Cabinet says few military vehicles hit Dutch infrastructure limits
In answers to parliamentary questions, the defence and infrastructure ministers say they are mapping which structures on the military corridors need measures, after an audit found Dutch infrastructure falls short of European military requirements in many places.
Dutch infrastructure does not meet European military requirements in many places, but not every deviation causes problems in practice, the Defence and Infrastructure ministers say. They were answering parliamentary questions on a finding by the Algemene Rekenkamer, the national audit office, in answers received on 27 October 2026.
The cabinet says the audit office also notes that military transports almost always manage to get from A to B. Most military equipment can already travel along existing military corridors, it says. Only a very small share is of such exceptional size or weight that deviations from technical military requirements may hinder it.
Because few exceptional vehicles are affected and infrastructure funds are scarce, the Infrastructure and Defence ministries are jointly mapping which structures on the corridors need measures. Besides structural changes, they are looking at traffic measures, such as routing vehicles past a substandard viaduct via an exit and entry ramp.
The European technical military requirements are being revised, and further studies will follow. Only then can the need for measures be determined, the ministers say.
What has been spent
Asked whether earlier warnings were largely ignored, the cabinet says parliament was informed several times about the maintenance task and the state of infrastructure, including through the annual reports on the state of infrastructure from Rijkswaterstaat and ProRail. It says the Rutte-III cabinet made €1.5bn extra available for maintenance. In 2023 17 projects were initially paused and in 2025 five more, with part of the freed-up money going to maintenance.
The Infrastructure Ministry has so far made €199m available for rail investments that serve both civilian and military use. A reprioritisation of the Mobiliteitsfonds, the mobility fund, freed up a further €197m for investments in resilience measures.
Most of the €199m for dual-use rail goes to the Maasvlakte
€m
Most of the €199m for dual-use rail goes to the Maasvlakte (€m). Highest: Extra rail capacity, Maasvlakte, 130; lowest: Kijfhoek, 30; 3 items. Source: Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, answers to parliamentary questions.
View data
| Item | €m |
|---|---|
| Extra rail capacity, Maasvlakte | 130 |
| 740-metre investments | 39 |
| Kijfhoek | 30 |
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Algemene Rekenkamer
The Algemene Rekenkamer is the Netherlands' national audit office, an independent body that examines how the government spends public money and whether its policies work as intended. It reports its findings to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) and the Senate (Eerste Kamer), and those reports often lead to parliamentary questions and debate. Its audits are a key check on the central government's finances and performance.
Rijkswaterstaat
Rijkswaterstaat is the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, responsible for the national main road and motorway network, the main waterways, and the national water system, including flood defences. It plans, builds, and maintains this infrastructure on behalf of the government. Its condition and maintenance backlog are regularly reported to parliament, so it plays a central role in national transport and water management.