Meetings with young people

The Lelylijn project organization believes it is important to involve young people as much as possible in researching the Lelylijn. We engage with them during workshops, speed dates, presentations and debates at educational institutions (mbo, hbo and universities) and at student associations. We also work with interns and trainees; the Advisory Board of the De Lelylijn project includes two young people from the Student Advisory Committee Groningen (SAC).

The following is a brief review of the meetings with young people in recent weeks.

Mega Tienskipdag in Drachten May 22, 2024

Three hundred mbo students from Firda in Drachten participated in the Mega Tienskip Day. The aim of the Tienskip foundation is to introduce young people to politics and what they can do in it themselves. During the day, the young people came up with solutions to local problems they encounter, such as the public transport network in the north, street lighting, waste, respect and mental health. They worked on various projects and social issues, including De Lelylijn.

Some MBO students indicated that they would find a train station in Drachten convenient, as this would contribute to better accessibility of the Northern Netherlands. They also emphasized some points of interest, such as the need for additional public transportation, their concerns about the supply of affordable starter homes and the importance of taking nature and animals into account.

Youth debate May 27, 2024

On Monday, May 27, the Student Advisory Committee Groningen, in collaboration with the Lelylijn project organization and the ANWB, organized a debate for young people from Groningen and the surrounding area in the Groninger Forum about opportunities and challenges of the Lelylijn. Young people were able to actively participate and share ideas. There was a panel discussion with René Paas (Commissioner of the King in Groningen), Jorien Bakker (Administrative Ambassador for Nature in the North of the Netherlands), Aleid Brouwer (Extraordinary Professor of Brede Welvaart and opportunity (dis)equality/ senior researcher), and Tom Busscher (student advisor of the SAC Groningen).

Young people identified the following as benefits of the Lelylijn: sustainability, improved rail travel, accessibility, equity of opportunity, and solutions to rail problems. Their main concerns were the impact on nature and the environment, and the long development time. Yet the majority of young people felt that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. During the youth debate, it emerged that they had differing opinions on priorities and on specific aspects such as the route.

During the discussion topic of “work,” one of the young people indicated: “I think De Lelylijn can help to make your work world bigger, especially because many business centers are in the middle of the country. After all, I want to continue living in Groningen, because I like that place.”

The Student Advisory Committee recommends that youth and young workers continue to be involved and informed in further phases of the project.

The results of the survey and debate will be taken to the De Lelylijn Advisory Council, where Rebekah de Witte and Tom Busscher represent young people.

Atmosphere impression

Watch a brief atmospheric impression of the Youth Debate here.

View the findings following the Youth Debate, from the Student Advisory Committee Groningen, here.

Student Association Bernlef – Sprekkersjûn Lelyline – June 13, 2024

The project organization of the Lelylijn provided a presentation on the Lelylijn during the speakers’ evening of the Frisian student association Bernlef in Groningen. Interested students from various studies asked questions and participated in a group debate, with 10 of the 15 attendees being in favor of the Lelylijn because, according to them, “to stand still is to go backwards. Among the benefits they mentioned were the following: a fast connection to the Randstad, more job opportunities, a station in Drachten, greater equality of opportunity and positive effects for the economy.

Among the disadvantages they mentioned: expensive train tickets, rising house prices, Randstadians buying up houses, less money available for investments in the Frisian language, the possible impact on the preservation of Frisian culture and the identity of Fryslân.

NHL Stenden

NHL Stenden has been asked by the municipality of Heerenveen to help think about impact Lelylijn on Heerenveen. Third-year students will start working on this after the summer. Our cooperation is requested for information and to help assess the work of the students. Soon more information via social media.

TU Delft

Students of the Bachelor of Civil Engineering at TU Delft experienced what it is like to work on the Lelylijn in a project team during the course “Integral Design of Infrastructure. In five large teams, more than 100 students were tasked with exploring and solving various bottlenecks and possibilities on possible routes between Lelystad-Groningen/Leeuwarden. The Lelylijn project organization provided a guest lecture during the course and visited the campus twice to listen to the students’ presentations and give them feedback. The final presentations took place on June 28.