed the importance of extending the Lelylijn to the HSL connection Hamburg / Scandinavia.
State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management): “The European TEN-T network provides a coherent European rail network with ever better connections. I think it is important that this informal agreement gives room to adapt the network for new lines in the coming years. This offers opportunities for the Lelylijn. For now, the Lelylijn will be included in the expanded TEN-T network. The Netherlands would like the future line to be included in the expanded core network because this underlines the importance of this connection and increases the chances of receiving European subsidies. Now that the European Union is making it possible for the TEN-T network to be adapted in the coming years, the possibilities for this remain. This is something I welcome and is also appropriate for a train connection that has yet to be realized.”
Context:
Both the European Parliament and the Council have yet to officially approve the preliminary agreement reached by negotiators. This will happen in early 2024. Once this formality is completed, the revised TEN-T network and its obligations will come into force.
