Merwedelijn tram and two new Oude Lijn stations get go-ahead

The government and the regions have agreed how several major transport projects will go ahead, after talks over the past week on the cabinet's reprioritisation of all infrastructure projects. The Merwedelijn will be a fast, frequent tram line on a sunken route and can now move to the detailed planning stage, which takes about four years.

Why it matters

• The Merwedelijn enables 35,000 homes in Groot Merwede and relieves Utrecht Centraal station.
• The Oude Lijn between Leiden and Dordrecht gets two new stations, Rijswijk Buiten and Dordrecht Leerpark, and the expansion enables about 170,000 homes.
• The Veluwelijn between Amersfoort and Harderwijk aims for two extra trains per hour.

Four existing hubs on the Oude Lijn will be expanded and improved: Leiden Centraal, Den Haag Laan van NOI, Schiedam Centrum and Dordrecht. For the Veluwelijn, one promising solution for a turning track just outside the built-up area of Harderwijk was chosen.

The €355m for housing-site access ranges from €73m to €104m a site

€ million

The €355m for housing-site access ranges from €73m to €104m a site (€ million). Highest: Spoorzone Hengelo-Enschede, 104; lowest: Apeldoorn BSK, 73; 4 items. Source: Rijksoverheid.

View data

Data: The €355m for housing-site access ranges from €73m to €104m a site

Item	€ million
Spoorzone Hengelo-Enschede	104
Helmond Centrum+	94
Alkmaars Kanaal	82
Apeldoorn BSK	73

The €355m for access to four large housing sites, which together enable 29,000 homes, is now split. Alkmaars Kanaal gets about €82m (7,800 homes), Apeldoorn BSK €73m (6,300), Helmond Centrum+ €94m (4,900) and Spoorzone Hengelo-Enschede €104m (10,000).

On roads, the infrastructure ministry announced on 16 October which construction projects can proceed. The A20 Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel–Gouda gets an extra €262m and is essential for access to the Cortelande housing site. Brainport, the Eindhoven region, gets an extra €635m, completing the projects under the Beethovenconvenant. A preferred decision on traffic flow on the A2/N2 is due in spring 2027.

For the N35 Wijthmen–Nijverdal (Mariënheem bypass), the national government has reserved €115m and the region €100m, so the preferred decision can be set soon. Paused projects, such as widening the lock at Kornwerderzand and the A28 Amersfoort–Hoogeveen, were also discussed with the regions. IenW, the infrastructure ministry, adds €24m for 19 through cycle routes (doorfietsroutes).

In October the cabinet announced an extra €18bn for maintenance and renewal of roads, bridges, rails and the water system. Infrastructure minister Vincent Karremans said: "That means we can't do everything at once, but we will make sure the basics are in order."