Dutch government orders fresh review of €15bn Lelylijn rail plan

The Dutch government is launching a new review of the proposed Lelylijn railway, examining how the project might be made more feasible and how it fits into the wider development of the country’s north. The line remains under consideration, but ministers say they cannot currently set aside annual funding for it.

The review will look at housing, economic development and energy alongside the railway, as well as possible changes to its route or construction methods and new ways to finance it. The government says the reserved funding for the project will remain intact.

The committee will be chaired by Klaas Knot, who advised the government on the railway earlier this year, and will also include Corien Wortmann and Ed Kronenburg. It is expected to report around the summer of 2027. The government will then decide what happens next.

The government estimates the line would cost about €15 billion. It says the search for alternative financing reflects pressure on the Mobility Fund, which must also pay for maintaining existing infrastructure. The cabinet says projects should proceed only when they are financially realistic and responsible. [1]

State Secretary for Public Transport and Rail Annet Bertram said the railway could improve connections between the north and the rest of the Netherlands, and potentially Germany. The government also points to the Port of Eemshaven’s role in military transport as part of the case for assessing the region’s needs more broadly. [1]