Cabinet sets up Ruimtelijk Perspectief Lelylijn commission to study the north's outlook

The cabinet has set up an advisory commission, Ruimtelijk Perspectief Lelylijn, to study how the Lelylijn rail link to the north can be brought closer. State Secretary Bertram, who is responsible for public transport and rail, sent the cabinet's response to parliament.

Why it matters

• The money already reserved for the Lelylijn stays intact.
• The cabinet says there is currently no room to set money aside every year for the line, as Knot advised.
• The commission is expected to report around next summer, and the cabinet will then decide on next steps.

The commission consists of Klaas Knot, Corien Wortmann and Ed Kronenburg. Knot, the Lelylijn envoy, gave his advice on the line earlier this year. The commission will look at a spatial and economic strategy for Northern Netherlands, covering housing, the economy and energy, and at where the rail link fits in.

It will also examine alternative construction techniques, additions to the chosen route and new ways to finance the line, including international funding, for example from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The cabinet puts the investment needed at about €15bn.

The cabinet says the search for new financing is partly driven by the state of the Mobiliteitsfonds (mobility fund). Maintaining existing infrastructure is a bigger task than the money available. The cabinet says it holds to financial discipline: projects can only start if they are financially realistic and responsible.

Bertram said: “The Lelylijn is a deeply cherished wish in Northern Netherlands. I understand that very well.” Bertram said the line is a chance to connect the north better with the rest of the country and possibly with Germany.