Netherlands and Germany pledge closer rail cooperation and faster links to Berlin
The two governments signed a joint rail statement in Berlin on Tuesday, aiming for shorter journeys and easier entry for new operators on routes from Amsterdam to Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt.
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State Secretary Annet Bertram (Infrastructure, CDA) and German transport minister Steffen Bilger agreed in Berlin on Tuesday to work more closely on rail. In a joint statement they singled out the routes from Amsterdam to Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt as priorities.
Both countries want to make it easier for new rail operators to offer international services, in order to increase competition. Roughly twice as many fast trains run to Paris as to Berlin. One newer operator, GoVolta, runs to Berlin via Deventer and Hengelo, but had trains cancelled for days because of defective rolling stock.
Bertram said the problem is speed, not demand: "Interest isn't the problem, speed is." She added that frequency cannot simply be increased.
Freight and military transport
Freight is another key priority. About 45,000 freight trains a year cross the border at Zevenaar, Venlo and Bad Bentheim. The German-side connection of the Betuweroute freight line is still not finished, and no firm end date is in sight. Bertram wants it fully connected to the German network as soon as possible.
The countries also want tracks suitable for extra-long trains of 740 metres. That matters for freight and for military transport, such as moving tanks.
The ministers will meet at least once a year, possibly with rail-sector experts.
Source: Tweede Kamer
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