Start participation process Lelylijn: lelylineconsultation.co.uk

Anyone who wants to can participate in the plans for the Lelylijn. An online consultation can be completed via the website www.lelylijnraadpleging.nl. This is the first part of a broader participation process around the new rail link between the North and Randstad. Administrators will use the results in the choices that will be made about the Lelylijn. The kickoff of the participation process for the Lelylijn was held February 6 at ROC Friese Poort in Emmeloord where State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen completed the consultation together with students.

Everyone can contribute ideas

State Secretary Vivianne Heijnen (Infrastructure and Water Management): “I think it is important that everyone can have a say in the plans for the Lelylijn. The new railroad line is a billion dollar investment that has been talked about for a long time. I am curious about what residents expect from the Lelylijn, what opportunities they see, but also what concerns they have. I am convinced that our plans will be better if we include residents’ input.”

Consultation

The online consultation asks residents questions about preferences and values for the Lelylijn. Residents are taken through various dilemmas: How many stations should trains stop at? How many trains per hour should cross Lelylijn? What should be the travel time of the fastest train between Groningen/ Leeuwarden and Amsterdam? This will provide a sharp picture of preferences, common values and concerns. The survey was open from Monday, Feb. 6, to Friday, March 31. Results are now (May 15, 2023) and can be viewed here.

Wider trajectory

The online consultation is an initiative of the national government and the provinces of Groningen, Fryslân, Drenthe, Flevoland, municipalities of Leeuwarden, Groningen, Assen and Emmen (these are the Northern governments representing the region in the Lelylijn study). They have agreed that residents will be involved in making those plans right from the beginning. This is special because it is the first time that residents are involved in this way in the research phase of a major infrastructure project.
The participation process does not stop with the online consultation. Residents will be involved throughout the investigation of the Lelylijn.

State of affairs

The cabinet has included in the coalition agreement that 3 billion euros has been set aside to build the Lelylijn with co-financing from the region and European funds. Exactly how the Lelylijn is to run has not yet been decided. The plans for the Lelylijn still have to be worked out in more detail and a final decision for the construction of the Lelylijn has yet to be taken. The goal is to have determined a preferred variant by the fall of 2024, together with the region, for which the corresponding financing has been found.